Insulating block foundation question

[BorisMD]

Hi all,

I'm in the middle of building my 28 deep x 34 wide, freestanding garage. The garage has in-floor heat and has one course of block around the front half, and 4 courses around the back half (it's set into a slope).

For the back half, I have 2" foam around the outside, and plan to fir out the walls on the inside and add a layer of foil faced foam, covered by sheetrock. What I don't know how to insulate is the single course of block around the front half. That layer will not be set into the ground, so it is exposed and will have a stone face applied to it (over a stucco scratch coat -- all not very good insulators).

Any suggestions?

Thanks,

Boris

 

[sledzz]

You could fill the blocks with foam.

 

[BorisMD]

yeah, I thought about that-- that would be quite a few cans of expanding foam.

Boris

 

[John G]

Maybe you could use the 2" foam and apply something like wonder-board (dura-rock) tile backing by pinning/screwing it to the block through the foam?

Just an idea.

 

[sledzz]

It's such a small area with one block exposed it might be hard to make it look right and not take up more floor space if you trimmed it out. I filled one wall of mine with the insulating foam balls and then read later that it really does not add much R value. They do sell those cans in larger ones I have seen at Menards if you have one near you. You could also buy a kit that comes in a propane style tank and fill them that way.

 

[BorisMD]

Hmm, I could actually get one of those propane tank style sets and spray the entire interior surface of the blocks--that would seal it up nice, I would think. Then I could throw a 1x pine board over it and drive it in with Tapcon screws.

 

[uhcrandy]

The open cells in block can be insulated with pour-in insulation, like vermiculite. Expanding foam can blow out the masonry joints. It also much more expensive.