Spray foam to save from complete wall finishing removal. Few holes, spray, patch.... thermal camera tools fairly cheap anymore. Also spot bad electrical connections. 😉
I asked an old Japanese neighbor of mine here about your floor. He said that in his parents home that they would cut portions of the floor like that qas needed when they needed extra storage for things that were used infrequently. He also said that at times his parents would hide money and jewelry down there for safe keeping . When his family would come visit family in America they would hide important papers and such until they came back home. I hope that helps you out.
Moisture comes up through the soil. What's in the crawlspace at my friend's old cottage is a 6mil plastic sheet with pea gravel on top to protect it when moving across it. 10mil is often required nowadays. And it is recommended under concrete for basements. Or under a pour if you want to upgrade a crawlspace. Not 'usual', but when you diy you can get more for what you'd spend on having it done by someone else. At least that's how I think. You still save.
I agree with this- plastic sheeting covering the dirt and going up the below grade walls with some gravel on top should help greatly with keeping moisture out of there. Concrete on top would be even better. Just the fiberglass alone with its vapor barrier isn't enough- see the gaps between the staples? Attic vapor barrier also looks to be the wrong way around- should be facing the interior.
thank you for this valuable information matt! i am mustering courage to buy a property in fukui-ken and your channel is very conforting with the amount of great info provided! hope you can make a more indepth video on the double windows
Hey! It's so great to see your work progress . Your house looking really nice. I like your economy approach to it. I belive the less is better as long as it makes you fill satisfied it's a success :) . Can't wait your next update. Thank you.
Going under the house must have been quite the stomach workout. I have a new house so the hidden bits aren't scary. I have a book of photos they made when they built it... to prove that they didn't cheap out on what's hidden. In any case going under the floor even onto my concrete pad was a real stomach workout. I've had to do it several times because the drain pipes from my bath, bathroom sink, and kitchen sink ALL separated from the joints leading to the septic pipes. Also a vent pipe from my 24 hour air circulation system. Any time water went to septic the smell came up. Luckily each one separated in a way where the water still went right into the pipe. I had no sitting water at all under the house. The builder had repairs done at no cost. Probably because these pipes are meant to create a permanent bond when glued and they knew it was nothing we did. I wonder if the installer ran out of the correct glue that day and went with a weaker type. But WOW at having to crawl under there without being able to use more than my elbows and toes to move.
Nice video! Your place looks a lot like my wife's family home in Okaya... just down the highway an hour or so. I too have been attacking insulation issues and will check the futon closets for the roof hatch when I get back for my winter sojourn in Japan next week... I wonder what I will find up there? Dropping in some of that already-vapor-sealed-insulation in the attic looks like an easy, not-too-expensive fix as the house is either freezing or sweltering for half the year. I did under the floors in a few places and that along with spray foaming some gaps made a huge difference. Hopefully you can get any termites nuked before you start underneath.... I heard the spraying can be a little pricey with not many DIY options and it looks fairly wet under your place which I heard they like. Good luck!
The insulation boards are not good, in my opinion. Just use the fiberglass and then install a moisture barrier. The R value is much higher. You can almost not error on putting too much in the ceiling, but you don’t need as much on the floor. You do need a good insulation on the walls. You probably already know that, but I am just listening to what you are saying here.
Is it my imagination, or is the fiberglass completely encased in a vapor barrier? I'm used to seeing it only on one side. Also, as a person studying, I hesitate to say learning, Japanese, how long did it take you to become functional? And what path did you follow? thank you. I also loved the tour of your neighborhood, It felt like I was right there. Walking around and talking to people is one of my favorite things when in Japan, or anywhere really, but having to have my wife translate makes it less so.
Great bargain, doesn't look like you'll need much renovation. This is a sort of random question, but I've been traveling on and off to Japan from the EU since I became a remote worker, always thought of settling down there eventually but visas for my situation are non existent, how did you manage to live there permanently?
The ceiling in older houses here are not like a plasterboard ceiling. It’s 3mm overlapped veneer. If you put slight pressure on it from above or below it could easily penetrate. Since it’s overlapped there are gaps - another way for it to allow the house for more summer airflow. It would need some kind of plastic sheet to prevent anything seeping through from above. It would make sense to replace the ceiling with something more solid and then spray foam
Matt how much does it cost to replace tatami? My house has only flooring because I figured I could always buy the squares that sit on to of flooring in a pinch.
