Need help quick - Insulating floor at doorways

[Cougfan]

Guys, I have been reading for months on this site, and I am about to start building my shop. In fact, I am meeting with the foundation guy today to lay out the building. I don't have time to do a bunch of searches, so I am just going to ask my question.

I have a question about how I am going to insulate the floor at the doorways. I plan to insulate with rigid foam, and do in-floor heating when it comes time to pour the floor. I am going to insulate up the foundation wall and cut a 45 so that the floor meets up with the stem wall, but doesn't actually make contact (pretty standard, I think). The problem is that I don't know how this is going to work at the dorrways, unless the top of the stem wall is poured to be flush with the top of the floor. I was assuming that the floor would be poured over the top of the stem wall at the doorways, which is why I can't figure out the insulation at that point. I would appreciate any help. Thanks

 

[CARS]

I still have no regrets letting the heat leak out around my overhead doors. Keeps me from getting too close to the building with the snow plow.

Now if you don't have a lot of snow to deal with, your priorities may be different. It works for me in MN.

I guess I don't know how to insulate that area without making it weak. I guess if you don't have heavy equipment going in and out it may not break away

 

[Highbeam]

You're right, they would typically pour out the stemwall with a doorway notch and set the slab on top of the stemwall knockout. They don't have to do it this way though. My neighbor's shop was built with a step down into the shop, I don't think they notched the stemwall at all for his. His mandoor threshold sets right on the stemwall.

The slab would be more "floating" if it didn't get poured on top of the stem wall.


You'll have the same problem at the overhead door right?

 

[Cougfan]

CARS: Godd point about the snow. Yes, we have a decent amount of snow here, but not terrible.

HB: Yes, I will have the same problem at the overhead door. In fact, that is probably the area that I am more concerned with because of the total length of "uninsulate" area (two 12' wide doors).

I like the idea of just putting the threshold over the top of the stem wall at the man doors.

Am I being too picky with this? Maybe it is not worth worrying about.

 

[tdkkart]

My building had the door thresholds poured already, I did my vertical insulation around the outside of the slab so that the top of the insulation was the top of the concrete. When I got to the door thresholds I cut a 2" tall notch in the top of the insulation all the way across the threshhold. This small amount lets enough heat out under the door to keep the snow of the threshold, but not enough to melt it off the gravel right next to the thresholds.
I also did a notch under the walk-in door as well, keeps the door from freezing.

 

[stingry]

CARS: Godd point about the snow. Yes, we have a decent amount of snow here, but not terrible.

HB: Yes, I will have the same problem at the overhead door. In fact, that is probably the area that I am more concerned with because of the total length of "uninsulate" area (two 12' wide doors).

I like the idea of just putting the threshold over the top of the stem wall at the man doors.

Am I being too picky with this? Maybe it is not worth worrying about.

Insulate the rest of the slab well and the small amount lost at the doors will be insignificant IMHO!

Cheers
Steve

 

[rsa]

See my post here.