5 BETTER FRAMING Options!

1. 2x4 w/ Cardboard sheathing and batt fiberglass R-13 insulation
Price Per SqFt: $1.62
Effective R-value of opaque assembly = 10.526
Pros: Inexpensive
Cons: Hard to install correctly because it is not very durable. Easy for other trades to damage. Thermal breaks because insulation isn’t continuous. Fiberglass batts are hard to install effectively.
2. 2x4 w/ osb, standard house wrap, and batt fiberglass R-13 insulation
Price Per SqFt: $2.18 (+35% from last assembly)
Effective R-value of opaque assembly = 11.11
Pros: Inexpensive. Most builders are experienced with this technique. Can tape the seams for improved air sealing.
Cons: Air barrier and WRB are seperate. Thermal breaks because insulation isn’t continuous. Easier to damage than WRB that is already bonded to the sheathing. Fiberglass batts are hard to install effectively.
3. 2x4 w/ zip and batt Rockwool R-15 insulation
Price Per SqFt: $2.63 (+21% from last assembly)
Effective R-value of opaque assembly = 11.905
Pros: WRB and air barrier is one unit and easy to install. Most builders should have no problem as it is the same as OSB/Plywood sheathing. Rockwool is fire resistant, hydrophobic, and easier to install effectively.
Cons: More expensive than OSB and house wrap.
4. 2x4 w/ zip R-3 and batt Rockwool R-15 insulation
Price Per SqFt: $2.95 (+12% from last assembly)
Effective R-value of opaque assembly = 14.7
Pros: Continuous exterior insulation = less chance of condensation on back side of sheathing. Standard 2x4 construction all builders are familiar with.
Cons: More expensive than standard OSB and house wrap. Nailing sheathing with insulation is new to some builders.
5. 2x6 w/ plywood, Aluma Flash peel-and-stick, and batt rockwool R-23 insulation
Price Per SqFt: $4.17 (+41% from last assembly)
Effective R-value of opaque assembly = 16.949
Pros: 2x6 should be easy for all builders to work with. Increased cavity depth = more insulation. Peel-and-stick WRB are easy to install, fairly durable, and not reliant on mechanical fasteners.
Cons: More expensive. No continuous exterior insulation = Thermal breaks in assembly.
Huge thanks to / lvarni for the Wall Assembly Renderings!
Different Types of Wall Assemblies
(Low to High performing framing assemblies)
R-value, pros, cons, price breakdown
Assembly R-value Calculator - www.appliedbui...
Prices only reflect lumber, insulation, WRB, and Sheathing of assemblies from my local lumber yard. Does not include hardware, fasteners, tapes, flashings, labor, etc. Used a 8’ x 8’ wall assembly to calculate.
As you upgrade your wall assembly materials and methods, it is just as important to upgrade any other parts of the assembly that affect the performance such as windows and doors. This is just a look at the framing, sheathing, and WRB assemblies relating to R-values
Follow Matt on Instagram! / risingerbuild
or Twitter / mattrisinger
Huge thanks to our Show sponsors Polywall, Huber, Dorken Delta, Prosoco, & Viewrail for helping to make these videos possible! These are all trusted companies that Matt has worked with for years and trusts their products in the homes he builds. We would highly encourage you to check out their websites for more info.

www.Poly-Wall.com
www.Dorken.com
www.Huberwood.com
www.Prosoco.com
www.Viewrail.com

[@peterkroeker753]

What I've come to realize is that this man has taught me more than all other builders I have ever worked with

[@inyoureyes9197]

Same

[@shokie3969]

Same

[@flimfloun2643]

agree

[@katyanna1999]

You guys must know alot about air holes.In the 50 + videos I have watched I heard the word air or r value or the ziip system which he retracts s his comments about what is better the Zip or Tyvek.Say that they are both are just as good a s the other.Guys has he ever giving you a tip or idea on framing.Like a roof .He will tell you what the r value is or if he does give you a engineering tip he has someone beside him telling him that is what they do.He says he has been building for. 25 years.Ive heard him call joist rafters and rafters joists.Matt im sorry but my pet peeves are people that trash talk other peoples work.When its no done or finished keep your opinion to yourself.I say that because you are basically just telling us you opinion nothing remotely to anything that would stand up in court.Beside your air holes.Tell us why your friend that had a gramble gable was using fur joists and not pine.He talk alot about costs.Well pine is cheaper and stronger.Give us something over 25 years that would tells us you have been building for 25 years.If anyone think that what im saying is wrong.Let me know.I tell it the way I see and hear it.The problem here is that you cant lie he is on the videos telling you what his knowledge value is.Curt Allen.Im not hating on Matt but let us know something more then air.Been building for 35 years and I have seen about all you can imagine in the Construction [e-mail]

[@jefflinnell8492]

He has taught you his method and his choices. Do your home work .zip board is highly over rated and most people aren't sponsored by zip system .its over rated and over priced. You siding is for water proofing your sheathing and house wrap are for air infiltration. Upgrade your windows and insulation and your air sealing happens inside the house , waterproofing happens after the house wrap and after the ice and water or tar paper .

[@rossmillard9804]

Someone once said to me, "The building codes represent the worst house you are legally allowed to build." I always share that with my clients who are then told by potential builder that all their houses are built to code. Builders need to show their clients how their houses exceed building codes and the competition.

[@obiedashinobi1322]

I agree

[@richard.schmelz5620]

That's exactly what it is. Code books or the books of minimums. "By code" means as low as you can go before it is illegal. Now I cannot say you can always do better on every single "code", but always try. You do have to consider labor and material cost. Not always is something better when it is "over engineered". A lot of building quality comes down to the small skills and techniques you utilize. I am always learning and re learning. Some times I take a step back and go "WTF am I thinking" and re-do what I just did; either for efficiency or aesthetics

[@yolo_burrito]

Same thing with safety regulations.

[@acchaladka]

Yup, exactly. I tell clients, “if they did any less than code, it would literally be illegal.”

[@chriswithrow3107]

Man, I like that Ross. As an electrician, I completely agree with that statement and I'm gonna adopt it. Thank you.

[@kdrguru]

As an architect I thank you for educating the public to think about quality. Focus on envelope performance more than the finishes. This is an excellent video.

[@richdelgzz]

Wish you had a list of “approved builders” throughout the country. With your audience continuously growing and other builders updating their build science it’s possible. You’d be the Mike Holmes of KZbin!

[@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb]

Oh, pluheeez. Holmes is a hack.

[@terryeckmeier7027]

@@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb but Holmes approved homes...

[@q5sys]

Im going to be doing a near full restoring on a home built in 1883, and finding builders who will consider it is hard. So far every builder tries to convince me to raze the place and let them build new.

[@albertpenksa1832]

The Passive House Institute has a state-by-state list.

[@jagslion3]

@@albertpenksa1832 Thanks I will check it out

[@jackielinde7568]

THANK YOU FOR MENTIONING THAT HUBER HAS SPONSORED YOU IN THE PAST! I don't know why it's such a big deal for KZbinrs to take the time to fully disclose their relationships when talking about products. It's quick, easy, and lets the consumers who are going to spend their money on and live with these products know any possible conflicts of interest. And an honest declaration makes you look that much better.

[@gregh988]

Honestly I feel like he’s one of the most honest sponsored creators I follow, since he actually used these products years before he started making videos.

[@OutNAboutWithBrad]

@@gregh988 well, yeah, most videos are just commercials.

[@marcelosantana9311]

Some counties like UK require full disclose if you tubers are paid or receive products or anything of value. At least give people the chance to decide if is a good review and endorsement or just been bias because of the $.

