My house is relatively new, built 13 year ago. During the process, I had to chase down the builder for a lot of things that were done wrong.. Even though I had a home inspection done, the inspector did not detect the sloppy insulation work. The house has been a nightmare to heat. I later even got a "pro" to go up into the attic and inspect the insulation. He said it looked fine and was "thoroughly insulated". WRONG! After watching a bunch of these vids, I had a better idea of what was right and wrong. I lifted up the batts and found all the normal stuff . . . no air sealing (despite the builder claiming this was done (they declared bankruptcy and no longer had to warrant any claims for their shoddy work).. . . wires laid partly through the joists and the faced insulation was not laying flat on the drywall, huge gaps, where batts just never met . . . . The list just goes on and on. So I have a huge mess on my hands to tackle to get this all fixed. Hiring someone is just out of the question, as funds are extremely tight. So I guess I have to tackle fixing this over a long period of time, bit by bit. So this is just a warning to everyone. . . . Don't trust your builder. Don't trust your home inspector (he also was sued by many and filed for bankruptcy). Don't trust the so called expert you hire to evaluate the problem. It's the old adage. . If you want the job done right (learn everything about it and ), then do it yourself.
Amen!!! I feel for people buying homes today being built by unskilled shoddy laborers hired by unscrupulous builders wanting to cash in on the buying frenzy
Excellent video. Sealing around all of the openings in the ceiling makes so much sense and I never gave it much thought. If I lived in your area, I would hire your company to do the work instead of doing it myself.
My attics is done the same. The rooms upstairs got so hot during the summer that we couldn't sleep there, sleeping downstairs was the only solution. We double shielded with 90mm boards. attic is now the same temp all year round also the bedroom that is next to the attic is cool during the summer and warm during the winter. Air vents allow air re circulation from under the sofits & eve, this air circulates around the outside of the 90mm board, no stale air. Plasterboard with no insulation made the bedroom extra cold in winter and hot in the summer. Insulating properly will save the heating from cycling on/off.
I'm not entirely sure why some of these skeptical posts. I've been seeking consultations from insulation experts quite a bit lately (just build my house) and nothing they said seems to be an over-statement. If one forgets those soffit vents and you can have a problem my son inherited . . . not enough fresh air moving in the attic, insulation gets damp, next thing the ceiling has mold in it and is sagging into the room. I liked the principled argument made here. Thanks.
Eye opening video Do you have any dealers in south Florida? I just carefully check my attic and discovered the reason of my high power bill This is a job I though I can do but need help I would like to get a quote?
They use expanding foam machines that a typical home-owner won't have access to (you could probably rent one). You'd be able to do the same thing with a can of the foam, but depending on how many leaks you have, you may need a crazy amount of them.
Is that insulation bad for the environment when after the home's end of life and the home gets demolished. What is the residual impact on the environment?
*Cellulose Insulation blaze warning*. Millions of American families were warned that their new-age insulation could be a potential fire hazard. The alert by an insurance industry product testing laboratory in the US follows a series of blazes. It covers two types of cellulose insulation sold over a 15 year period by installers k/as 'dry cell and open cell'. The problem was caused during manufacture by the dust surrounding the fire retardation liquid - spray head jets being blocked, resulting in large tonnages of the paper based attic insulation not being treated. Placing cellulose insulation close to recessed lighting, or HVACS attic ducts could result in fires. *Following recent reports of fires and health problems, cellulose insulation was downgraded by product testing labs, with one refusing to sanctions its continued use. Cellulose installers are planning sending engineers to homes to modify the insulation to eliminate the risk using a 75 mm layer of fiberglass insulation to smother the blaze. The recommended alternative is the complete removal.*
Why don't you guys talk about the second worst insulation called cellulose? It settles over time. I had 10 plus inches blown in with the height cards left behind showing how much was blown in. Recently installed security cams. All that new cellulose sank to the rafter tops were you walk. Total waste of money. At least bats stay put over time.
I'm interested in improving thermal energy efficiency in older homes. Very concerned about filling 2x4 wall cavities solid w/ foam because foam is still porous (I believe Class 2 Vapor Retarder) My 1957 home has FG 2" batt w/ kraft paper, leaving a 1" air space to the exterior cladding. My house is cold, but the shiplap sheathing is still in good shape. I believe this is because the porous insul plus the air space allows the wd to dry out. I want to demo the 7/8" interior plaster & insul & then install 3" porous insul (like "Comfort Batt") in the stud cavities, then cover the inside stud face w/ 1/2" xps insul, then vapor barrier over, then finish w/ 1/2" gypboard & 3 coats paint. For the exterior, I would like to demo the stucco & metal wire mesh and building paper, & then install a good rainscreen/house wrap like "Zip", then install 1 1/2" or 2" compressed rock wool insul board over, and then finish the exterior w/ siding. My idea is going w/ low porous insul on the inside and low porous in the cavities and exterior, and leave an air space again the exterior sheathing. The idea being, following the same principle as attic thermal design. Just asking.