How do you install vaper barrier in attic and ventilation system? When I replaced roofing in my Toronto home, replaced ventilator and added extra insulation but attic in your Japanese house seems no attic ventilator then difficult to install vaper barrier in the area far from the attic inspection opening.
I understand it is quite cheap to buy rural properties, but do you own the land, meaning is this freehold? I am from NZ, but moved to Finland/Poland about 5 years ago. Japan has always been a draw for me. If I was able to get a remote job there (yeah, working in IT), I'd love to buy a big piece of land and build a traditional log house. Is there availability to buy land out there?
i find it shocking that the homes in Japan have no insulation. I have a 60 year old home in Winnipeg canada (The great white north) summers the temperatiure regularly get to over -30C in the winter and +30C in the summer. ROOFS.. when my home was built and now as well there is a plastic vapour barrier on top of the ceiling...then a cellulose or fibreglas BLOW IN insulation....about 12 years ago the government offered free service to increase the R values in homes...my R existing R value with blowin cellulose was about R25...I opted to have that increased to a R value of R50. All homes here the roofs are well ventilated with openings all through the soffits usually covered with slotted aluminum panels on the exterior to allow for air flow and on the roof itself some homes have ridge vents or most cases have 4 to 6 vents nearer the top of the roof so that air movement is consistent. (Some homes today the SPRAY on foam insulation is used but expensive) Also most roofs have fibreglas shingles but before the shingles are applied new or replacement...4-6 feet of ice shield..is applied from the edge of the roof which eliminated any water from snow/ice melting into the roof. So, the increased R values together with proper ventilation is a must due to our very hot/very cold weather conditions ....by the way our summers humidity values regularly reach 70% and I use a dehumidifier and winter humidity is so dry it drops to 25% so I use a humidifier. WALLS,,=...our homes have R20 values...I have a crawl space.... the floor level is gravel which I coverd with poly/fibrelas sheets and used aluminum foil tape to seal all edges...walls of crawl space are 2" thick Fibreglas rigid panels then covered with aluminum sheeting so as to provide some fire prtection for the Fibreglas which provides R15...the crawl space is heated and ventilated as well as the entire home with a high efficiency Gas furnace and cooled with central air. Most of this was done by contractor with myself doing the crawl space......You have done a wonder job with your DIY talents..Most Japanese homes seem to be fire traps....DAVE @davemagrel3349
Humidity in most of Japan is next level compared to anywhere in Canada. Winnipeg does have insane seasonal swings,. Mold and mildew are a constant battle in Japan, especially in old homes. My home is new. I have to wash and scrub the outside of my house a few times a year to get rid of visible mildew. Inside my own home it's just the bath that we have to keep on top of. We have an air circulation system that hopefully reduces issues. We only heat or cool the rooms we are in. Other rooms can be very hot or quite cold but can be made comfortable with air conditioning. Older houses are just built in a way that allows air to move. I'm not convinced that they specifically did that as an air circulation method... other than paper doors and beautifully designed vents over doors between rooms. Newer homes are built with air circulation systems that flow through vents all over the house. House still aren't insulated to the extent homes in North America are.
Most homes in Japan do have insulation, this is a rather old home. Japan also has vented roofs in the same manner you describe. Our coldest winters are closer to - 5C and summer 35-40C with high humidity. We also have blow-in cellulose and fiberglass as options though builders seem most used to fiberglass batts. Plastic vapor barriers are inappropriate for mixed climates like Japan- they can be a vapor barrier in the wrong direction in summer months and cause rot.
Awesome Matt. Pls update us when Winter comes for your update 😊
Thanks! Will do :)
yeah looking forward to hearing how it works out :D
Spray foam to save from complete wall finishing removal. Few holes, spray, patch.... thermal camera tools fairly cheap anymore. Also spot bad electrical connections. 😉
I asked an old Japanese neighbor of mine here about your floor. He said that in his parents home that they would cut portions of the floor like that qas needed when they needed extra storage for things that were used infrequently. He also said that at times his parents would hide money and jewelry down there for safe keeping . When his family would come visit family in America they would hide important papers and such until they came back home. I hope that helps you out.
I must say this is one of the most interesting channels on here. Good job with the insulation the house looks like it's coming along nicely.
Moisture comes up through the soil. What's in the crawlspace at my friend's old cottage is a 6mil plastic sheet with pea gravel on top to protect it when moving across it. 10mil is often required nowadays. And it is recommended under concrete for basements. Or under a pour if you want to upgrade a crawlspace. Not 'usual', but when you diy you can get more for what you'd spend on having it done by someone else. At least that's how I think. You still save.