[@jackielinde7568]

@@marcelosantana9311 In the US, the FTC and the FCC also require full disclosures. And the FTC has a webpage explaining this and how to do disclosure, so it's a no-brainer. Several years ago, Microsoft and two youtubers got into trouble because Microsoft sent them keys to review a game, and the KZbinrs didn't disclose the fact that Microsoft gave them keys.

[@ryanroberts1104]

@@jackielinde7568 Although "required", there are still a LOT that don't do it.

[@BlackOTR1]

Because of your videos I have become addicted to watching how builders build New homes in my area. And most of the time I am disappointed 🤦🏾‍♂️. Great video 👍🏾

[@4philipp]

Same here. I drive past construction sites and make a mental list of everything that’s wrong.

[@johnbecich9540]

You are right. Short cuts and boo boos go up in my neighborhood, even to this day. This series has educated me on an ancient art my father understood, in his day. I pursued electrical engineering, which was quite unknown to my Dad. Since Dad passed (at age 101) in 2014, Matt (who is much younger than I am) is the stand-in for my Dad! It's never too late to learn; and benefit on such an important topic.

[@borninthefla]

Yup

[@jjsuperalfadogg122]

Something that I've noticed is that a lot of the high end builders that I've worked for don't even employ some old these products or techniques, not out of greed or profitability, but basically they are uninformed of the newer products and methods available.

[@RockyRayndawg]

Thank you. I renovated my house (in Canada) to much better than building code, but with surpsingly little cost impact. Spending. 30% more here in Canada will pay for itself in less than 2 years, and we have very low prices for natural gas and electricity. Keep up the good work. I renovated based on your air sealing recommendations and saved myself 65% + in gas bills. Absolutely insane! 👍👍

[@johnbecich9540]

WHERE in Canada? And WHERE is your vapor barrier, in the layering sequence?

[@RockyRayndawg]

@@johnbecich9540 still vapour barrier between insulation and drywall. In Canada that will always be the barrier between hot and cold.

[@johnbecich9540]

@@RockyRayndawg Thanks for the reply. I'm about to read Joe Lstiburek's manual on vapor barriers, a subject that gets little attention in the hot dry southwestern USA. (But vinyl wallpaper in Las Vegas hotels are a no-no, on exterior walls.) I live in Los Angeles County, seven miles from the ocean, but damp enough that Thompson Seedless grapes (normally grown far inland; Indio or Fresno) will turn to fungus here. I know, I tried; it was a mess. My house has eaves all around and everything dries out here. I use a heater (forced air, whole house) only a few days in January. Radiant barriers are the real silver bullets towards cutting energy demand; and I turned my all-electric kitchen into an all nat gas kitchen in 2009.

[@katyanna1999]

Your correct in some places.in putting floor joist down you can go 16 inch on center or 12 by just buying 2 extra joist that in a 10 foot span.Same as roof and much more

[@katyanna1999]

@@johnbecich9540 thats cool to know about wallpaper on exterior walls.I lived in LA 14 blocks from Santa Monica Beach.14th and Ocean Park.

[@supremelawfirm]

Matt, I was an owner-builder for about 3 years, but not much construction outside of that. I really LOVE the way you present these technical details with clear and articulate descriptions, no words wasted. You obviously know your subject, and you communicate important essentials verbally and graphically in a most excellent way. KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK -- YOU ARE HELPING LOTS OF PEOPLE WHO NEED TO KNOW THIS STUFF!

[@TroyRibao]

Now this is EXACTLY the kind of info I have been waiting for. Super detailed w/ some pricing info to get a decent comparison between the different assemblies and materials. Thank you! Looking forward to the next 5 assemblies. If they aren't included I'd love to see the same type of video on other wall assemblies such as double stud walls and larsen trusses.

[@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb]

Matt didn't really discuss full cost implications of the different assemblies. Zip requires labor and materials to install the tapes and liquid flashing. The other assemblies that use plywood and a separate WRB (like the AlumaFlash self-adhered he likes) are relatively expensive to buy and take a lot of labor to install. That said, the cost to upgrade from a mechanically fastened low-end WRB (like Tyvek) to a Zip wall is very reasonable considering the huge gains in air sealing/vapor control/comfort. Might be a few thousand to upgrade to Zip. But then if you do Zip walls, you'll want Zip roof and then better window/door flashing and better windows and on and on. Once you educate yourself, there's no way any sane person would want anything less than Zip system.

[@michiganengineer8621]

@@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb If you want to go slightly extreme I'd go with ICF and SIP. Or go REALLY bonkers with a buried ICF lol

[@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb]

@@michiganengineer8621 Meh, I won't live in a foam house. Wood framing/wood fiber insulation/cellulose/wool for me. Even Zip is out for me - no OSB, just plywood with a vapor-open high-quality WRB. Other than the WRB (and plywood vs board sheathing), almost the way homes were built a 100 years ago but with vastly more comfort/energy efficiency due to attention to air sealing.

[@slowsmooth3440]

I hit the thumbs up as soon as the video starts everytime. Remodeling a 1946 bungalow. Better results with Matt guiding DIY. Lower cost as well. Quiet Comfort. If I have to explain you don't understand. Thanks Matt.

[@johans7119]

Great video! One of your best. In the UK we extend the insulation about 9 inches down from the top of the slab to provide some slab edge insulation/aid with cavity wall drainage.

[@bosatsu76]

Best construction video site on KZbin, hands down... I watch every one I can just for future reference...

[@DanielZajic]

Fantastic video, Matt! This is the type of content that will push the industry, and also increase awareness of good building practices in the general public. Both are needed.

[@kathleensabino374]

Thank you! I am in the middle of repairing unexpected semi disaster (no one was hurt 😁 You have taught me so much! Keep up the great work🙏

[@tomim7187]

When you plug the numbers in, the actual cost of the upgraded sheathing and insulation is only a couple thousand more which would be offset by using a smaller HVAC system. DId my shop with only 2 inches of exterior foam over Zip sheathing on the wall and 4 inches on the roof and use a Mitsubishi mini split to heat and cool. Total electric bill for July for AC and running lights and equipment- $95.00 (US).

[@Heltonsdesigns]

Not sure where you live but in NC our home electric bill in the hottest months is never over $75

[@cindyjohnson5242]

@@Heltonsdesigns mine is over $300 in August in Texas. That's cheap!

[@danboone5672]

My electric bill here in Idaho was $450 last month

[@hailexiao2770]

@@Heltonsdesigns NC is not a hot state compared to Texas or Florida

[@Grossinspec]

Matt great information. I am a home inspector and remodeler in WI. Wish I would have known this prior to our remodel in SE Wisconsin. Would of loved the zip system on our home and roof decking. Rather we did tyvek wrap, 1/2"OSB sheathing on 2x6 walls with 3 to 4" of closed cell foam. Attic was 2-3" of foam over ceiling with 16-20" of blown fiberglass in attic. Planning a future build in years in Northern, Wisconsin and want it to be passive. Keep up the great educational information on best practices. Thanks

[@MikeBMW]

In Florida, two layers of vapor barrier are required on all new frame -built new homes. Also, minimum 7/16" minimum sheathing (plywood or OSB) is required on 100 percent of the exterior of a frame-built new home. We, generally use a Tie-Max hold down system on frame walls OR J-bolts at 18" on center with hold-downs, i.e. Simpson HTT4 or better, at each end of a shearwall, whether a Type I or Type II shearwall. Most homes in my area are CMU (mixed in with some frame-built homes) - 140 MPH wind zone, although we design for 150 and up, as well, wherein extra cost is incurred with impact resistant glass and coverings on openings to the interior. There are many more requirements but the "worst built house" would never have been permitted in Florida. At any rate, Matt, love the vids! :)

[@marcelosantana9311]

Michael Leers what area of Florida do you work? Do you work for a builder?

