ᐅ Improving the Appearance of Exposed Insulation in Contact with the Ground – Which Material to Use?
Created on: 5 May 2021 10:00
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AndreasHHello everyone in the forum!
I hope someone can help me with what seems like an unusual request.
We built a house on a hillside 20 years ago. The basement was constructed as a walk-out basement at the front, so that in the visible area at the front the polystyrene insulation (which mainly protects the insulation underneath; the house is very well insulated) protrudes about 50cm (20 inches) above ground level. Originally, we placed concrete rings in front of it and planted them.
By now, we find these rings unattractive. They will be removed in the next few days. Now I want to attach some kind of panels to the polystyrene for aesthetic purposes, but I don’t know which material can withstand ground moisture, as the panels will need to be embedded about 10cm (4 inches) into the soil to create a nice finish at the base.
I have looked at composite panels (plastic sheets with aluminium coating and paint on both sides), fiber cement boards, and plastic panels. Since this is the weather-exposed side (direct sunlight, etc.), I am unsure which material would be suitable. I plan to screw the panels on (for example, with roofer screws) and seal the top edge with a double L-profile (I hope this is the correct term), which should also clamp the panels and prevent water from running behind them. If water does get in, it should not be a problem because the main insulation is behind them. So I believe I don’t need a substructure, which would complicate things significantly.
I hope it is clear what I want to do. Can anyone help?
Thank you very much!
Best regards
Andreas
I hope someone can help me with what seems like an unusual request.
We built a house on a hillside 20 years ago. The basement was constructed as a walk-out basement at the front, so that in the visible area at the front the polystyrene insulation (which mainly protects the insulation underneath; the house is very well insulated) protrudes about 50cm (20 inches) above ground level. Originally, we placed concrete rings in front of it and planted them.
By now, we find these rings unattractive. They will be removed in the next few days. Now I want to attach some kind of panels to the polystyrene for aesthetic purposes, but I don’t know which material can withstand ground moisture, as the panels will need to be embedded about 10cm (4 inches) into the soil to create a nice finish at the base.
I have looked at composite panels (plastic sheets with aluminium coating and paint on both sides), fiber cement boards, and plastic panels. Since this is the weather-exposed side (direct sunlight, etc.), I am unsure which material would be suitable. I plan to screw the panels on (for example, with roofer screws) and seal the top edge with a double L-profile (I hope this is the correct term), which should also clamp the panels and prevent water from running behind them. If water does get in, it should not be a problem because the main insulation is behind them. So I believe I don’t need a substructure, which would complicate things significantly.
I hope it is clear what I want to do. Can anyone help?
Thank you very much!
Best regards
Andreas