Replies

1. 
   DanH | Jun 05, 2010 05:59pm | #1

   Is it being pushed up, or is the soil subsiding?

2. 
   ki | Jun 05, 2010 10:28pm | #2

   one of two things

   like dan says, is the soil settling? or how much of the styrofoam is exposed? without protection from a waterproofing membrane, it is likely just wear and tear breaking down the material

3. 
   DaveRicheson | Jun 10, 2010 06:10am | #3

   Does the foam set on the foundation footing and was it glue to the walls?

   If it is exposed at the top, you are probably geting water behind it, and that is pushing it away from the wall durring freeze/thaw cycles. The movement upward is the results of the same freeze/thaw cycles in the fill around the wall.. The cycles will jack the foam up if it was not glue and fastened to the wall..

   Use Tapcons and fender washers to  pull the foam back to the wall after laying a bead of foam glue behind the top edge.. Follow that with a flashing cap to keep future water and debris from getting behind the foam. If you hold the Tapcons as high as you can, the down leg of the flashing can hide the scerws and washers.

   BTW foam board should not be exsposed to sunlight for the long term. It deteriorates with exposure to UV,

4. 
   DanH | Jun 10, 2010 07:40am | #4

   It would be helpful to know how your foam is arranged.  There are two basic schemes that I'm familiar with:

   1. The foam is carried up to the top of the foundation and then covered with a cement-like coating to protect and hide it.

   2. The foam is carried up to the top of the soil, with no special treatment.

   In the second case foam will be exposed as the soil (inevitably) subsides following construction.  This foam can be cut away or will eventually break away on its own.

   In the first case the foam should not separate from the foundation.  If it does it should be reattached somehow -- the Tapcon and fender washer suggestion is probably as good as any.  Following reattachment the top edge should be re-sealed to the house, either by caulking or by re-doing the masonary-like coating.

5. 
   Clewless1 | Jun 12, 2010 09:10am | #5

   As others have said, it shouldn't be exposed like you describe w/out e.g. some flashing or protection detail.

   Worst cast scenario ... you'd excavate along that edge and redo it the right way and eliminate the problem.

1. 
   EricBrewer | Jun 16, 2010 05:55pm | #6

   Hi Everyone,

   Thanks for all of your help.  Unfortunately, I don't know all of the installation details from the contractor.  I do know that fender washers with nails were used, but the top row has pretty much popped out.  There is a masonry coating, but it is flaking off and will need to be repaired.  I don't know if the sheets sit on top of the footings or if adhesive was used.   Here is a pic, the best I could get in a tight spot.  I'm guessing that I could cut out a "sliver" of insulation and screw it back down.

   Eric

   
1. 
   DanH | Jun 20, 2010 07:38am | #8

   Well, that picture doesn't tell us much -- not enough context.

   It looks like the area in the picture has only a few inches exposed between the soil level and the bottom of the siding -- is this true?  The insulation may have been jammed in to begin with, and the buckling is just due to it pushing back.

2. 
   EricBrewer | Jun 16, 2010 06:28pm | #7

   error-please ignore