@@BlackOTR1 thanks. It’s been a long road and a lot of work.

@@kimcole3601 I’m glad I could make you laugh. I try to be funny. It doesn’t always work.

@@BlackOTR1 You are more optimistic than I am for sure. Those guys you listed are great builders but they are not building houses for average people. They are million dollar homes for millionaires. Even the budget builders are building bigger homes and selling at higher prices because they make more money per house. That century comment was genuine. If you compare us to Europe, the difference is so huge it’s hard to comprehend.

@@iOsasu14 I’m sorry that you’re having that experience. It’s so frustrating having to deal with people that just don’t get it. BTW, I love Queens! I try to visit there every year. It’s my favorite place in the US. If all goes well I’ll be moving there in the next few years.

Nailed it, just like Paul did in this video. There is some more mixed use in areas of my state, but with that comes exuberant pricing that few can afford, or worse yet out of country investors snatch up those live-in-units and let them sit unoccupied, or rent them out at even higher prices... so the locals aren't even living in them. I get the same odd looks when I go down a rabbit hole talking about how I want to build or enlist a builder who gets it for my next house. Yeah, it's more expensive but why wouldn't everyone want to push for a better, healthier, and less expensive-to-live-in house. Yeah, I want the break even / return / or cost to not take 20 years to get to, but a better informed public helps get us there quicker. Apparently getting an energy audit in your new-to-you home is so rare for some realtors they let you know you're the only person they've ever known to get one, even with a decade of experience under their belt.

@@db5250 how did your house perform in the audit? What is your current energy expense per square foot?

@@EarSeduction ACH 50 was 4.33, not as bad as I thought it would be, but it's a '98 build, all original including 3.5 ton AC and gas furnace, and appliances. Not much insulation, no air sealing, and inefficient original r4 flex ducting complete with multiple crushes and Wye's to T's. Pressures are off, etc. Unfortunately south side of home has no patio covering windows, so I'll be doing solar screens or something to address that. Energy expense per square foot isn't something I've ever thought about calculating but if I went with the contract's suggested scope of work and cost and I assume that would just be total cost / divided by livable sq feet? That number comes to about $17.53 per sq foot. The skinny: $12k for new R8 ducting (new routes, 2 new returns), $8-9k for air sealing and blowing insulation, and $10k for single speed 4 ton unit... I can do far better by doing most of it myself, and get help where I need it. Plan is to do a far more efficient AC unit that uses mini split tech / variable speed condenser but keep the split central system, new ducting, airseal, and go nuts with cellulose. AC is going to also be an electric heat pump, removing all gas appliances and hookups, eventually so I can have them switch it off at the meter. Plan is to do as much as I can on a small budget for now, but also try to maximize where I can. I can email you more on it if you want to see and compare notes. I like what you did with your house in the previous episodes, I don't think I want to go that far, but I need to get this house beyond code and into this century.

@@db5250 I was referring to your heat/ac cost kWh per square foot. Passive is 15 kWh / sq meter.

@@EarSeduction Gotcha, I don't have any of that data since I just moved in, and haven't really been running the heat. AC will be on for months once it warms up here but I'm hoping to get a new AC and ducting in while it is still cool.

@@db5250 I have the PHPP if you want to calculate it. I’m doing those calculations for my house and using them to plan the retrofit.

Obviously, going for low hanging fruit and starting with an energy audit can help you plan. I think most people who are into this stuff know they can do a lot themselves and look at cost/ROI on the simple things then move on from there. Good luck in your endeavor, I'm about to start back at square one on a new-to-me home myself.

@@darkestdot2752 if you actually reach that level of efficiency, you can certify the retrofit and get credentialed. That’s what I’m doing.

@@BlackOTR1 Are you building a house?

@EarSeduction I would like to. Many homes today are not built well. But, I have looked into building my dream home. I want to build an ICF passive home. But, currently, it is out of my budget range.

@ I see. The prices of things here in the US are outrageous.

@@BlackOTR1 Thanks for the feedback. I’ll be finishing this house in the coming months so keep an eye out for those videos.

@@Xlr8ive indeed. Insulation is my favorite building component. It’s cheap, it lasts, it doesn’t need maintenance, and it doesn’t use electricity.

@@davidstewart1153 I’d love to chat sometime to compare notes. Let me know if you’re interested. I’m looking for good ideas as I’m still updating my house. Thanks for watching and commenting.

