Insulation is any material used to slow the transmission of heat or reduce the transmission of sound. Typical materials include fiberglass, foam, blown cellulose, and reflective foil. This should not be confused with weather stripping.
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Can I spray foam up to roof sheathing when air sealing skylight tunnel?
I've been doing some air sealing in the attic with canned spray foam and I'm about to tackle my skylight tunnels. They are framed and covered with drywall. I have easy access to them in the attic and ...
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317 views
Should I install external basement insulation that does not extend above ground?
Question : Is there a way to calculate energy savings for external, 2inch insulation on basement walls that does not extend above the soil surface, leaving the top couple feet of foundation wall ...
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255 views
How to plan for the future when installing a new roof?
We're hiring a contractor to take off the existing roof, repair/replace any rotted sheathing and rafters, and install a new roof. We've also asked that they add a new plumbing vent stack for a new ...
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2answers
231 views
Insulation in the attic
I have moisture and a moldy smell in my attic. I had someone come out and open up the eaves and soffets more. It did seem to help but I still have some smell and some moisture. I have insulation on ...
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343 views
Insulating ducts in a crawlspace
Consider a source duct from the furnace/AC. The ducts run in a vented crawlspace. The floors atop the crawlspace are a mix of hardwood and kitchen vinyl.
The symptoms are:
the longer run vents ...
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409 views
How do I fix incorrect attic insulation?
I have loose fill attic insulation. It seems to have been moved around and become compact. Is it just as easy as getting in there with a broom and 'fluffing' it up and moving it around, or do I need ...
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156 views
How can I add insulation to my roof?
I have an old 1930's house, the upstairs of which is in the pitched roof space.
I've just checked and it has no insulation what-so-ever up there, so it is very much the same temperature as a loft at ...
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468 views
What are the differences between hot and cold roof systems?
Can someone explain the differences, pros and cons of a hot roof vs a cold roof?
I would like to vault a ceiling in an addition off of our family room, taking the drywall all the way up to the roof ...
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861 views
How can I insulate a basement wall that has 1x1 framing installed on it?
It is freezing in my basement so I decided to re-insulate my daughter's bedroom. I removed the old paneling walls to find that it wasn't insulated! There was a water barrier and a heat shield. My ...
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2answers
352 views
Can I put rigid foam on studs to prevent thermal bridging?
I'm re-insulating an interior wall & putting up drywall to replace the old plaster walls. Rather than screwing the drywall directly into the studs, I'm toying with the idea of putting a 1/2 inch ...
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277 views
Beginner insulation advice
Background
I have a manufactured home from the 70's with metal siding, wood studded walls and fiberglass insulation on the inside. I had a clogged gutter, which caused water to run behind the siding, ...
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2k views
What are the pros and cons of a vented vs unvented crawl space?
I find it very confusing to read and hear conflicting advice on crawl space: vent vs air seal, different ways to do insulation, vapor barriers vs not, etc.
Mine currently has some moisture and has ...
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764 views
Is super insulating exterior walls with rigid foam board insulation possible?
2" rigid foam-board insulation can have an R-value of up t R-10, layering 4 boards would create a R-40 value. However that creates an 8" foam wall above the actual wall. What would be a recommended ...
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1answer
252 views
How can I replace ceiling gypsum board and loose fill insulation at the same time?
I lost most of a ceiling panel due to water saturation and collapse. It was removed along with insulation residue and a temporary fiber board panel tacked in in its place. Now I would like to install ...
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1answer
697 views
How do I know my current R-Value for my attic?
I am a first-time homeowner. One thing that was noted on the house inspection was that we needed more insulation for our attic. In my area, the recommended R-Value is 38 according to the ornl.gov ...
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4answers
117 views
What to do with this exterior insulation?
We have these sheets of pink insulation with a light coat of concrete-paint-like stuff (?) wrapped all the way around the base of the house, and as can be seen, it is degrading in both appearance and ...