[@Rhaspun]

Florida had to have better standards with their building codes due to hurricanes. It's the same thing California. The building codes are at a higher standard due to earthquake issues.

[@MikeBMW]

@@marcelosantana9311 Central Florida. I don't work for a builder but I design homes and commercial structures for builders.

[@HistoricHomePlans]

@@Rhaspun I was going to make a similar point. Florida (hurricanes) and California (earthquakes) have some of the best codes for good structural engineering practices. I worked for many years in California.

[@marcelosantana9311]

Michael Leers Nice, I am a Realtor in Orlando. Started watching videos like this because I purchased a nightmare frame house with a lot of water issues.

[@In2oil2]

I'm saying it again! the best intro Ever! Great smile and enthusiasm! Huge Fan from Canada (Calgary)

[@TroyRibao]

Double thanks for having all the details spelled out in the video description!

[@markpalmer5311]

Excellent, straightforward video. Lou Varni’s illustrations help immensely. Really looking forward to the next set of options.

[@creedbarnett4948]

Matt, thank you for not only showing great assemblies but also cost...super helpful!

[@JimNeville]

Hello, two years ago I was having a home built in Maine and the contractor was using the 2" Zip sheathing . I had never heard of this construction and that's when I found your channel. The details you constantly talk about were all followed ,sheathing , taping all joints and sealing the window and door penitations. I'm glad that I have a better understanding of my home construction and we have a very tight house. The benefits are reaped both in the summer and winter with low cooling and heating bills. Additionally from the house being tight we also have a whole house air exchange. thanks for the video's

[@pattyorourke462]

Just found you, thank you. I build with masonry and bought a fixer upper in a different state. You are helping me tremendously with wood frame construction. Now I am binging you😁

[@buildshow]

Awesome! Welcome to the channel!

[@amerlin388]

Great video. However, I have concerns over the use of exterior insulation... You are hanging the exterior sheathing (and likely some exterior covering i.e. siding) at a distance from the studs (the thickness of the insulation), leading to shear and/or bending forces on the nails/screws. Having a ripped 2x4 attached at the base for support has a similar shear/bend issue. Maybe planning an extra wide sill plate (and possibly top plate) for support would be better and sufficient. Wider top and sill plates would allow permanent corner bracing to be part of the design as well as providing support for the 2nd floor exterior insulation and sheathing (as opposed to just stacking on top of 1st floor sheathing). You might comment on the numerous penetrations due to attaching vinyl siding or brick wall tie-backs; also, should brick tie-backs go through everything to the wall studs instead of tacking them to the Zip sheathing? And finally, if water penetration were to occur how is the moisture to escape? Does it migrate through the insulation? Thanks.

[@marksherrill9337]

Interesting point. I would think the thicker the zip the more of a concern.

[@jsdoogie]

MAN - I was watching this on my TV, and was typing up notes, and then I looked at the video on my laptop to get the link for the Assembly R-value Calculator, and see that everything is broken down in the video description! GREAT that the figures are in the description.

[@scottpaulson1714]

Why isn't is called Outsulation if we need insulation outside? :-)

[@marcelosantana9311]

Scott Paulson 😂

[@turbolab2376]

Lol, are you blazed?

[@danf6070]

Dryvit actually has an exterior insulation system with this exact name.

[@danf6070]

@Scot Wocicki Nice!

[@samuelrspade]

Since your living in the future, how does 2020 play out?

[@paulmccoy2908]

This is your best episode since the one you did on attic insulation and air sealing. Keep ‘em coming.

[@DimitriBianco]

Would love to see a video like this on roofing. I'm working on a building without an attic and the cost to use batts is really expensive. I'm trying to look for other options like foam on the outside or inside.

[@djSmokeShow]

If I'm not mistaken Matt did 4 inches of rigid foam on the roof deck of his own home. So that may be an option for you.

[@davidhoover2446]

I love your show. In Florida homes are typically built with hollow concrete blocks and entirely concrete except for the roof and trusses. I can never find anyone on KZbin talking about it. Our particular area requires a 160 MPH wind building envelope now. But, we have different houses and no one talks about them. Typically they are concrete block, stucco outside and paint. Inside, usually a thin cheap insulation like a bubble wrap almost, but some more custom builders will install foam board like RMax sheathing inside with a foil face. Code doesn't require any insulation on these home's walls, but R30 in the attic or roof. Pretty interesting.

[@joeredhawk]

There are some short comings here, ZIP sheathing isn't as cheap as you make it out to be running the seam tape or liquid flash which requires detail work of the framing crew, so there is additional cost and materials, and production trades can mangle OSB and ZIP, actually they seem to go out of their way to mangle ZIP as if they get kickbacks from some unknown entity. Panalized and Modular home construction will displace more and more of this type of construction as energy costs and min. code keep climbing.

[@114db]

More videos like these most of us don't know anything and explaining it to us like ignorantes is super appreciated!

[@kurtpalmer3674]

Would love to see how a staggered stud wall compares to these, ie 2x6 top and bottom plate with 2x4 studs staggered on the inside wall then outside wall allowing batt insulation to wrap every stud reducing the thermal bridgeing of the wall 🙂

[@96Lauriz]

Or you could just simply use Rockwools hard batts as rain screen construction

[@wim0104]

what's the spacing on these staggered 2x4; 8"?? I'd prefer insulation boards on the outside, and get 0 bridges.

[@jimmys.8062]

This is pretty smart. I would occasionally throw a vertical 2x6 in corners maybe? Is there any studies on the effective R values of this?

[@aaronorr5586]

@@wim0104 You would still end up with no thermal bridging in the stud portion of the wall. You could then use the Zip-R with the R-3 foam to remove the top and bottom plates from bridging.

[@JS-po4zp]

I'm an aspiring builder-- built one house but a novice. Love your channel, you really break things down in a simple way that anyone can understand-- only a person who knows the subject in and out can do that. Learning so much. Please keep posting!!!

[@owsleym]

Hey Matt, How about discussing energy consumption over the life of the residence. That is to say upfront costs vs long term,30 year, savings

[@stipcrane]

The cost over the life of the building is interesting but irrelevant for most homeowners. Techniques with 10-30 year paybacks are a loss for the average homeowner who sells at 8 years. If you're a good enough salesman to convince buyers to pay for energy upgrades then you've done well, but for most sellers of high tech homes, they are only prepaying utility bills for the next owner. I've sold 30 of my homes, mostly new construction, and items like hardwood, granite, appliances, and architectural dazzle sell themselves - insulation and Low-E are a tough sell. Matt's audience would naturally dig this stuff, but they aren't the typical buyer. But yes, over the lifetime of a house, which could be 5-10 owners, it certainly does pay off.

[@vennic]

@@stipcrane as a seller of an efficient home I would hope that other people see the value and are willing to pay what it's worth. As a buyer of an efficient home, I will prefer the culture to stay the same so I can get a better deal....if I can find one, that is.

[@jefflinnell8492]

It's called a hers rating and you hire a company to do that .it could be called an energy audit and we have to get it done to every blueprint.

[@dwwolf4636]

@@stipcrane What do you think energy costs are going to do if The Green New Deal gets rammed though ?