Most of the cost related to projects such as this is the labor involved. If a homeowner does some reading on the subject this could all be tackled by them in the course of maybe a very long weekend if you have a buddy willing to assist or in smaller steps over the course of a few weekends. And generally, there are rebates from the federal and sometimes state government and in some cases your local power company that offsets a sizable chunk of the cost of materials.
There is a point to where too much sealing can be not desired. If the home don't have a heat pump to supply the home with preheated fresh air, then no need to seal every single joint, what for, so they have to open a window or 2 in the home to have some breathing air. You need air in the home, fresh air anyway, yes i understand sealing big leaks, but you seal it up like a drum it is not healthy.
So then you get a HRV and know the amount of air you are purposely leaking into the house, as opposed to not knowing how much air is leaking through all the leaky holes.
I had this done on my home. I had two inches of spray foam on the attic floor to seal all the air infiltration, then I had 20 inches of blown in insulation. 2 inches of closed cell spray is R 7, and 20 inches of loose blown in cellulose is R 60 or there abouts. I installed baffles to allow outside air intake into the attic because you do still want your attic to be as cold as the outside air so as not to create ice damming with any heat loss, although it should be negligible. And exhausting attic air out the ridge vents is still important.
you guys are making it seem more than what it is. the heat loss thru both small holes and area's are so minute that you will never feel it. you just wanna justify the high price tag you quote people. i will kinda agree with the chimney leaks though
A lot of little holes could add up to a window cracked open. I wouldn't leave a window even cracked open. I put weather stripping around my doors to fill the cracks. I wouldn't ignore holes and seems and cracks.
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My house is relatively new, built 13 year ago. During the process, I had to chase down the builder for a lot of things that were done wrong.. Even though I had a home inspection done, the inspector did not detect the sloppy insulation work. The house has been a nightmare to heat. I later even got a "pro" to go up into the attic and inspect the insulation. He said it looked fine and was "thoroughly insulated". WRONG! After watching a bunch of these vids, I had a better idea of what was right and wrong. I lifted up the batts and found all the normal stuff . . . no air sealing (despite the builder claiming this was done (they declared bankruptcy and no longer had to warrant any claims for their shoddy work).. . . wires laid partly through the joists and the faced insulation was not laying flat on the drywall, huge gaps, where batts just never met . . . . The list just goes on and on. So I have a huge mess on my hands to tackle to get this all fixed. Hiring someone is just out of the question, as funds are extremely tight. So I guess I have to tackle fixing this over a long period of time, bit by bit. So this is just a warning to everyone. . . . Don't trust your builder. Don't trust your home inspector (he also was sued by many and filed for bankruptcy). Don't trust the so called expert you hire to evaluate the problem. It's the old adage. . If you want the job done right (learn everything about it and ), then do it yourself.
you're right. It seems like everyone is lying and cutting corners.
Amen!!! I feel for people buying homes today being built by unskilled shoddy laborers hired by unscrupulous builders wanting to cash in on the buying frenzy
4 yrs later
Great tips. Extremely professional and thoroughly explained. I watched this because I have ice dams. Thanks for posting video😎
Excellent video. Sealing around all of the openings in the ceiling makes so much sense and I never gave it much thought. If I lived in your area, I would hire your company to do the work instead of doing it myself.
My attics is done the same. The rooms upstairs got so hot during the summer that we couldn't sleep there, sleeping downstairs was the only solution. We double shielded with 90mm boards. attic is now the same temp all year round also the bedroom that is next to the attic is cool during the summer and warm during the winter. Air vents allow air re circulation from under the sofits & eve, this air circulates around the outside of the 90mm board, no stale air. Plasterboard with no insulation made the bedroom extra cold in winter and hot in the summer. Insulating properly will save the heating from cycling on/off.
Yes! A voice of reason. It is a shame that the retro-fitters out there do not care to understand the simple logic of air-sealing first.
I'm not entirely sure why some of these skeptical posts. I've been seeking consultations from insulation experts quite a bit lately (just build my house) and nothing they said seems to be an over-statement. If one forgets those soffit vents and you can have a problem my son inherited . . . not enough fresh air moving in the attic, insulation gets damp, next thing the ceiling has mold in it and is sagging into the room. I liked the principled argument made here. Thanks.
Eye opening video
Do you have any dealers in south Florida?
I just carefully check my attic and discovered the reason of my high power bill
This is a job I though I can do but need help
I would like to get a quote?
Should I be more concerned about the R-value of the insulation in my deck or the thickness??
They are proportionately related. Insulation has a certain R-value per inch of thickness. So how thick it is, determines the R-value.
If you air lock everything, wouldn't the moisture build up over time and cause mold?
No, not if done correctly.
Why not show the product you used for air sealing?
