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Exterior Foundation Foam insulation...a good idea?

749 Views 2 Replies 2 Participants Last post by  hellothere123
Hello again,

I live in Canada where the winters are cold and summers are just ok for temp...
I've had a serious water problem, along with neighbors, where the basement has flooded 2 times over the last 5 years...It only happens when the rain water accumulates and the land is so saturated that it has nowhere to go but into our basements ( happened during record rainfall)...
Anyway, I am getting weeping tile put in after the one sump pump didnt fix the problem. The contractor is going to blu-skin the foundation walls, but the question is do I put rigid foam on the exterior of the foundation or not?

I've heard its good for R value but also heard that if you interfere with the water membrane, (even with the rigid foam that has the grooves) that you can cause water blockage and freezing. Also that the foam could get saturated and not dry out therby killing your r value.

If I do put it in do I water membrane OVER the foam insulation or just attach the insulation once the blu skin is dry...
Thank you
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What is the grading and guttering like?

In theory, exterior insulation is a good idea, but if you have a water issue, it does complicate the question.

What does your foundation waterproofer say? At the end of the day, you need to make sure that he/she is okay with the approach and it will not invalidate the warranty on their work.

http://buildingscience.com/documents/bareports/ba-0202-basement-insulation-systems/view
Ok I'll ask him but any idea on the merits of installing the insulation?
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