In today's episode of the Build Show at the Rocky Top Aarow project, Jake and Travis walk through the critical detailing required to properly insulate and thermally break a slab-on-grade foundation. They explain why under-slab insulation matters in high-performance construction, how subgrade preparation and a continuous Stego vapor barrier improve durability, and why slab-edge heat loss makes vertical insulation essential. The episode highlights the project’s unusually complex conditions—multiple downsets for moment frames, lift-and-slide doors, and floor-to-ceiling windows—where precise thermal breaks must be added after the initial pour rather than formed in place. Jake and Travis also discuss addressing a structurally loaded interior pony wall by isolating it from the finished slab to avoid cracking in the polished concrete floor. Although these details are challenging and costly, they ensure comfort, energy performance, and seamless zero-threshold transitions throughout the home.

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