Cold Weather Practice

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• Do not excavate the site too far in advance of the scheduled set date.
• After the site has been excavated, insulate the area where walls are to be set and protect this area with a waterproof covering.
• Mixing calcium chloride into the stone footing and then covering it will help prevent frost infiltration. (Do not forget to treat the "extra" stone pile—you may need it to fill-in low spaces in footing.)
• Note that 6 inches of straw has approximately the same "R" value as 3 1/2" of fiberglass insulation (see chart below).

Insulating Values of Common Building Insulation Materials

These recommendations are compiled from a variety of industry sources.