Building insulation system and method

Claim 2

A building structure comprising in combination: a building having a foundation portion including a subterranean vertical inner wall circumscribing a subterranean volume, such as a cellar, a floor disposed across said circumscribing inner wall and connected thereto near the bottom thereof, an outer wall circumscribing and spaced-apart from said inner wall and extending to at least the depth of said inner wall beneath the surface of the ground, said outer wall defining an annular volume with said inner wall, and a circumscribing top wall joining said outer and inner walls to enclose said annular volume, and a solid, air-entrapping insulating material disposed within and substantially filling said annular volume for retarding the transfer of heat between the volume located inwardly of said inner wall and the soil exterior of said outer wall.

Claim 3

A building structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein said solid air-entrapping insulating material filling said volume between said outer and inner walls comprises a particulate material.

Claim 4

A building structure in accordance with claim 2 wherein said particulate material comprises sand.

Claim 5

A building structure in accordance with claim 2 wherein said particulate material comprises fine gravel.

Claim 6

A building structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein said solid air-entrapping insulating material disposed within said annular volume between said outer and inner walls comprises a cellular plastic material.

Claim 7

A building structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein said top wall between said outer and inner walls has its top surface substantially at the level of and parallel to the surface of the ground surrounding said building.

Claim 8

A building structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein said top wall between said outer and inner walls is disposed beneath the surface of the ground and soil covering the upper surface of said top wall to the level of the ground.

Claim 9

A building structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein the annular volume between said outer and inner walls is sealed with the exception of at least one passageway through said inner wall to said annular volume and located to permit drainage of any water which may penetrate through said annular volume.

Claim 10

A building structure in accordance with claim 1 including a bottom wall joining said outer and inner walls and extending completely around said inner wall, said bottom wall having an upper surface which is configured and sloped to a low point for drainage of liquid within said annular volume and a passageway through said inner wall at the low point of said sloped bottom wall to permit liquid collected thereat within said annular volume to flow to the volume interior of said inner wall.

Claim 11

A building structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein said outer and inner walls are shaped to define a plurality of wall portions which are at substantially right angles to each other and the bottom wall of each of said wall portions being sloped to define a low point therebetween and drainage means at each of said low points.

Claim 12

A building structure in accordance with claim 10 wherein said drainage means at each of said low points comprises a passageway through the inner wall portion of said building.

Claim 13

A building structure in accordance with claim 1 including an extension of at least one of said inner and outer wall portions circumscribing the foundation of said building and extending downwardly below the water line of the ground supporting the building defined by said building structure.

Claim 14

A building structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein said inner and outer walls defining said annular volume are spaced between two feet and six feet apart from each other.

Claim 15

A building structure in accordance with claim 1 wherein said inner and outer walls defining said annular volume are spaced between three feet and four feet apart from each other.

Claim 18

A method in accordance with claim 15 including providing said solid air-entrapping insulating material as loose paper sealed in plastic bags and placing said paper filled bags within said evacuated volume in abutment with one another.

Claim 19

A method in accordance with claim 15 which includes lining the walls of said evacuated volume with a sealing means so as to seal same from moisture.

Claim 20

A method in accordance with claim 17 wherein the lining step is effected by providing a plastic sheet material against the walls of the evacuated volume.

Claim 21

A building structure comprising in combination: a building having a foundation portion including a subterranean vertical inner wall circumscribing a subterranean volume such as a cellar, a floor disposed across said circumscribing inner wall and connected thereto near the bottom thereof, an outer wall circumscribing and spaced-apart from said inner wall and extending to at least the depth of said inner wall beneath the surface of the ground, said outer wall defining an annular volume with said inner wall, and a circumscribing top wall joining said outer and inner walls to enclose said annular volume, and a bottom wall joining said outer and inner walls and extending completely around said inner wall, said bottom wall having an upper surface which is configured and sloped to a low point for the drainage of liquid within said annular volume and a passageway through said inner wall at the low point of said sloped bottom wall to permit liquid collected thereat from within said annular volume to flow to the volume interior of said inner wall, and insulating material provided within said annular volume for retarding the transfer of heat between the volume inwardly of said inner wall and the soil exterior of said outer wall.

Claim 22

A building structure comprising in combination: a building having a foundation portion including a subterranean vertical inner wall circumscribing a subterranean volume such as a cellar, a floor disposed across said circumscribing inner wall and connected thereto near the bottom thereof, an outer wall circumscribing and spaced-apart from said inner wall and extending to at least the depth of said inner wall beneath the surface of the ground, said outer wall defining an annular volume with said inner wall, and a circumscribing top wall joining said outer and inner walls to enclose said annular volume, and a bottom wall joining said outer and inner walls and extending completely around said inner wall, said bottom wall having an upper surface which is configured and sloped to a low point for the drainage of liquid within said annular volume and a passageway through said inner wall at the low point of said sloped bottom wall to permit liquid collected thereat from within said annular volume to flow to the volume interior of said inner wall, and insulating material provided within said annular volume for retarding the transfer of heat between the volume inwardly of said inner wall and the soil exterior of said outer wall.

Claim 23

A building structure comprising in combination: a building having a foundation portion including a subterranean vertical inner wall circumscribing a subterranean volume such as a cellar, a floor disposed across said circumscribing inner wall and connected thereto near the bottom thereof, an outer wall circumscribing and spaced-apart from said inner wall and extending to at least the depth of said inner wall beneath the surface of the ground, said outer wall defining an annular volume with said inner wall, and a circumscribing top wall joining said outer and inner walls to enclose said annular volume, said inner wall being shaped to define a plurality of wall portions which are substantially at right angles to each other, the bottom wall of each of said wall portions being sloped to define a low point therebetween and drainage means at each of said low points, said drainage means comprising a passageway through the inner wall portion of said building.

Claim 24

A building structure comprising in combination: a building having a foundation portion including a subterranean vertical inner wall circumscribing a subterranean volume such as a cellar, a floor disposed across said circumscribing inner wall and connected thereto near the bottom thereof, an outer wall circumscribing and spaced-apart from said inner wall and extending to at least the depth of said inner wall beneath the surface of the ground, said outer wall defining an annular volume with said inner wall, and a circumscribing top wall joining said outer and inner walls to enclose said annular volume, said inner wall being shaped to define a plurality of wall portions which are substantially at right angles to each other, the bottom wall of each of said wall portions being sloped to define a low point therebetween and drainage means at each of said low points, said drainage means comprising a passageway through the inner wall portion of said building.