The Concrete-Free Floating-Plywood Slab Assembly
Watch builder Josh Salinger show how to reduce the environmental impact of a new home by omitting the concrete from the ground-level floors.
More than 10 billion tons of concrete are used each year, making it the second-most consumed substance on Earth (after water). Just the production process for cement accounts for 8% of all global greenhouse gas emissions.
In this video, Josh Salinger, owner of Birdsmouth Design-Build, is on-site in Portland, Ore., to show us how to create a more eco-friendly slab assembly by laying two layers of graphite polystyrene (GPS) foam insulation on top of compacted stone, covering that with a polyethylene vapor barrier, and finally topping it all off with two floating layers of tongue-and-groove (T&G) plywood.
RELATED LINKS
- Benefits of Building with ICFs
- Air-Sealing a Net-Zero Assembly
- Building a Vaulted High-Performance and Foam-Free Roof Assembly
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Thanks for sharing. But I have to say, I prefer being able to scan an article than taking the risk of watching a video, waiting to see if it has the info I need.
Interesting. I will be doing a couple of Additions in the near future with crawl space foundations....normally we would install crushed stone followed by rigid foam followed by a 6mil vapor barrier and finished with a 3-4" thick rat slab of concrete. I am curious if you would install a Double Plywood Sub-floor in this scenario or even just a single layer?
Thanks for the great video. Do you think one could eliminate the foam layer by replacing gravel with an insulating product like foamglass?
Always on the lookout for a concrete and foam free solution for foundations!
I always appreciate how detailed and thorough you are in your videos, Mr. Salinger. SO helpful! Keep up the great work!