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Paths for moving forward on new build

david_solar | Posted in General Questions on

We’re prepping for sub-slab foam to go in next week ahead of the pour, and there’s some things to resolve that I would greatly appreciate input on. 
My builder forgot the capillary break between the footings and foundation walls, didn’t install footing drains per the plan (he’d only ever done subslab drains), and he didn’t bring the exterior foam up to the top of the foundation walls per the plan. I was out of town the day the exterior foam went up or I would have caught it, and the missing drains, when they were done. To put it simply, he requires oversight whereover details not typical to his projects are done.

I’ve already gotten his guys a mock-up of a flangeless window of the sort that we’re going to install and I’m paying to have a 3rd party onsite to guide the crew through window/door install day. On the inside, Energy Vanguard is doing the HVAC design so that the subs can just follow it to the letter. That leaves me with the exterior details. 

I can’t fix the capillary break miss. I’m making him remove the backfill, put in the footing drains as well as sub-slab drains as a make-good for the capillary break. When he removes the fill, there’s a reasonable likelihood some of the foam will get damaged. His subs didn’t do an amazing job of installing the foam in the first place – While he is 100% willing to bring the foam up above grade, I’m not sure I should. 

Given that he’s built all his homes with better-than-code, but entirely interior insulation, should I just have him put in all the drainage, leaving whatever foam survives, and then fully insulate with foamboard and CCSF in the joists on the interior? It’s what he’s more comfortable doing, and I’ve always been nervous about the risk of insect infiltration via the foam, even after it’s covered with PVC trim and a termite barrier, but maybe my fears are overblown. 

I know this is a part-builder management question, part green design question, and I greatly appreciate your advice!

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Replies

  1. Malcolm_Taylor | | #1

    David,

    I think your plan sounds fine. You end up with what I would probably have done in the first place given the way your lot slopes, and that the stepped stem-walls are exposed at various heights.

    While not ideal, I don’t think missing the capillary break at the footings is too important. Outside the world of high performance houses it’s still a niche practice among builders.

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