[Strawbale] Pressure-treated Wood Foundations ( PWF) (was re: Frost heave)

[Shody Ryon]

Hi Rob,
Thanks for talking the time to give your thoughts. I
am wondering if I were to back fill with large amounts
of gravel and cover that with a 2 meter perimeter of
EPDM rubber sloped at 50mm per meter (I am trying to
approximate 1/4" per foot) with a termination into a
slit pipe underground gutter at the outside perimeter
for water drainage if the rubber and back fill that
with a foot or so of soil for flowers. I realize I can
do what ever I want, but I recently have been bias
against wood foundations and wanted to run through
this with someone.
The other thing is that I think SB builders are the
only ones who as a group understand moisture barriers
well. I do not think I understand them well, however
let me run this by you. If a wall is insulated well,
that is it, has no convection or air movement inside
of the wall and the insulation absorbs and releases
moisture well and retains its R value when wet would
that eliminate the source of moisture. I am thinking
of 9 inches of dense packed cellulose, and thinking of
doing away with a moisture barrier. If it had a
relatively stable gradient of temperature through the
insulation wouldn't that eliminate condensation?
wouldn't the fact that air is not circulating inside
the wall remove the source moisture? I do not want
water on the exterior of by concrete foundation either.


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