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2k views
Installing bathroom exhaust fan: what to do with vapour barrier and insulation?
I'm adding a bathroom exhaust fan, which is being mounted in the ceiling of the bathroom (in the attic) and venting out through a vent in the wall.
right now, there is a vapour barrier (paper) ...
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2k views
How should I insulate my basement?
My basement is CMU blocks and concrete floor.
I had water issues, so I waterproofed it with an interior french drain, drainboard at the edge and a sump pump. This wouldn't take care of dampness so I ...
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108 views
Is a sealed attic appropriate for Southern California?
I have a two-story house. Half the house has a cathedral ceiling (which will be left as is) and the other half has a traditional attic with no soffits. The only ventilation in the attic comes from two ...
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376 views
Adding insulation to basement that already has vapor barrier
I have leftover insulation from doing my basement, little bits and pieces.
In between the joists on my basement ceiling it is insulated with vapour barrier already from when the house was built.
...
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2answers
393 views
Do I need an air space between insulation and flooring in the attic?
As part of a local council grant, I am getting my attic floor insulation (2 inch thick fibreglass) replaced with 4 inch thick insulation. It will lie between the joists, on top of the plasterboard ...
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3answers
1k views
Should I use foam spray insulation in my crawl space?
My crawl space has no insulation. The dirt is wet near one of the walls. There have been termites in the past.
I'm thinking of insulating the ceiling (between the joists) and the walls with foam ...
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3answers
103 views
Can my drywall act as an air barrier?
I am preparing to improve a building in a cold climate zone. Since it does not seem to be properly insulated, I am reading a book about insulating and weatherizing. That teaches me that I should ...
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4answers
1k views
How should I insulate the walls and ceilings of this 1920's semi-detached brick house?
I'm renovating a 1920's semi-detached house. The plaster on the walls was slapped straight on the wall about an inch thick, and the ceilings were lath and plaster which had been overboarded. Most of ...
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894 views
What is the proper way to insulate box sill joists in the basement?
The floor joists of the first floor are sitting directly in breaks in the concrete/cinderblock walls, and there's large gaps all around the edges. I've done some looking around and it appears that ...
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893 views
Should I add insulation to basement ceiling?
Currently doing a reno on our basement. After roughing everything out, I have insulated the outside walls with R13 (2x4). The house has never had insulation in the basement. Should I insulate the ...
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1k views
how to achieve a reduction of noise of -60 dB in as little thickness as possible of insulation material?
I am looking into materials to acoustically insulate a room, and I need to do it in as little thickness of the material as possible.
I found something called Balterio which is a 3 mm thick stuff sold ...
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276 views
How do I insulate space in loft to create music studio
I have 3 DIY created rooms in my large live/work studio/artist loft. They are made with 2x4 and 2x6, framing with drywall walls and plywood ceiling.
The apt has 14' 7" ceilings so we just have ...
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327 views
Adding Insulation to Exterior Walls
I am looking at purchasing an older home that is brick on concrete blocks on plaster (from the outside in). I recently heard from someone else in the neighborhood that those homes were not ...
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2answers
565 views
What happens when a vapor barrier is too close to the cold side?
The vapour barrier must be installed on the warm side of the wall, that is on this interior side of the house. It is permissible to have it sandwiched in the middle between two layers of insulation, ...
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2answers
507 views
Should I use Tyvek or tar paper on basement walls?
We are going to be redoing our basement which was done in the 60's and very cold. We have been told to apply Tyvek or tar paper to the walls, stud, then vapour barrier and drywall. We plan on using ...
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1k views
Are there any dangers associated with rigid foam insulation?
Is there any danger of bad fumes/gasses being released from polyisocyanurate or polystyrene rigid foam insulation? I'm planning on insulating my bedroom from the inside (ie: putting the insulation ...
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204 views
Glue crawl space rigid insulation
I've dug a trench around the perimeter of my crawl space. Then I planned the next steps. I took a week off but I'd like to finish this project next weekend. I am going to glue 2" R-10 FOAMULAR 250 ...
