using compost to prevent frost heave?

[brmzr]

Hey all,

I'm in NEK VT and I bought a house with a BAD foundation. (I knew this going in, I paid fair market value for acreage and got a house thrown in for free.) No crushed stone around it, it was just backfilled with bare earth. The previous owners never put gutters on and never heated the basement. Lastly, I'm in a hollow and an overforested hillside to the West means the sun dissapears at 2-3 pm in the winter and the temperature plummets.

The foundation is going to be replaced in the spring. I've got some of those temporary supports holding it up, and I was planning on running a couple of vent-free propane heaters near the worst wall to try and keep it warm this winter.

My question is this - would laying some grass clippings / wood chips / manure / black plastic on the outside, on top of the ground, help at all to keep it warm below? Any other ideas?

http://imgur.com/a/PSSQH#0wNjKHu

http://imgur.com/a/PSSQH#Ougskkn

http://imgur.com/a/PSSQH#rfAsr94

Thanks

[Redoverfarm]

Yep from the photographs you definitely have some foundation issues there.  I would limit the weight applied to that foundation wall.  An alternative used in this area during the winter is placing straw bales against the wall to prevent freezing to cellars and the like.

Using the materials you described would catch water and cause more pressure than the straw bales which would allow water to pass on through to the ground.

[brmzr]

Thanks for your reply. Where would I put these straw bales? Indoors? Outdoors?

[Redoverfarm]

Thanks for your reply. Where would I put these straw bales? Indoors? Outdoors?

They are placed/stacked against the exterior wall.