Chris Corson applies 6-inch polystyrene foam insulation to the basement wall after forming, pouring, and waterproofing the basement walls.
Sub-slab insulating foam and a poly vapor barrier in place before the slab is poured.
His crew is calling it the "Corson truss" — a hybrid member built up out of ripped 2x stock and short pieces of wood I-joist, used to fatten walls for super-insulation. Here, carpenter Luke Small stands on a truss web to test the system's strength. It's plenty rugged, says Corson — but on balance, he's not sure it's practical for the entire wall.
A crane flies a set of roof trusses into place for the Surry Passive House. Achieving the necessary R-values will require packing the cathedral truss voids full of cellulose insulation.