How to protect insulation around slab

[boyAND1]

Long time reader, first real question.
How can I protect the insulation around the slab so that no small animals/insects get into it? I have heard of mice eating their way in and then eating the insulation under the slab also hence compromising the base under the concrete. Am I putting the top of the insulation too high? I left about 3 inches from the top edge of the concrete to the top of the insulation. Will vinyl siding be hanging down far enough to ge in the way?

Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated.

By the way...love the site!!!

Thanks,

 

[K'ledgeBldr]

Generally, you stucco/parge (the protective coating in the diagram) the rigid board. I have attached a diagram of a wall section that shows the proper buildout of your scenario.
The main thing to point out is how the plate of the wall hangs over the foundation edge to create a continuous plane (obviously, the foundation insulation is thicker than the sheathing/insulating board on the framed wall section).
There has been a lot of controversy about exterior foundation insulation and termites. The immediate solution was to cutback the board (like you have described) away from the plate to create and inspection area for termite tubes- if they were coming up between the foundation and the board. This however created a very poor aesthetic finish. The solution was to seal or "backwrap" the insulation board at the footing or base base of slab- sometimes impossible because the board was being used as part of the forms for the pour. So, the alternative was to go below final grade, cut a 4-6" horizontal void in the board and seal/backwrap- termites could no longer reach the plate/framing from behind the insulating board.

The technique used more today is insulating board on the interior side of a foundation/ monoslab.