They use expanding foam machines that a typical home-owner won't have access to (you could probably rent one). You'd be able to do the same thing with a can of the foam, but depending on how many leaks you have, you may need a crazy amount of them.
You can use a stretch caulk instead
Is that insulation bad for the environment when after the home's end of life and the home gets demolished. What is the residual impact on the environment?
Let's go hug a tree
*Cellulose Insulation blaze warning*. Millions of American families were warned that their new-age insulation could be a potential fire hazard. The alert by an insurance industry product testing laboratory in the US follows a series of blazes. It covers two types of cellulose insulation sold over a 15 year period by installers k/as 'dry cell and open cell'. The problem was caused during manufacture by the dust surrounding the fire retardation liquid - spray head jets being blocked, resulting in large tonnages of the paper based attic insulation not being treated. Placing cellulose insulation close to recessed lighting, or HVACS attic ducts could result in fires. *Following recent reports of fires and health problems, cellulose insulation was downgraded by product testing labs, with one refusing to sanctions its continued use. Cellulose installers are planning sending engineers to homes to modify the insulation to eliminate the risk using a 75 mm layer of fiberglass insulation to smother the blaze. The recommended alternative is the complete removal.*
Great tips, Thanks!
This guy's good knows his stuff
great video to put me to sleep. thanks.
Why don't you guys talk about the second worst insulation called cellulose? It settles over time. I had 10 plus inches blown in with the height cards left behind showing how much was blown in. Recently installed security cams. All that new cellulose sank to the rafter tops were you walk. Total waste of money. At least bats stay put over time.
I'm interested in improving thermal energy efficiency in older homes.
Very concerned about filling 2x4 wall cavities solid w/ foam because foam is still porous (I believe Class 2 Vapor Retarder) My 1957 home has FG 2" batt w/ kraft paper, leaving a 1" air space to the exterior cladding. My house is cold, but the shiplap sheathing is still in good shape. I believe this is because the porous insul plus the air space allows the wd to dry out.
I want to demo the 7/8" interior plaster & insul & then install 3" porous insul (like "Comfort Batt") in the stud cavities, then cover the inside stud face w/ 1/2" xps insul, then vapor barrier over, then finish w/ 1/2" gypboard & 3 coats paint.
For the exterior, I would like to demo the stucco & metal wire mesh and building paper, & then install a good rainscreen/house wrap like "Zip", then install 1 1/2" or 2" compressed rock wool insul board over, and then finish the exterior w/ siding.
My idea is going w/ low porous insul on the inside and low porous in the cavities and exterior, and leave an air space again the exterior sheathing. The idea being, following the same principle as attic thermal design.
Just asking.
Soooo expensive
Most of the cost related to projects such as this is the labor involved. If a homeowner does some reading on the subject this could all be tackled by them in the course of maybe a very long weekend if you have a buddy willing to assist or in smaller steps over the course of a few weekends. And generally, there are rebates from the federal and sometimes state government and in some cases your local power company that offsets a sizable chunk of the cost of materials.
There is a point to where too much sealing can be not desired. If the home don't have a heat pump to supply the home with preheated fresh air, then no need to seal every single joint, what for, so they have to open a window or 2 in the home to have some breathing air. You need air in the home, fresh air anyway, yes i understand sealing big leaks, but you seal it up like a drum it is not healthy.
So then you get a HRV and know the amount of air you are purposely leaking into the house, as opposed to not knowing how much air is leaking through all the leaky holes.
How can "cool air" "leak into the attic and escape to the outside" on a hot day or night? Hot air does not rise.
Really....tell that to any hot air balloon owner.
Hot air does rise sir simple science
Seems like producing a conditioned space, like in the example on the left, is better than the one given in this demo.
What sealant do you use for ceiling light "hats?" How about for wiring penetration on wood? Thank you!
Just replace with LED retrofit lights. You can seal them from the conditioned space and save on efficiency with the LED bulb. A win/win!
How do figure cellulose has more of an r-value than bibs.
Not true.
Great video for older homes to be more energy efficient
I had this done on my home. I had two inches of spray foam on the attic floor to seal all the air infiltration, then I had 20 inches of blown in insulation. 2 inches of closed cell spray is R 7, and 20 inches of loose blown in cellulose is R 60 or there abouts. I installed baffles to allow outside air intake into the attic because you do still want your attic to be as cold as the outside air so as not to create ice damming with any heat loss, although it should be negligible. And exhausting attic air out the ridge vents is still important.
you guys are making it seem more than what it is. the heat loss thru both small holes and area's are so minute that you will never feel it. you just wanna justify the high price tag you quote people. i will kinda agree with the chimney leaks though
A lot of little holes could add up to a window cracked open. I wouldn't leave a window even cracked open. I put weather stripping around my doors to fill the cracks. I wouldn't ignore holes and seems and cracks.
Sorry bud you're wrong Do a door blower test & see for yourself
This is simply not true, Air sealing is vitally important. The difference can definitely be felt.