@@JL-hn6hi I didn’t. But that doesn’t mean that you won’t. Code can be tricky. I always suggest that people read wiring and plumbing books. Just the general DIY books that you can get at the library. They have all the code standards written into them.

@@Hichinator yeah the electrical is tricky. I may end up redoing some of it entirely. Either the wiring or the framing.

Thanks for the feedback.

Assume it stays a little flexible for movement?

Yes. It allows for some movement. It's not as good as air membranes, but it's also not as expensive.

@@lizardjama9834 I am concerned about loss. That is why I chose to install osb inside instead of traditional studs. But in hindsight I should have just installed traditional studs. I’ll address electric and windows in the next few episodes.

@@lizardjama9834 Nope. That’s just the outdoor air quality.

@@iOsasu14 Thanks. Things are moving along.

@@lizardjama9834 I used big stretch for the small gaps and spray foam for larger gaps. I doubled it up also where needed. That is how I sealed the stud bays. Then I installed mineral wool into the stud bays. Then I installed 3 1/2” polyiso over the studs. I sealed the poly as well at the seams with hvac paint on duct sealer.

@@ozzy4654 Yes that would have been ideal. However, that wasn’t possible for this section of the house because of a few siding issues. In the next phase of this project, I don’t have any siding issues, so I’ll be sealing and insulating from the outside. Thanks for watching. I hope that it helps you with your projects.

@@lizardjama9834 Thanks. It’s going to get better as I improve my recording techniques. Hopefully you enjoy the whole series.

@@EarSeduction I’ve had my 1920s Minneapolis house for a few years now. Dont think I’ll get it passive, but working on getting it at least comfortable

@@lizardjama9834 in Minnetonka- trying to get my 1948 house retrofit very hard in this state!

@@BlackOTR1 Thanks. It’s been a real process. I’ll be doing a lot more in the near future so keep watching.

@@firefighter8503 Nice catch! I actually did that on purpose. At the time I wasn’t sure that I was going to keep this space for a laundry room. So I didn’t install the trap. Now that I’ve confirmed that this space works, I’ve added a trap. Thanks though for pointing that out.

@@db5250 They are coming. I’ll be finishing up this phase in a couple weeks. Then, I’ll be switching gears and retrofitting an Airstream to passivhaus standard. So there will be many more uploads in the future. Was there something specific you are looking for? Something that will help you with your project?

@@EarSeduction - Would love to see more on the HRV/ERV, and other areas I'm sure you'll have videos about but you're doing great work. Very cool about the airstream! Sounds like other videos I'll watch. For me, I'm actually closing on a new to me (20 something year old) house soon, and I already have a long list of building science projects I want to tackle. I'd love to get a blower door test and energy audit within the first week I'm moved in honestly. I wish I had done it during the inspection period, but that was a whirlwind of other things going on. I don't have the time, resources, or budget to open every wall like you're doing. At the very least I want to get into the unconditioned attic and air seal penetrations then blow in R50+ worth of cellulose in. The other idea while I'm not sure if I can tackle it would be to make it a conditioned space. Again, time and budget on a new house leads me to think a more involved idea like that isn't probably realistic. Oh and potentially replacing the 20 something year old 3.5 ton 12 seer with a combination of a hybrid system or minisplits. Maybe even some of the swanky solar minis. Anyways, that's a lot of stuff and it only scratches the surface. I just watch too much BS (building science). Keep it up!

@@db5250 Well if you’d like to have a one on one talk and plan out your process please let me know. Designing projects like the one you are planning is my pleasure. Plus, getting the process correct is key. For instance installing new hvac would be the last thing on my list. Making the building envelope air tight would be the first. But again, if you’d like to sit down together and put together a project plan, I’d be very happy to do that with you. Please feel free to contact me. [email protected].

@@jamesryan1258 Great! Say if you’d like to collaborate on a Passive project please let me know. I have the PHPP and other tools that could help you greatly. Plus, I’m willing to travel. Just food for thought. Thanks for commenting and stay tuned as I will be continuing this project and starting two more. Cheers!

That’s a good idea! I’ll keep in mind as I move forward and try and get something’s on video 👍🏼 :)

@@jamesryan1258 In which region do you live? If I may ask?

@@EarSeduction you’re gunna laugh, but Southern California hahah I definitely don’t “need” it. But the house needs a remodel anyway and I’d like my energy bill to be a low as possible

@@jamesryan1258 That’s actually a huge misconception. All climates greatly benefit from passive house building techniques. Imagine only needing 1/2 ton A/C instead of a 3 ton because your home is so efficient. Now image you’ve upgraded your electrical to a solar array. Think of all the money you’ll save. Due to your efficient house, you’ll only need a fraction of the solar panels, fewer converters, and fewer batteries. That’s huge. I really love designing these types of projects so please do keep in touch. Thanks again.

