Questions tagged [insulation]

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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Finished basement ceiling insulation advice/questions

Location: Chicago-land area Situation: Finished basement about 1500 sq ft Basement has a bathroom, washer/dryer, HVAC system, and water heater, and has heating registers down there to stabilize temp ...
David Capretto's user avatar
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Wall Insulation- Existing Wall [closed]

An external facing wall in my bedroom is not insulated properly and I would like to add some insulation. The wall about 12 feet wide and 8 feet tall. Blow in insulation is unappealing due to cost. Is ...
SAS2Python's user avatar
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Putting in a sub ceiling in garage to insulate and dampen sound to upstairs bedroom

I am putting in a sub ceiling with insulation and drywall. I have begun the project and it kind of suddenly hit me that this weight could be dangerous? I'm running the 2x6x9.5 ft joists from these ...
Ceiling guy's user avatar
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How to Insulate this new addition sunroom flooring without spray foam? [closed]

**There are 2 hvac lines and not sure whats the best way to insulate, Located in Minnesota. so its cold in winter... **
Soma's user avatar
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Rigid foam on basement walls

I am planning on installing 2" rigid foam on my basement walls to act as a vapour barrier, before framing in the 2x4 walls (AB, Canada). The rigid foam comes in 8x4 foot lengths, but my ceiling ...
Shinobii's user avatar
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Adding insulation to roof rafters, air gap and eaves

I'm adding insulation to a small shed/garage which has the same roof construction method as the main house. Gable roof, slate tiles, batons, felt and rafters. I'm adding 50mm insulation boards in ...
Fergal's user avatar
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Turning garage loft into office space [closed]

First time actually posting on this site, i have always browsed and have learned alot from others posts. I have I have been researching and want to know the right way to go about my project Questions ...
Brad300's user avatar
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How to Insulate/Install Moisture barrier around drain pipes in basement

finishing my basement and 2" using rigid insulation on the concrete walls for a moisture barrier/thermal break. My plan is to tape that all to my DriCore InsulArmor subfloor for a seam-less ...
Dave G's user avatar
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Loosefill insulation question [duplicate]

Does anyone know different methods on how to spread loosefill insulation without having to rent an insulation blower?
user184801's user avatar
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1 answer
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How to properly insulate detached wood garage? [closed]

I have a wooden detached two car garage that I would like to insulate to eventually convert into a work out space. Currently the walls appear to only be wood siding that has a few gaps in between. ...
Freddie Kendall's user avatar
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Adding insulation to a loft conversion & condensation build up concerns

I just moved into a property and I want to get some insulation added to the existing loft conversion as it gets mighty cold up there. I've had a look via the eaves and there is about 8-10cm of space ...
Alex Fox's user avatar
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How can I insulate an inaccessible rim joist cavity?

I am working on insulating the area above my basement walls and under my main floor along the exterior walls. I am able to do this with no problem except the back wall, i have a 2-4 inch gap to get to ...
vandrj63's user avatar
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1 answer
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How do I clean up after an upstairs washer flood?

I've just had my upstairs washer wiggle itself away from the wall and remove the drain hose from the drain, resulting in water everywhere. The wash room is above the garage, so that's where the water ...
Stephen's user avatar
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2 answers
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Garage fiberglass ceiling is wet

After living approximately 1 year in my new home, this October I started to insulate my garage by putting fiber glass - with the intention of putting drywall after. Couple of weeks ago I have noticed ...
Vincenzo's user avatar
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1 answer
113 views

What is this iron pipe in my attic?

In a Canadian 1950s home. In a knee wall or cubby hole. Not attached directly to the roof, but not easily moveable due to the way the pipe is constructed.
Phil's user avatar
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Can you push rockwool through a joist cavity for 10 feet without breaking the rockwool?

I'm wondering how brittle rockwool is. If I have a last 3 feet exposed in my drywall ceiling with 15 foot long joist bays, can I push the Rockwool through the rest of the 12' of joist cavity? I ...
MonkeyBonkey's user avatar
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Is this the proper way to insulate & vent shed style detached garage roof?

I have a detached garage which I am working on turning into a workshop. As part of the transformation, I would like to insulate it, finish the walls/ceiling and add a mini split for cooling and ...
Yev's user avatar
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Black mold found behind crown molding, walls and ceiling. How to remodel correctly?