[@kurtneis]

Glad I stumbled across your channel. I'm an architect up in michigan. It is exciting to see builders sharing about better building options. It is difference cult at times to convince clients to go above and beyond code mins.

[@Saskia.8.]

Building Science When I took a BPI class some years ago, I wanted to have some "fun", so I did the manual calculations on the composite r-value of a wall after foam was put over the studs. What a huge increase! Taking into account thermal bridging means so much! I use to work for a retrofit home performance company dense packing walls and blowing in cellulose. I eventually became an auditor calculating ROI's using Real home analyser (or RHA as they call it) only to find that adding multiple r-values to a wall assembly wasn't possible. You could add the total r-values together, but not specify if a layer was continuous or not😔. I downloaded a free version of TREAT and found on that you could. Tried to get the company to move to that program but the shift was too labor intensive. I will say this, converting from oil to gas ALWAYS had the fastest ROI for any project. This made approval for program loans way easy. The incentive for the homeowner was there, but the house was leaky and under insulated AF. It saved money, yes, but ethically it was always rough. The company I worked for set the audits up where there was a sales person and an auditor present. The sales person would be giving a presentation on what I was doing, basic building science, and loan programs. At the end of the audit during the blower door test, the salesperson, homeowner and myself would walk around the home and I would show them what things looked like with the beautiful Flir infrared camera I got to use. That really solidified what the sales person was explaining earlier. Good times. If your an auditor working for a home performance contractor and have a separate installation and sales department, make sure you have a great relationship with all of them. Synergy is key. Coincidentally I did home performance work before becoming an independent contractor. I'm so glad I did. Been watching you for years Matt. I was glad to see your channel finally take off. I can't even imagine how much gallons of oil and ppm of gas you've saved the world with your educational video's.

[@leestevens446]

My take on the continuous exterior insulation is that has a huge effect on performance, and the best overall ROI. Once you take that step, any internal cavity insulation is rendered to be of fairly low effect and value. And I do build per that doctrine.

[@JC-tm6wh]

Thank you Matt for explaining this info to the average homeowner, now we know what choices there are for our next home, well done.

[@johnbecich9540]

The woods are full of overpriced tool sheds.

[@Omnis2]

Shouldn't the outer insulation be on the outside of the sheathing? Or does "outer" just mean that it's covering the studs to prevent thermal bridging?

[@micheljr.beaudry21]

Omnis your second statement seems to be what I’ve come to understand as well by watching his video. He’s always referring to a coat 🧥 outside the wall.

[@MandoFettOG]

It can be, but does not have to be. Zip-r is on the inside of the sheathing on the outside of the studs.

[@ncooty]

Thanks, Lou! Those images REALLY help me understand how the layers integrate.

[@CashorChrist112]

Over the past two years I’ve paid any where from $9 - $18/sheet for OSB. Right now 1/2” is $30 in my area.

[@thomasschafer7268]

Very expensive. 12mm for6€. 15mm for 7.25€ and 22mm osb4 for11€. In germany.

[@atlanteum]

When the time comes for me to design and personally get out there swinging a hammer to frame my next home, I will only have been able to do so because of your meticulously detailed and informative videos. Thank you -

[@shahsmerdis]

Hey, in your last Q and A. my post got cut off, but I was trying to ask what would be your best wall/insulation/weather proofing strategy for a CMU wall :) Thank you. I know most of america is wood framed.

[@johnbecich9540]

Learn about the "perfect wall" from Dr. Joe Lstiburek. kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5DRmKCYdrOYhck Congratulations on your CMU wall. That's commercial grade, and massive. But has its own vulerabilities, chiefly water, fluorescence, etc. The R value of the insulation layer of the "perfect wall" SEEMS to be determined by the climate your building exists within. I say "seems" because I am only a student, not a teacher or master of building science. Please tell us your general location. I am in Los Angeles County ... SoCal.

[@jimmie69979]

Spray foam on exterior walls in lieu of bat insulation is incredible, R value is thru the roof. Did this on the last house and will do it on all my houses.

[@Chris_In_Texas]

Matt Great video, however I would have loved to see how costs factor in when you drop the batt insulation and do a closed cell and/or open cell insulation. I am in DFW area and my house here has spray foam in walls and under roof deck with 2x6 construction. It would be great to see the "spec house" builders all the way into the custom and then past that to the engineered next gen house. I would have loved to have Zip-R on the outside under the brick to help against the heat soak of the brick in the sun.

[@mitchdenner9743]

@chhallock88 If you have full bays of closed cell which should be 5.5 inches on 2x6 studs, thats an r-38 insulation value. If its open cell figure about half of that. Plus brick on the exterior, which should have some type of rainscreen/drainage area behind it which would either be an airspace or some type of water channeling material which would minimize the heat transfer of the brick through to the sheathing. You don't have to worry about trying to minimize heat transfer from the brick. I think if you were to do something along those lines a radiant barrier on the exterier sheeting with an airspace between the barrier and brick would be a better choice. I'm no matt risinger but i have both products on my roof assembly and am very happy with the performance of them. As a matter of fact i only have 4.5 " of closed cell which is an r-30. As matt said these are all nominal numbers. But all building materials have some sort of r- value. Even brick and vinyl siding, its not much but adds up when layered together in the wall assembly. Air space also has insulating properties. This is just an example, i don't know exactly whats in your wall assembly.

[@dennispope8160]

mitch denner it’s rare anyone fills cavity with closed cell...

[@mitchdenner9743]

@@dennispope8160 you never know, i would never.

[@johnbecich9540]

@@mitchdenner9743 A radiant barrier, in any roof structure, is only as good as its shininess. If it's shiny-side up, then dust will insidiously degrade the reflectance. The proper concept is "low emittance" and that works when the shiny side is down.... with as much air gap as possible. A vacuum would be better! No battens would be better! But in the real world, we have air and we have battens to hold that radiant barrier (shiny side down) away from the structure below. Here in SoCal, aluminum-clad OSB is slapped down on old spaced sheathing, every day, in defiance of good science (which none of the homeowners know about) and thereby the radiant barrier is wasted. Conduction defeats a radiant barrier.

[@mitchdenner9743]

@@johnbecich9540 hard to understand exactly what you are trying to say but any product installed incorrectly will diminish its effectiveness, thats a given. Radiant barriers are normally installed on the interior of the attic, mine is a exterior install. I spoke with manufacturer before starting my roof and discussed my plan and the best way to apply their product on the exterior of my roof and they agreed my system would work properly. My radiant barrier is identical on both sides, after tearing off the old shingles and inspecting and prepping the the existing sheeting, the barrier was applied to the exterior sheeting. I then ran 1x3 wood battens from ridge to eve 16" on center directly above the rafters to create a 3/4" air space for the barrier to work correctly. Then 5/8" sheeting was applied on top of the battens, entire roof was covered with snow & ice, then shingled. Six inch holes were bored on the underside of the old sheeting of the soffit to allow air flow up through the vented soffit and into the air space channel created by the wood battens. A ridge vent was then cut in only through the 5/8" sheeting allowing any built up heat in the air space channels to be vented out of the ridge. Working just like a standard attic ventilation system, only not ventilating the attic, just the air space. All spaces between the roof rafters and wall top plate were blocked and air sealed effectively sealing off the attic space from the soffit vents. This "cold roof " system was done for one, to allow an air space for the radiant barrier to work correctly, and secondly to minimize the heat reflected back up into the shingles, as the manufacturer told me more heat would be put into the shingles. Thats my roof system, it is what it is, along with a fully encapsulated attic space with 4.5" of closed cell foam, its has made an incredible difference. I just had a manual j done on my home and a separate detached garage, and have been rewarded for all the effort i put into upgrading the thermal envelope of my home and garage . I haven't had time to really go over the numbers yet due to a death in the family but when i do i will post them if anyone is interested.