@@darkestdot2752 nope. Not for this part of the house. I preferred using the 5” blade. The circular saw was too messy.

Yes that would have been helpful. I looked into getting one and it was just too expensive. Mapping out the contours of the floor the way I did was cheap and easy and gave me lots of useful information.

Thanks. It’s such a task to get air tight.

It’s called PerfectPrimer® Encapsulant

Perhaps you’d like to schedule a zoom call? We could discuss options for your specific problem. Designing passive systems is one aspect of this work that I really enjoy so it would be a pleasure to assist you.

@@RVecc just a quick thought. Tape would have been best if I had the option. Much better than spray foam. Hopefully that helps. Do you have pics of the underside of the roof? We could chat about it if that helps.

@@RVecc thanks. I’ll look into it further. At the moment I don’t have any say in anything, but perhaps there is a way to turn off ads altogether.

@@db5250 I’m planning on getting certified as a passive house planner and installer. So that means the house has to be certified also. That would include a blower door test. I’m really excited to get that data.

@@EarSeduction - That's awesome. What does it cost to get certified? Hell, building science and architecture is something that has always interested me, even considering a career change into that field honestly.

@@db5250 I don’t know exactly. I have to pay a certifier to come and do it. The other option would have been to take the classes.

@@Hichinator do you know what it is made from? Mine is polybutylene. I’ve also seen them in aluminum. But I’ve never seen what they use in an ERV.

@@EarSeduction I can only guess that its made from Polyethylene since most vapor permeable membranes are made from that plastic, the manufacturer only says "plastic".

@@ducagace1390 Masterflow water based

@@davidstewart1153 yeah who knew? Sadly two separate contractors worked up there and didn’t take the time to fix it.

Yeah after working with spray foam up in the attic, I was pretty fed up with it. Too bad it's so useful.

@@christophercooke9376 sorry but I don’t understand your question.

Thanks for the comment. I am planning on exterior insulation for my addition. I would have installed exterior insulation over the original footprint of the house, but I have asbestos siding and so I didn't want to disturb that. Thus, I chose to insulate the interior. I am starting on the addition in the coming months. The videos should go up shortly after that.

I publish the actual product in the next couple videos. I realized that I referred to it and then didn't say which sealer I used, so I made sure to include it in my next upload. It will either be in the next upload or the one after that. Thanks, If you can't wait let me know and I'll send it to you.

Hello. Thanks for watching and subscribing. I think we should definitely collaborate. We can do an interview style over the internet or whatever works. Where are you located? I’m in Denver. Please email me and we can start the process of putting this together. My email is published on my channel.

I just realized my email is not published. It is [email protected]

@@EarSeduction did you get my Mail? I sent it like 24h ago.

Hi there. You could be right. It’s hard to say. I’ve had lots of experience with contractors and it’s a mixed bag. Thanks for watching my show. Hopefully there are other shows on my channel that you like. Are you a tradesperson?

I believe he just explained that the contractors he called had no experience with meeting passive house standards as well. Building is generally not rocket science. I promise you, if you can do it, most other people can too as long as they are willing to put in the time to learn for their specific project. And the plus with DIYers that do it well, is no contractor will care about your home as much as you do.

Sorry but I don’t understand your comment.

Thanks for commenting. If you review the other episodes I handle religious morality separately. The Bible 5.0 series is meant to be watched in order. So if you start at Genesis and work your way through, you’ll get the full picture. Enjoy!

@@EarSeduction Ok. I'll give it a shot.

Great! After you get the full picture then we can discuss further is you like. Just to be clear this isn’t virtue ethics or utilitarianism. But since it’s an ethical system lots of the same language is utilized. Let me know if you have any questions.

@@EarSeduction Your "numbers" one is quite good, though not as detailed as I would like. Using things like hume "refutation of causality" as something to be proven instead of presumed would be good. Also, I would ditch the "so high as to be certain". We don't really get the "probabilities" we have probabilities based on assumptions. Something more akin to "they are so reproducible as to be useful when held as certain." I'm not really sure what you are tackling on the first episodes, though. But at least the attempt of objective morality is good enough.

That’s good feedback. Thanks. What didn’t you get about the first few episodes?

It will be available in about 6 months.