I bought a 1995 manufactured home on permanent foundation, ~26’x60’ home. 2x4 exterior framing. Entire interior walls, ceiling and trim had been recently painted. Odd musty and smoker smell upon ...
Daniel's user avatar
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2 votes
2 answers
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How to insulate around obstacles in basement?

I'm using my unfinished basement as a workshop, and it's really cold in there, so I want to insulate the walls, preferably with rigid board. I've watched some videos, but they don't give a lot of ...
Benjamin Evett's user avatar
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How should I insulate and block moisture in a floor over a crawl space?

Summary Planning to replace carpet in walk in closet. Pulled up padding and found 5/8" partcleboard as only subfloor. Ripped that out and have some 23/32 gp dryguard osb going in. Under the ...
meguy's user avatar
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5 votes
3 answers
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Can I use Styrofoam packaging pieces as insulation?

I have a walk in closet that’s 12 feet long. The one wall is an outside wall with a high shelf and a hanger rod underneath the 12 foot length. It is very cold in this closet. Would it create a problem ...
Barbara's user avatar
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Drywall Joints sealing & Torn Insulation facing

I am a newbie and recently bought a house. We removed a portion of the drywall in the kitchen for some remodel work. I have two questions about this. I observed that at some places the insulation ...
vkg-2414's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
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Can I install Polyiso over a popcorn drywalled ceiling?

I have a mobile home with a vaulted ceiling and a thin drywall with popcorn finish. I would like to install a fire rated polyiso foam board (Mansfield CI max or Dow Thermax) on the ceiling, then ...
Phil's user avatar
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2 answers
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Insulating copper piping running through exterior wall/foundation

I have had two water leaks caused by copper piping freezing and bursting in an exterior wall where it comes through the concrete foundation to an exterior hose bib, even after the copper pipe running ...
user181711's user avatar
1 vote
2 answers
72 views

How to best insulate a concrete ceiling in an old warehouse [closed]

We're renovating a three-story, 100-year-old brick warehouse with 14" thick concrete floors/ceilings that are heavily reinforced with rebar. The building is COLD and we would like to insulate the ...
Karin Tauscher Patton's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
78 views

How to seal/insulate partially embedded rim joists?

First time home owner, please go easy on me haha. I purchased my home March 2023. It's a 1947 bi-level located in Minneapolis, MN. I was looking into options to air seal or insulate my rim joists. ...
Peter Bibelhausen's user avatar
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1 answer
70 views

Is there a curtain material that can act as an air barrier but lets light through?

I have an uninsulated and drafty bay window wall that I can't insulate or seal so want to put floor length curtains. However, all the "thermal" curtains I've found online also are blackout ...
MonkeyBonkey's user avatar
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1 vote
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Is it safe to use 'space blankets' over loose fill insulation in an attic?

My townhouse has a small attic area over a bedroom (and another inaccessible space over another room). The attic space is on the south side of the building and there is a lot of heat gain in the ...
Hairy Beast's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
55 views

Insulating and soundproofing a bedroom floor

I'm looking to insulate a first floor bedroom in my house (in Ireland). I currently have pine flooring (which makes an awful noise when we step on it) and looking underneath these I see that there's ...
Ruaghain's user avatar
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Insulating exterior roof/wall from inside

I am trying to figure out how to insulate my bedroom wall from the inside. The exterior-facing wall is on a sloping roof. This summer I had a Velux window installed and I was able to see the near ...
Lowlander's user avatar
2 votes
1 answer
53 views

Is it safe to put thin insulation board on the bottom of joists in crawlspace?

My townhouse has a partial lower level and partial crawlspace of dirt. Rooms with crawlspace under get pretty cold in winter. There is some un-faced (I think) fiberglass roll insulation tucked up ...
Hairy Beast's user avatar
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1 answer
52 views

How to address frost/condensation on underside of roof decking in attic

located in the midwest with cold winters... Decade old asphalt shingles on ~23 year old house. Recently noticed two minor water spots on the drywalled ceiling and when going into the attic noticed ...
Michael's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
48 views

Sealing baseboards in an old home

I own a beautiful old Victorian home from 1905. A few months ago, we got a home energy audit. Unsurprisingly, the audit revealed that our walls leak like a sieve. The auditor said we had literally the ...
Paul Tveite's user avatar
2 votes
2 answers
79 views

Small Exterior Concrete Walls Worth Insulating?

