Concrete frame · ground floor base

Base of the wall on a ground-bearing slab — perimeter insulation wrapping the slab edge and lapped damp barriers keeping the ground out.

Components

1Rainscreen cladding — stopped clear of the ground
2Cavity base flashing & weep holes
3Continuous external + perimeter insulation
4Ground-bearing floor slab
5Sub-slab insulation
6Strip foundation / thickened edge
7DPM lapped to the wall DPC
8External ground level — below internal floor level
9Aluminium carrier rail
10Thermally-broken bracket — bolted to the wall, isolated

Why it works

Thermal bridgeWrap the insulation down the slab edge

Carry the external insulation down past the slab edge and lap it to the sub-slab insulation. Stop it at ground and the slab perimeter goes cold — condensation and mould collect exactly where the floor meets the wall.

Water pathLap the damp barriers

The damp-proof membrane under the slab must lap up and join the wall's damp-proof course. Together they form one unbroken barrier so ground moisture can't rise into the slab or wick up the wall.

Water pathDrain and ventilate the cavity

The rainscreen sheds most water; whatever gets past it runs down the back of the cladding and out through the open cavity. The cavity must stay drained and ventilated at every floor — never sealed solid — or trapped water saturates the insulation.

MovementKeep the floor above the ground

Set the internal finished floor level above external ground and stop the cladding clear of the ground. Splashback, puddling and snow then can't bridge the damp protection or stain the cladding.

Common mistakes

Insulation stopped at the slab edge, leaving a cold perimeter and condensation where the floor meets the wall.
DPM under the slab not lapped to the wall DPC, so ground moisture rises straight past it.
External ground built up above the internal floor, bridging the damp protection.
Cladding taken down to the ground where splashback soaks and stains it.

References

About Facade Detail Library·Copy a correct facade detail into your set.

What Facade Detail Library does

Browse typical facade section details and copy the one that fits into your drawing set. Each detail is drawn to a scale with numbered callouts, the building-science principles behind it, the common mistakes to avoid and links to read more. Filter by structure and floor condition, then export the drawing.

Filter:: Structure + condition
Output:: Annotated section + principles
Export:: SVG · PNG · DXF

How to use it

Filter the library. Choose a Structure (Concrete frame, Steel frame or Glazed facade) and a Condition (ground floor, typical floor, roof / parapet, window head, sill or jamb, or mullion).
Pick a detail. Select a card in the list; the drawing opens in the middle with its numbered callouts.
Read the teaching panel. Components explains each callout, Why it works gives the principles, Common mistakes flags what to avoid, and References links to further reading.
Switch the view. Toggle between Detail view (greyscale) and Colour view.
Export. Download the detail as SVG, PNG or DXF on named layers in millimetres.

Best used for

Getting a correct junction detail into a set quickly.
Teaching why a facade junction is built the way it is.
Checking a design against the common mistakes at a junction.
A starting point to adapt into a project detail.

Not a substitute for

Project-specific details — these are typical details to adapt.
Fabrication or setting-out dimensions.
A substitute for a project specification or an engineer's detail.

Known limits

The details are typical, drawn schematically with a scale bar, not to a project's dimensions.
They cover concrete and steel frames and glazed facades; other systems are not included.
Always adapt the detail and its references to your project and its approvals.

Read the full Facade Detail Library guide →