[@geoffrylamotte-zw2le]

I am glad to hear that you have found this book to be very informative and helpful for your woodworking project kzbin.infoUgkxbnOKZBE4evMO5V2vroHeCjq6d_MV6wJO It sounds like you are well prepared and confident to build furniture for your house. I commend you and your friend for your enthusiasm and willingness to learn new things from this book. I hope you enjoy your woodworking journey and create some beautiful pieces.

[@andrewcusack3338]

Hey, just wanted to say thanks for this video. I was one of those who was critical of some of the recent videos because I felt like a product was being ‘pitched’ at me instead of a critical evaluation of building methods and materials. This video however feels much more like a sharing of information and a commitment to moving us forward as an industry. Thanks!

[@flimfloun2643]

Is there a medium between Option 4 and 5 that could be applied to old construction for renovation efforts? Could you put the zip system right over the original sheathing?

[@avantgarde619]

Very glad to found this channel. I have worked in various trades all my life and now going for my builders license. Can I count this as CEC credits...lol Great content and awesome delivery.

[@PlusSpec]

Hi Matt, another great video, well done, thank you. I've a question re the ZipR Sheathing & bracing: Due to the insulation being between the sheathing, and the stud does it still count and bracing? My guess is that the nails or screws holding the board to the stud are more likely to flex or bend significantly in the higher R valued boards? If so, is there a table explaining this to ensure builders get adequate bracing for high wind areas?

[@kirkleadbetter1093]

I'm going to be building my hours in a few years here in Maine. I've been watching your videos for a few years now and really love the information.

[@johnbecich9540]

It's tricky up there! Much tricker than, say, in San Diego CA. I say San Diego has the best climate, and therefore tolerates the sloppiest abuses of building science. Drawing ray from San Diego east and north, the need for adherence to fundamental principles and management of the four environmental factors (in order of importance: water, air, vapor, and heat) becomes ever-more important. kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5DRmKCYdrOYhck

[@kirkleadbetter1093]

@@johnbecich9540 And that trickiness is exactly why I want to know what good building standards look like so I can make sure they are part of the quotes and contracts. I've had one built and it was an absolute nightmare. Not this time. Engineering plans, rectangle shaped colonial, no valleys, big overhangs to start.

[@johnbecich9540]

@@kirkleadbetter1093 So please study the lectures of Dr. Lstiburek. Learn about his "perfect wall." And how it can be put on the ground and overhead as a roof. Learn how important the connections are, between elements. Know that remodeling is "impossible" later, if you build a properly layered house now; this is the flip side of "passive house" design. Future proof your house, therefore, with some extra unused conduits for tomorrow's internet, cable TV, low voltage this and that, etc. Stay in touch, your project interests me greatly.

[@kirkleadbetter1093]

@@johnbecich9540 thank you. I've watched all of the videos he has on line and actually bought several of the books on his company webpage. :-). It's what I'm planning on basing my build on.

[@BGTech1]

Wouldn’t a house built with the thickest zip r-12 loose sheer strength because of give of the nails and the gap between the osb and wood studs?

[@Brian-vz8vf]

I have wondered that as well

[@carverwestendorff5240]

It does have reduced shear values as the R increases. They have ICC reports that give you the values to determined the required shear wall length.

[@MrBrandonbecker95]

It does lose a small amount of sheer value. Huber has instructions on their website for nail/stapling patterns according to the thickness of foam. R12 requires more nails and minimum of 1.5" of penetration in the stud. In my experience if you properly nail the foam slightly compresses against the stud and seems to almost have better sheer in some cases then just osb. Although it seems thats only the case with the R3 range.

[@leestevens446]

Any thickness of foam behind the Zip will affect shear strength that can be achieved by the wood panel and fastener schedule. In our high wind zones, it is far preferable to use true continuous exterior insulation, over plain sheathing, and maintain maximum structural integrity. As a reference, our jobs are typically in 130 mph design zones, often high exposure factor. We end up with 7/16" OSB over the entirety, with a nailing schedule of 8d (minimum) @ 4" on all edges (and all edges on solid blocking or framing) and @ 6" in the field. If those nails are passing through 1 1/2" of foam between OSB/ ZIP facing and the studs, then the engineering value is radically different. All the nails now require a substantial embedment in the frame, and enough bending resistance to overcome the moment forces that resisting the shear load demands. Not a trivial difference, or problem to solve for.

[@BGTech1]

Thanks for the information.

[@21gonza21]

14:55 you would say “it’s not about keeping the water out but letting the water out..” if you seal this bottom section of the osb and water was to get In thru above , you just trapped the water down below

[@kevinbarry71]

Nine dollars for a sheet of that cardboard crap? Somebody is making a killing

[@johnbecich9540]

And a fool is born every minute, who will buy such a house on the secondary market. After the "original fool" first owned it.

[@turbolab2376]

7/16 osb in Canada is $8 4x8, crazy how much you pay to the south. Wood is going up crazy this way because of Covid in the next few weeks so will catch up with you $ wise shortly.

[@Redandranger]

@@turbolab2376 $8????? I was just at Home Depot here in Idaho and the 7/16 OSB was listed at over $16/sheet!!! wtf is going on? Haven't seen OSB jump that much (from 8 to 16 dollars) since US invasion of Iraq and subsequent "rebuilding" but that jumped from $3.99 to $7 a sheet.

[@timothywalsh1550]

@@Redandranger HUGE rush on lumber and lumber materials in the last 3 months. Evidently EVERYONE is remodeling or doing some sort of home improvement since COVID hit.

[@Redandranger]

@@timothywalsh1550 I know everyone has decided to grow a garden, raise chickens and build a shed but wow. Hard to imagine it's that big.

[@dlatour1805]

Fully expected to see a video about my house! To get my son into better schools, I sold my house in Austin to purchase a fixer-upper in nearby Canyon Lake in January, and am just now realizing the extent of mediocrity throughout the house! The ground floor is the garage and large unfinished storage room, but the storage room just has siding nailed to the 2x4s! No OSB or plywood or zip system! No wonder the house moves when the washing machine is on spin cycle or the kids run on the top floor! So now I'm playing catch-up, learning the correct way to build walls and seal windows. I didn't know what I didn't know!! Matt, sir, if you ever need content or a humanitarian project, I'm here! lol

[@Zackrackle]

Matt, Love the show! I live and build in climate zone 7. Would you recommend building vapor open on the inside with exterior sheathed with zip or zip R? I love the idea of the zip system but haven't been confident enough to use it in a primarily heating climate yet and it hasn't been widely used here to be proven. I know it's permeable but a lower rating than tyvek, the readily available wrb in my region. I'd love to use it but don't want to make a mistake and cause condensation in the wall assembly. Let me know if you have some insight for me! Thanks for the great content!

[@RJ-sr5dv]

Zachary, Good question. This is my opinion only. Hope Matt sees and has the time to to respond. Cold Climate (7) I think air movement on the inside is the key to keeping the moisture down from condensation. The outside WRB will keep rain out but does not address condensation...

[@Zackrackle]

@@RJ-sr5dv that's my line of thinking as well. Not a building science expert but feeling like a manufacturer that would sell an adhered high permeability wrb to a plywood sheet could do well as a cold climate alternative. But maybe the vapor issues have been addressed in the zip system. Just something that's been rolling around my head.