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222 views
Is there a significant benefit to using plastic window insulation year round?
In order to help save more money and funnel more of those savings to debts, I'm looking for more ways to save money.
I've heard that puting plastic window insulation over single-pane windows ...
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2answers
169 views
How do I fix air leak in windows?
Our windows in the back of our house receive a lot of wind. When it's windy or very cold, the air is coming in through various crevices: window track and space between window. The windows are about ...
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What can I do about this gap between the sill/exterior board and the subfloor?
I just discovered that my sill plate and joist setup is different than others I've seen (and I was a Realtor, so I've seen a lot of sills).
As you can see from the picture, there's a gap between ...
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135 views
Can I use a magnetic air seal on an exterior door?
It occurred to me it may be a good idea to air seal an outdoor door using a similar magnetic seal as refrigerator doors. I can't find this product available today. Maybe because it would make opening ...
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3answers
441 views
How should I insulate a room built into a metal barn?
I'm building a room into our (existing) barn; how should I best go about insulating it?
The barn is a Morton building -- pole barn construction, metal siding. It's closed on three sides but open on ...
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180 views
How can I move loose-fill insulation temporarily?
My current bathroom fan is dead and needs replacement. I tried removing it from the inside of the house, but something is holding it. I'll need to do it from the attic.
The attic is covered with ...
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486 views
Should central heating pipes through internal brickwork have insulation?
My house has old (large diameter) steel central heating pipes. These travel through the basement before passing up through the house. My concern is that when they pass through internal walls they are ...
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1answer
124 views
How can I soundproof my bedroom walls as cost effectively as possible?
My bedroom is next to the kitchen on one wall, a hallway on one wall, the outdoors on one wall and the PC room on the other. The wall that bothers us the most is the kitchen wall.
We would like to ...
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2answers
600 views
Corrosion on copper pipes due to insulation (with foam)
My incoming water pipe is copper and it is a brand new installation with no leaks. But due to the hot humid weather (even in the basement) it sweats due to condensation. Should I insulate it?
The ...
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1answer
314 views
Does my wood stove pipe have to be chrome to be safe to use?
I'm currently renting a house that has a wood stove, and figured that as it's used as a rental property, the stove would be safe to use. However a friend of mine today was telling me that if the ...
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2answers
198 views
What can I do in this vented crawlspace to keep the room above warmer?
I've recently moved to a new home. This home had an addition that was built on top of a Crawlspace that is vented to the outside. Needless to say, the morning after the first cold night made me ...
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1answer
458 views
How can I insulate my garage?
My sister's garage gets very cold and very hot as it is not currently insulated. She has the heating/ac unit in there as well as a deep freezer. The attic space directly above the garage has no ...
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184 views
Will this moisture problem persist after drywall is installed?
we remodeled a trailer home recently, removed the aluminum siding, put up osb in place of the siding, then used the Lowes brand of house wrap. we installed new vinyl siding over that without using any ...
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1answer
208 views
Are there any DIY polyurethane foam insulation options available?
I recently had a leak (hurricane Sandy) in an "eave"-like space that required the removal of a part of my drywall ceiling. All of the insulation that was above the ceiling was drenched. To replace it, ...
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4answers
647 views
What is the best way to insulate a room with glass window for winter?
Winter is approaching and I have heard that some people insulate glass windows and balcony doors during winter to preserve heat. What materials can I use to do this? I am living in a rented apartment, ...
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2answers
1k views
Can I install cellulose insulation without a blower machine?
I've purchased a few bags of loose fill cellulose insulation from the local hardware store (GreenFiber brand). How will the insulation work if I don't put it through the machine to fluff it and force ...
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2answers
334 views
Is it worth updating my insulation?
I have a 1969 Cape Cod 2,300 square feet, brick and vinyl sided home with cathedral ceilings that I want to update insulation in. I have the original R-7 fiberglass in the walls and R-12 in the ...