I am finishing my basement and have an insulation question. I have roughly a 30 ft exterior wall that I plan on building a wall in front of to attach the drywall. Only a small portion of the exterior ...
Rick S's user avatar
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2 answers
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Help with an older home that I am renting

I'm renting a home that was built in 1982 and has some issues. Mainly, it needs all new windows, the attic insulation needs to be redone, and the doors should be replaced, but at the very least needs ...
August Wehner's user avatar
1 vote
3 answers
62 views

Should the ceiling of a basement be insulated? [duplicate]

I have a basement, which is currently only used as storage and has no heating. I want to remodel this to be a liveable place, i.e. heated. To have a sensible heating output, of course I want to ...
dirkk's user avatar
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0 answers
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Cold Draft from Kitchen Exhaust Vent

my gas bill has been really high this winter so I have made it a mission to air seal my home as much as practical. I keep my home pretty warm at 72-73F since I have an infant who can't sleep with ...
Joshua Parker Ruehlig's user avatar
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0 answers
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Why do we have condensation and temperature drop around prefab fireplace?

We moved to a house with a wood burning prefab (or zero clearance) fireplace that was installed when the house was built (1986). It is in a corner in our living room, diagonal to an exterior wall and ...
Daltoniana's user avatar
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1 answer
58 views

Is my furnace undersized? [closed]

I have a GMVC95070CX4 furnace. Currently, it is extremely cold weather (outdoor temp. -17). I have been experiencing poor heating and overnight . My house is 2975 sq ft. and I have a 5 ton AC system ...
Joshua K's user avatar
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1 answer
60 views

Does exterior wall cladding have much impact on sound or temperature transmission?

I'm buying a new house which is all brick except of back side. Master's bedroom is going to have 1 siding wall and 1 brick wall. I can select an option to add brick on the back wall for additional $6k....
Rainmaker's user avatar
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0 answers
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How can I insulate gas range down vent to prevent cold air blowing through? [duplicate]

I have a Jennair gas cooktop in the island of my kitchen on the second floor of my house. It has two burners on either side with a downdraft vent/fan in the middle. We are in the middle of an ...
user181118's user avatar
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0 answers
70 views

How to insulate underneath my bathroom vanity?

I just moved to this house recently and notice the bathroom on the second floor is the coldest room in the house. Today, I just found out the reason. The cabinet toe kick (I think that’s how it’s ...
bexinh555's user avatar
1 vote
0 answers
56 views

How to repair and prevent garage external shielding damage

We recently moved and I’m looking to insulate our garage. I noticed that a corner next to the garage door seems to have water/moisture damage but I’m not 100% sure. It seems that the those 3 spots are ...
Augustine's user avatar
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Tall crawl space; what could I do to help keep the house warm?

I have a crawl space that is 5’ tall. Insulation in floor joists. Is there anything else I could do to help my house stay warm?
Thomas  Nolan's user avatar
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0 answers
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How should I attach this insulation to a broken window pane?

I got some insulation to patch this broken window pane in my basement. Any suggestions for attaching it? Should I do the whole window or just the relevant pane? I was thinking of just using a strong ...
user176121's user avatar
1 vote
1 answer
50 views

Should I do something to prevent mold before covering outdoor exposed floor joists?

I bought an old house last Summer. There is a 8'x12' addition that bumps out from the kitchen, overhanging the back yard. The floor joists are exposed and there is some old insulation stuffed up there....
Pseudonova's user avatar
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2 answers
97 views

Is this insulation asbestos? [closed]

A home inspector found this single piece of insulation around a wooden beam near our furnace. The report says that it “appears to be an asbestos-like substance”, but he did not lab test it. I’ve been ...
Jacob's user avatar
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-1 votes
1 answer
61 views

Should the foil face on Iso foam board house wrap face in or out?

Should the foil face on Iso foam board house wrap face in or out? I want to use 2 layers for an R value outside of 15 or more. This may be a moot point since the foam board I was using just went up in ...
Dr. JazzBass's user avatar
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0 answers
44 views

Do I need to insulate between duct and flat roof?

I have a flat roof with 2x12 joists. The bays used to be insulated and had an air gap above the insulation that connected to small soffits on both sides of the house. In one of the bays I now have a ...
Luke's user avatar
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1 answer
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Vapor barrier along concrete wall

I'm turning a 20X40 ft pig pen into a woodshop. The pen has a 4ft concrete knee wall and then 2X4 framing on top of that to 8 ft. It has a 2X6 framed ceiling. The pen is on a concrete pad and entirely ...
Diane's user avatar
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