I agree with this- plastic sheeting covering the dirt and going up the below grade walls with some gravel on top should help greatly with keeping moisture out of there. Concrete on top would be even better. Just the fiberglass alone with its vapor barrier isn't enough- see the gaps between the staples?
Attic vapor barrier also looks to be the wrong way around- should be facing the interior.
Hello matt I am a Filipina with British partner.we got interest Japan with your videos.thanks ❤
thank you for this valuable information matt! i am mustering courage to buy a property in fukui-ken and your channel is very conforting with the amount of great info provided! hope you can make a more indepth video on the double windows
amazing work!!! congratulations and keep up the hard work Matt!
Thank you! Appreciate it :)
Hey! It's so great to see your work progress . Your house looking really nice. I like your economy approach to it. I belive the less is better as long as it makes you fill satisfied it's a success :) . Can't wait your next update. Thank you.
Going under the house must have been quite the stomach workout.
I have a new house so the hidden bits aren't scary. I have a book of photos they made when they built it... to prove that they didn't cheap out on what's hidden.
In any case going under the floor even onto my concrete pad was a real stomach workout. I've had to do it several times because the drain pipes from my bath, bathroom sink, and kitchen sink ALL separated from the joints leading to the septic pipes. Also a vent pipe from my 24 hour air circulation system. Any time water went to septic the smell came up. Luckily each one separated in a way where the water still went right into the pipe. I had no sitting water at all under the house. The builder had repairs done at no cost. Probably because these pipes are meant to create a permanent bond when glued and they knew it was nothing we did. I wonder if the installer ran out of the correct glue that day and went with a weaker type.
But WOW at having to crawl under there without being able to use more than my elbows and toes to move.
12:30, woah, you need a better mask for a space like that.... disposable N95 dust mask at least!
15:40 ahhh, even worse! you can see all the dust and hopefully not fiberglass in the air...
he even showed the proper PPE in the store lol, i wonder what happened there
@@IamTheOppressor wearing the coveralls, but no mask... yikes.
That’s what I was wondering as well 😊
You can actually buy these foam insulation sheets from Bunnings in Australia. Brackets etc. thought of doing it but no need anymore.
Very interesting! Never knew about this
I love this video, really helpful. Im thinking to do it on my house and a lot of good info you shared.
Great info!
Yeahi a new Matt video 🤗
Nice video! Your place looks a lot like my wife's family home in Okaya... just down the highway an hour or so. I too have been attacking insulation issues and will check the futon closets for the roof hatch when I get back for my winter sojourn in Japan next week... I wonder what I will find up there? Dropping in some of that already-vapor-sealed-insulation in the attic looks like an easy, not-too-expensive fix as the house is either freezing or sweltering for half the year. I did under the floors in a few places and that along with spray foaming some gaps made a huge difference. Hopefully you can get any termites nuked before you start underneath.... I heard the spraying can be a little pricey with not many DIY options and it looks fairly wet under your place which I heard they like. Good luck!
your insulation is laid out wrong. The printed side should be towards the house.
your steering wheel on the left side of the car? nice
❤🗻⛩🥰I Love your Videos! What is your fav Anime? I just subscribed! 🥰🥰🥰 Yay!
There's insulation? better than my inlaws! 🤣
There is now 😂
The insulation boards are not good, in my opinion. Just use the fiberglass and then install a moisture barrier. The R value is much higher. You can almost not error on putting too much in the ceiling, but you don’t need as much on the floor. You do need a good insulation on the walls. You probably already know that, but I am just listening to what you are saying here.
Is it my imagination, or is the fiberglass completely encased in a vapor barrier? I'm used to seeing it only on one side. Also, as a person studying, I hesitate to say learning, Japanese, how long did it take you to become functional? And what path did you follow? thank you. I also loved the tour of your neighborhood, It felt like I was right there. Walking around and talking to people is one of my favorite things when in Japan, or anywhere really, but having to have my wife translate makes it less so.
Great bargain, doesn't look like you'll need much renovation. This is a sort of random question, but I've been traveling on and off to Japan from the EU since I became a remote worker, always thought of settling down there eventually but visas for my situation are non existent, how did you manage to live there permanently?
Spray foam is nice because it also adds some structural integrity once hardened. It makes it so you can walk around in the ceiling and store stuff.