[@RJ-sr5dv]

@@Zackrackle Thanks for the good observations and food for thought. I have a digital temp gun I use on things from cooking to tire temps. It would be interesting to know the temps of house product layers when the Out Side Air Temperatures (OAT's) are a certain value (Zero degrees) with an indoor air temp of say 70 degrees. as well as the relative humidity, RH, at each location. For example the heated side of drywall is 70 degrees and the RH is ....? The back side of the drywall is ...? and the RH is ....? Heated side of insulation is ...? and the RH is ....? Outside of insulation is ........? and the RH is ....? Heated side of sheathing is ....? and the RH is ....? Outside side of sheathing is ....? and the RH is ....? So if the "Dew point is the temperature at which the air is saturated (100 percent relative humidity). It is dependent on only the amount of moisture in the air. Relative humidity is the percent of saturation at a given temperature; it depends on moisture content and temperature. ..." Is it possible to circulate enough air on the heated side of the sheathing to keep it at Zero moisture content when the temperature delta is extreme? I don't know. Obviously the ultimate goal is to keep all moisture outside of any biodegradable product and insulate as much as practical. The ability to eliminate trapped moisture has always been an interesting subject for me as well. I designed a exterior wall system, I hope to build at some point, which includes a gap between the outer framing members and interior wall. In this gap I have planned to circulate air from a conditioned vessel in the basement or crawl space, up to registers that then, in the case of cooling air, dump the air from above onto the living space. Not cheap to build but if the cost of cooling the air in a condensed favorable environment, such as a geothermal temp sink, one can then potentially save on energy costs. Just a thought.

[@Zackrackle]

@@RJ-sr5dv interesting assembly idea. I liked Matt's perfect wall house or a traditional timber frame where the insulation is on the exterior keeping structural members in the conditioned space. Would be interesting to see your example mocked up or even better put into use to see how it performs.

[@brucecampbell6133]

Great information! Thanks for the Steve Bacik detail! For single story construction, a 2x4, Zip R12 with R15 Rockwool batts for wall cavity insulation would give an effective Wall R-value of R 23.7 and cost about $3.50 per ft2.

[@scorpio6587]

14:13 Would it be okay to set back the framing from the edge of the foundation so the sheathing could be flush?

[@JDR501]

Awesome Question...

[@alexcampbell5371]

Why wouldn’t it as long as you have thermal brake under osb then liquid flash to foundation.

[@eh_bailey]

Just when I thought you couldn't get anymore informative... 👍 This is a really good summary of a bunch of other videos. Thanks for the pricing as well.

[@timarheit7272]

Be careful when upgrading wall insulation. You have to consider the whole build. For example, while 13+5 is allowed/required in zone 5. Upgrading to a 2x6 wall and doing 20+5 may cause moisture problems. For zone 5, 20+7.5 is recommended for 2x6 walls. So you may be better sticking with just a 2x6 with R20 if you don't want to also spend the extra for R7.5 exterior insulation or better.

[@leestevens446]

I posted a spiel on this subject early on. This vid is potentially misleading and damaging, if taken literally and unilaterally as an "answer" by the layman viewer. Unfortunately, the codes seem to fail miserably when it comes to REQUIRING a balanced approach to interior/ exterior insulation, and the resultant dew point issues. The real answer is the Universal Answer: It Depends.

[@DanielRichards644]

@@leestevens446 the universal answer seams more simple, move ALL insulation to the OUTSIDE, don't sandwich materials that can rot between layers of insulation.

[@gunnerm1]

Extremely informative video. I really cant believe that a cardboard wrap alone would ever meet any type of code standard anywhere. Its just obviously wrong. Thanks for educating the public on these terrible building practices. Cheers from Galveston Texas.

[@belaad]

no link.. where is the link to the previous video

[@TheArrow3456]

maybe this one? kzbin.info/www/bejne/gqa4qYiqa7Kqf7c

[@miltonzinn8732]

Thanks Matt for the awesome videos. My wife and I were planning on building our next home and the information you’ve provided has really given me some tools to go to the design table with. Hope all is well in your life and enjoy Austin.

[@Discretesignals]

When the builders throw their trash in the walls during construction, doesnt that raise the R value?

[@rafallasocki4426]

Unless R stands for recycling - haha

[@ducagace1390]

You're a blessing for the builders community. Thank you!

[@zakiducky]

Until I started watching your videos, I never knew cardboard sheathing was ever even a thing! Granted, I don’t have many years under my belt (I work in architecture), but I’ve never seen nor heard of that in the northeast, even on old houses. Suffice to say, such a ‘sheathing’ would never fly practically or legally around here.

[@johnbecich9540]

I'm not an architect or building engineer. I'm presently a KZbin student of building science, for the future benefit of my adult children... and my own incessant attraction to efficiency and science. I'm an electronics engineer who grew up in a contractor culture, during the construction boom years in Los Angeles County. Most houses were built cheaply on slabs, with minimal Price Pfister faucets, galvanized steel piping IN THE SLABS, etc. No insulation on the hot water pipes. So it was really just the "wild west" that saw people gobble up the real estate and pay only a few bucks to the electric utility, to keep these "tool sheds" comfortable. Then in the 1970s, the energy crisis brought the first wave of "enlightenment" on points of building science, in excess of "BASIC SAFETY." Walking through houses under construction, even as a boy, I never saw paper walls. BUT paper was used as a 1970s energy-conserving retrofit CEILING MATERIAL; i.e., aluminized paper radiant barrier, METAL SIDE DOWN, to good benefit in retrofitted commercial buildings to keep them cooler in summer and warmer overnight and in winter. In the southwest quadrant of the 48 states of the USA, the radiant barrier is KING... of common sense thermal management, IMHO.

[@184ktmdm]

I’m in the northeast too, and have been working in a remodeling company that does mostly residential stuff for the last 9 years. I’ve never seen that product either. I could never imagine putting that junk on a house.

[@zakiducky]

RedLeader Given Hurricane Isias just blew threw, I can’t imagine a house sheathed in this stuff being able to withstand the wind and rain.

[@184ktmdm]

zakiducky I would be scared to be in a house built with that stuff during that storm. That wind got intense. I can’t imagine there is any structural integrity to it. Plywood is much better from a structural standpoint. It really does blow my mind that it’s allowed.

[@zakiducky]

RedLeader Seriously. At the very least have some OSB. Short of building a bunker, there’s not much you can do against a tree plowing through your house. But with ‘sheathing’ like that and the cheap vinyl siding most homes have, I’d worry if a small branch hit the wall too hard it would go through. XD Even some of the comparatively well built decades old and new houses around here were damaged in that storm. You get even some minor flooding or too much snow piled up and melting against the wall, there goes your paper wall.

[@chaseweeks2708]

I was running those numbers the other night while thinking over some options for how I want to do the exterior envelope and insulation on a barndominium. The difference in the price of building a traditional home isn't all that much, but when I plugged in some numbers for doing even a R3 or R6 Zip exterior over the entirety of a 40x80 building... it's enough to make your eyes water.

[@thethinkingagent7630]

Love your videos! One small critique, when comparing "apples to apples" for cost analysis, you may consider adding in both labor and consumables such as liquid flashing, etc... The cost comparison should be system to system, not subcomponent to subcomponent. The majority of consumers care about the aggregated cost not because they want to but because their budgets require them to.

