Can spray foam help?
FellStreeter
| Posted in General Questions on
My home originally had an open front porch which, at one point, was enclosed. I recently had the enclosure torn off and reconstructed so that the area would serve as an addition to the home’s front room. The new “addition” sits atop a “coal bin.” Would spray foam help insulate the front room from any moisture and drafts from the coal bin?
GBA Detail Library
A collection of one thousand construction details organized by climate and house part
Search and download construction details
Replies
Kevin,
I'm assuming that the "coal bin" you are referring to is below grade and connected to your basement. Presumably, the coal bin has concrete walls or masonry walls, just like a basement or crawl space.
Of course, if you have a heated (conditioned) room above an unconditioned coal bin, you want three barriers between your finish flooring and the room below. You want an insulation layer; you want a vapor barrier; and you want an air barrier. Spray foam insulation is one option, but there are other ways to provide these barriers.