The ceiling in older houses here are not like a plasterboard ceiling. It’s 3mm overlapped veneer. If you put slight pressure on it from above or below it could easily penetrate. Since it’s overlapped there are gaps - another way for it to allow the house for more summer airflow.
It would need some kind of plastic sheet to prevent anything seeping through from above. It would make sense to replace the ceiling with something more solid and then spray foam
Matt how much does it cost to replace tatami? My house has only flooring because I figured I could always buy the squares that sit on to of flooring in a pinch.
i subscribed :D
hey matt, were did you find your house, was it a website or in person? thanks
Where did you buy the house from
How do you install vaper barrier in attic and ventilation system?
When I replaced roofing in my Toronto home, replaced ventilator and added extra insulation but attic in your Japanese house seems no attic ventilator then difficult to install vaper barrier in the area far from the attic inspection opening.
The attic is already vented to the outside. You would want to seal up any cracks between the living space and attic first.
I understand it is quite cheap to buy rural properties, but do you own the land, meaning is this freehold? I am from NZ, but moved to Finland/Poland about 5 years ago. Japan has always been a draw for me. If I was able to get a remote job there (yeah, working in IT), I'd love to buy a big piece of land and build a traditional log house. Is there availability to buy land out there?
Yes you own the land and there is plenty available.
What you really want is a rocket stove. 10x mote fuel efficient. Made out of bricks. Right in the centre of your bottom floor!
i find it shocking that the homes in Japan have no insulation. I have a 60 year old home in Winnipeg canada (The great white north) summers the temperatiure regularly get to over -30C in the winter and +30C in the summer. ROOFS.. when my home was built and now as well there is a plastic vapour barrier on top of the ceiling...then a cellulose or fibreglas BLOW IN insulation....about 12 years ago the government offered free service to increase the R values in homes...my R existing R value with blowin cellulose was about R25...I opted to have that increased to a R value of R50. All homes here the roofs are well ventilated with openings all through the soffits usually covered with slotted aluminum panels on the exterior to allow for air flow and on the roof itself some homes have ridge vents or most cases have 4 to 6 vents nearer the top of the roof so that air movement is consistent. (Some homes today the SPRAY on foam insulation is used but expensive) Also most roofs have fibreglas shingles but before the shingles are applied new or replacement...4-6 feet of ice shield..is applied from the edge of the roof which eliminated any water from snow/ice melting into the roof. So, the increased R values together with proper ventilation is a must due to our very hot/very cold weather conditions ....by the way our summers humidity values regularly reach 70% and I use a dehumidifier and winter humidity is so dry it drops to 25% so I use a humidifier. WALLS,,=...our homes have R20 values...I have a crawl space.... the floor level is gravel which I coverd with poly/fibrelas sheets and used aluminum foil tape to seal all edges...walls of crawl space are 2" thick Fibreglas rigid panels then covered with aluminum sheeting so as to provide some fire prtection for the Fibreglas which provides R15...the crawl space is heated and ventilated as well as the entire home with a high efficiency Gas furnace and cooled with central air. Most of this was done by contractor with myself doing the crawl space......You have done a wonder job with your DIY talents..Most Japanese homes seem to be fire traps....DAVE
@davemagrel3349
Humidity in most of Japan is next level compared to anywhere in Canada. Winnipeg does have insane seasonal swings,.
Mold and mildew are a constant battle in Japan, especially in old homes.
My home is new. I have to wash and scrub the outside of my house a few times a year to get rid of visible mildew. Inside my own home it's just the bath that we have to keep on top of. We have an air circulation system that hopefully reduces issues.
We only heat or cool the rooms we are in. Other rooms can be very hot or quite cold but can be made comfortable with air conditioning.
Older houses are just built in a way that allows air to move. I'm not convinced that they specifically did that as an air circulation method... other than paper doors and beautifully designed vents over doors between rooms.
Newer homes are built with air circulation systems that flow through vents all over the house. House still aren't insulated to the extent homes in North America are.
Most homes in Japan do have insulation, this is a rather old home. Japan also has vented roofs in the same manner you describe. Our coldest winters are closer to - 5C and summer 35-40C with high humidity. We also have blow-in cellulose and fiberglass as options though builders seem most used to fiberglass batts. Plastic vapor barriers are inappropriate for mixed climates like Japan- they can be a vapor barrier in the wrong direction in summer months and cause rot.
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