[@leestevens446]

Figure don't lie, but liars can figure. Why do you want the whole truth? /s

[@littlered6780]

Matt, I am struggling with selecting the correct exterior insulation. Of course, so far, it's all about price in 2022! Am I wrong? Should it be Rockwool because of its drying properties? Here are my three choices (Zone 5 R20 wall code). R13 to R15 in the interior walls - - Zip R6 $4.50 sq/ft. Rockwool R6 $2.72 sq/ft. incl 1/2 ply. John Mansville R13 $2.60 sq/ft incl ply. I do not have the additional labor in the latter two but I am guessing it isn't $2.00 per square.. I am leaning toward the John M. but I am concerned with moisture between the plywood, Tyvek type of barrier and the ridged foam.

[@jacpar531]

Can we do video on SIP house comparison price to regular construction walls?

[@DanielRichards644]

I was once given a rough estimate for a 16'x40' house with like an 8' tall back (along the 40' length) wall and a single pitch like 3/12 roof with big overhangs at I believe it was 16k for the exterior walls and roof (this was the SIP's with the METAL instead of the OSB sheathing so the panels directly interlocked with each other instead of having a 2x4 joint at the edge of each panel), I was looking at this system as it was something where for the walls at least it could be done by 2 guys. I forget how much more it would have cost because to me avoiding paying someone else to do the labor was a good enough savings to justify it.

[@justinrogers1063]

Matt, thanks for putting out these videos. I just bought a 1912 mansion that needs to be rehabbed. I’m hoping to do most of the work myself. Thanks for all the information you put out!!!!!

[@JSBax]

Have to admit Matt, as a builder who has worked with these products I expected you'd be able to suggest costs inclusive of labour and all supplies. That's really the comparison that's meaningful for people and that is hard to work out esp if their usual trades haven't worked with these products. I expect it'd also even out some of the increase in material costs if labour is similar. That said nothing you say applies in Australia, even if we could get it...but hey, it'd still be great to know. : )

[@profitecturebydesign3646]

SO impressed at your dedication to the craft of course, but also with how you've been able to break down these assemblies into per/sf costs. I feel like I have a client a week balking at construction costs, and all I can say is "get it done now, 'cause it's only going up..."

[@haglermatt]

Just found you recently and you’re killing it. As an architect who cares tremendously about building envelopes and codes, I’ve got a detail question. Why are you using the ripped 2x at the bottom of the Zip panels rather than just wrapping the bottom of the board with their tape? Thanks!

[@eugenel4394]

That is an answer I am also looking for. It looks like you are overlaying it to close the gap between the foundation and the mud sill. The zip system is an OSB based system, so I certainly understand not wanting to expose it to weather as the bottom layer, even wrapped in tape. Another option would be to use 2x6 treated wood for the mud sill, ripped from 5.5 inches to 3.5 inches overlap with foundation pus remainder overhanging to hold the bottom of zip system. Overlapping that with ZIP tape should provide similar effect in one continuous step, although will not create the overlap with the concrete to mud sill gap. Would definitely be interested in the answer.

[@B.E.C.K.]

He explained that detail briefly around the 14:40 mark. He has another video he put out recently where he goes into more detail about it.

[@josephkrupp7430]

My home was built in 1961. Remodeled the kitchen down to the studs. The outside walls had contractor grade insulation 11/2" and no insulation in corners. Upgraded to R13 in walls and R48 in ceiling. Very little blown in insulation above kitchen. Took off siding right outside to make for a French door. Wrapped that section for air leakes.installed new aluminum siding there. Budget on gas dropped 30%.

[@TheRealkciRsnurB]

I'm not seeing a link for the worst built home?

[@522Dusty]

Matt, love all the information. and how I was surprised to show the Yeti ice chest cooler, I designed the product as a molder several years ago, with the program manager at Yeti. We are building a home in Idaho and desire spending the money to reduce out energy cost by 1/8th of what we have. Perkins Brothers recommended this video for me.

[@jacoblitwiller7284]

Hey, Matt im doing a remodel on my house and i can't figure out what is better insulation behind OSB or on top of the OSB. What are your thoughts.

[@pauljames3306]

Love the pricing info! Studying unit rate buildup in our cost estimation class now. Appreciate all the content you've done; Learned so much from your videos!

[@albertpenksa1832]

Matt, thank you. I’m in Zone 4. 2x4’s with R-13 batt insulation covered with (un-taped) Thermoply and Vinyl Siding. I’m planning to demo back to the studs, repair rot, replace insulation as needed, sheath in Zip 7/16” and new vinyl siding (HOA requirement). Do I remove & reinstall the replacement windows already here or buy new construction windows to get a better seal?

[@johnbecich9540]

Pardon my jumping in here. OBVIOUSLY, if the windows are energy leakers then they should be replaced, period. Here in SoCal (Zone 3, and beastly sunny) low-e is important; I go further and install outside awnings also. If your old windows are already double or triple glazed, they might be kept; Matt lectures elsewhere on the comparative virtues of such windows, and it matters if your windows are on the north OR sunny sides of your building. Remember, Matt builds in Austin, TX. Meanwhile... Congrats on having the ability to install "nail ins" rather than "slap ons." Windows (and other "penetrations") are your greatest violations of the "perfect wall" as invented/conceptualized by Joe Lstiburek, Ph.D. kzbin.info/www/bejne/e5DRmKCYdrOYhck The JUNCTIONS of your discontinuities are critically important; for time-durable water proofing mostly. These junctions were not so important 100 years ago, when all houses leaked to get wet, and then to dry out. Your challenge is to design your insulated wall to be fail safe; i.e., that if it should get wet, it MUST dry out. Modern insulation tactics address only the fourth-priority environmental concern: thermal. The water and air priorities must not be subordinated to heat management. Please enlighten us more specifically on your Zone 4 location; on the amounts of humidity and rainfall. Does your house have EAVES? etc. Matt has novel and effective ideas about "monopoly" (eave-less) houses that are completely wrapped in insulation, but I disagree with the location of his vapor barrier, if such houses go into cold and wet climate locations.

[@MarlonJoseGE]

Yes! Thank you for finally adding visual graphics. Hopefully next I can download a pdf of them to share with my architect when I build my own home.

[@leestevens446]

Buried in Matt's talk is the real "Key to the Kingdom" ; the blower door test. And he notes that most jurisdictions have adopted one of the Energy Codes, but then don't require the blower door test. Colossal Stupidity!!! Building codes can't, as as legal or practical matter, legislate or mandate "building quality" standards, per se. BUT, if the Energy Codes are legally enforceable under the guise of the "Common Good", then the blower door test is a de facto means of mandating a MINIMUM build quality. You will not meet any reasonable blower door standard at the "Worst House inAmerica", and meeting the standard will necessitate a fairly radically different approach to materials and methods. Like maybe one of the wall systems Matt is describing. And taking some care in how it is put together. What is not to like about that?

[@jimmys.8062]

“They” don’t want to test them bc it would likely eliminate cheaper builds altogether. How do the politicians say it, “home ownership is the American dream!” Nevermind if it lasts or not 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@dwwolf4636]

@@jimmys.8062 Or build 5% smaller for similar costs and cut the energy bill in half.

[@patrickcorroll1735]

Hi Matt. I’m a builder in the uk and like building eco homes, carpenter by trade. I’ve worked with some many others and they just don’t look at the air tightness and water seals. We can’t get zip board at mo. Although I have ask for it. You seem to so much better products, than uk. Most people think brick is best, here. Love your videos.

[@technosaurus3805]

No mention of staggered stud framing. It makes a big difference for sound as well.

[@mtakedown]

Tstud video coming soon!

[@technosaurus3805]

Maybe related to not using blow-in cellulose insulation... is that a Texas thing?

[@blakehorn229]

You're a wonderful resource for in depth info Matt. Thank's for taking the time to make these. Awesome video.

[@seangillespie4601]

I'm so confused about this Zip exterior insulation. I get that in the broadest of terms, air-proofing is better for R values. But shouldn't we be concerned with the breathability of the house? Won't the vapor inside contribute to mold in the wall that much faster if there's no permeability? Any clarity - from anyone - much appreciated! Thanks for the vid!

[@pinkusurana4260]

Air tight homes use ERV to pump in filtered fresh air without losing heat.

[@seangillespie4601]

@@pinkusurana4260 ok thanks, sounds needlessly complicated and much more likely to fail/need upkeep. Can't imagine wanting or needing to go this route

[@atspeed5077]

Look at Net Zero home design. It gets into the air exchange systems to remove stale moist air and replace with fresh dry air and conserve the heat. I guess if are not interested in energy efficiency then products like this ZIP system wouldn’t be good for you.

[@johnterpack3940]

@@seangillespie4601 Look up "earth tubes". Basically a method to get fresh, conditioned air into a house for people who don't wipe their butts with 100-dollar bills.

[@marksherrill9337]

I agree. Was always taught to avoid a double vapor barrier.

[@jordanlawson6636]

Appreciate how detailed you are in you videos!

[@bobjoatmon1993]

FYI - You might or might not care but Yeti is a BIG antigun company who donated lots to antigun groups. They've got a great outdoors PR image but notice not for hunting or shooting. For those who do care there are alternates just as good such as RTIC, Yukon or Grizzly that are pro-gun and pro-hunting to spend your dollars with... And the others are just as tough and effective but cost a bit less!

[@Fkdapoliz]

Great Video Matt! I'm a builder in Houston and use a standard osb sheathing system. Smallest upgrade you talked about, but man does it make a difference comared to the thermaply these production builders use.

[@brynyard]

comparing the cost of just putting up a house that would need a complete renovation after 5 years vs one that easily would last 20+ is rather silly

[@markusfalk9459]

It's like my 5/5 rule. Put another 5 minutes of planning/work now to prevent 5 more hours/days/weeks further down the line... Or just do it right the first time.

[@JasonDoege]

The thing is, that poorly built house, in that zone will easily last 50 years or more. These improvements are more about energy efficiency and lower maintenance.

[@TrogdorBurnin8or]

I *REALLY* appreciate the video description this week, Matt.

[@Squirre1P1isken]

For the love of god and everything holy, please don't say you are going to put a link in the description to something and not do it... Then it becomes a chase to find something you commented on and by then I have moved on to another channel...

[@bertramusb8162]

3 years later, still not there

[@Robertdiamondking]

Always check video description to find links.

[@marccawood]

Chill bro, google it

[@crabkilla]

You are gonna be fine

[@bibbidi_bobbidi_bacons]

If you want a response maybe message op on another platform like his website or another social media platform

[@scottadams2624]

Great info. Love those price breakdowns. Real value here for the community. Thanks, Matt.

[@cdogg1787]

where is the link to the "last video you published"

[@kuyper]

I'm guessing he was forced to take the video down (probably by the builder who built it) - if not, this is "technically" the last video he published before this one: kzbin.info/www/bejne/o3Oyp5mijdSKotk but, given that this is is own house :) I don't think he wants to bad mouth *that* builder :)

[@tylerbeard3587]

This man builds the right way unlike the house I bought that is not air tight because it breathes meaning it cost more to keep it heated.

[@fieryinferno88]

One thing I learned in school for my apprenticeship, is with houses being more airtight, we are see a rise in energy efficiency, but we are also seeing a rise in asthma and other related respiratory illnesses. Because they are so air tight, air quality in the house is dropping due to dust from skin, pet dander, outside dirt, etc. The solution is not to make the houses less air tight but a good solution is to have air exchangers installed to bring the polluted air outside and bring fresh air inside. This should be spec'd and installed by a qualified HVAC specialist but can go a long way to improving the air quality in your home. If you're ever curious, try a bit of an experiment. Get your hands on a air quality monitor. Take reading after you've left the windows closed for a couple of day. It's going to tell you a number related to particulates in the air. Now open the windows and watch that number drop. When ever we have conversations about efficiency, and air tightness, we need to include air quality into those conversations.

[@lselfridge7020]

This video clarifies all the previous videos! Thank you

[@trisrush9155]

Who would lend money secured on this house? The mortgage term would likely last longer than the house. Awful.

[@stipcrane]

I lived in house with the cardboard sheathing. 1000s were built. Mine was 30 years old when I sold it. Frustratingly cheesy but it seemed to hold together. I'm sure it had to be over 6-8 ACH. Tradesmen made penetrations in the sheathing with a claw hammer.

[@suckmecok]

Im in Georgia, in a very high end community of 20 year old homes. Many of the homes I've seen are built with that crap. Its very confusing to see such bad workmanship

[@MarlowWhere]

Because unfortunately home performance has no baring on home value. All people care about is new kitchens and school districts. If that's what's important to the uneducated consumer then that is what drives how banks value investments. Sad

[@MarlowWhere]

@@suckmecok "high end" ha. In my experience that just means you are paying more for the same crap tract homes in the regular middle class neighborhood across the street. They just don't have a gated entrance and tennis courts.

[@Perfectguns89]

I'm from Canada and they allow us to use cheap wall sheeting that's slightly better than this cardboard garbage at the bare minimum. However a common practice is to install an OSB board that has some Styrofoam glued to it. I'm not a big fan of this method because it can hold moisture since you are gonna have a vapor barrier on the inside as well. My preferred wall composition is Tyvek, osb, 2x6 stud, insulation in the cavity, Styrofoam on the on the Inside, furring and then drywall. Condensation will happen on the hot side, during the winter that's not going to be a problem since you are gonna have a vapor barrier stoping it from the inside. However, during the summer condensation will happen on the exterior of your home and having material that don't hold moisture on this side will allow it to dry.

[@sshuggi]

Price per effective R-Value: (calculated from description) 1: $0.15 2: $0.19 3: $0.22 4: $0.20 5: $0.25 System 4 (2x4, Zip R-3, Rockwool R-15) is 40% more performance but only 30% more cost/R-val of the cheap option.

[@AntsAasma]

Now divide it by durability.

[@sshuggi]

​@@AntsAasma Probably 100+% better. Maybe a good video idea for Matt.

[@leestevens446]

Assuming the cost of accessories (liquid flash, tape, etc) is zero and the labor upcharge for employing those materials and techniques is also zero. Don't misunderstand, I am all for doing even better than these examples (and I do), but The ROI is not so great, certainly not as great as these partial figures indicate. Do it because it is more comfortable to live in, and will last far longer. And make sure you can afford it, in the first place.

[@aptpupil]

Yup, this, and availability of quality labor, are why the worst built home in America was built the way it's built. The worst part of that video was seeing the beer bottles. Fix that and you fix a lot of the other problems.

[@Crusader1815]

It's about MUCH more than R value. To me, assemblies 1 and 2 are just unacceptable. 2 gets you some sheer strength and durability, but nothing for air and water sealing. Tyvek is crap, sorry.

[@Crusader1815]

I find wall assemblies fascinating. I especially appreciate your cutaway pictures here, and hope you'll do a lot more of these. Do some with the 3x6 and 3x8 T-Studs too.