A Complete Guide To Insulating an Old Home (For COLD CLIMATES)

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Күн бұрын

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@ASIRIDesigns 9 ай бұрын

*A Guide To Moisture Management For Residential Remodels eBook:* asiri-designs.com/shop/ols/products/moisture-management-for-residential-remodels

@macsignals 9 ай бұрын

This is invaluable, just bought my first house, not as old as the theoretical house here but a 1940s Cape Cod style with minimal insulation. Previous owners put mini splits and new windows in, other than that it's largely a clean slate for insulating. Thank you for this!

@robertkosulic4122 8 ай бұрын

Don't thank this guy and study yourself. Almost everything here is wrong. Obviously, he has never done it.

@incognitotorpedo42 7 ай бұрын

@@robertkosulic4122 What's wrong and why?

@claireh.7605 7 ай бұрын

@@incognitotorpedo42very expensive

@tristanwh9466 5 ай бұрын

@@robertkosulic4122 Care to explain

@kg4lod 4 ай бұрын

@@claireh.7605it's actually a very economical approach. He's not recommending major structural modifications, just coatings and some extra layers. There's no cheaper way I can think of.

@CarJaco 12 күн бұрын

As a 29 year old who bought an old home (1940s) in the Midwest.... I greatly appreciate these videos!! I would have thought, more insulation more better! Love the education on building science!

@FreestyleAI 9 ай бұрын

Beautiful and detailed video. I don’t know if there’s better content out there than this on retrofits. It would be nice to work with more people like you who leave no stone unturned in the details. I’m interested in understanding the goals of the homeowner in a project like this. The costs of carrying out this retrofit are extremely high, essentially bringing the building back to existing framing on both sides. Plus major basement floor upgrade, roof upgrade. All interior gutted, probably new mechanicals, plumbing, rewire. Windows. Homeowners have to move out for a while. In my area (Vancouver, Bc) the budget would need to exceed 500000 CAD for retrofit + renovation depending on the size of home and many other factors. (Probably more) At some point the cost to many homeowners is unjustifiable. This homeowner must care about protecting the heritage of the building, sustainability, and have a very healthy budget. Great client type! Was this work actually carried out on this home?

@stucorbett7905 8 ай бұрын

In cold climate ares its best practice to have a vented attic with moisture barrier at the ceiling. 6mm minimum. Baffles at roof line. Energy or thick assembly truss design over exterior walls. Good ridge vents. At least in the mountain west were the air is dry. Roof assembly in higher elevations get the cold roof design with a good air gap under shingles. Cheers from Montana.

@dingai Ай бұрын

This is just INCREDIBLE teaching... I can't believe how clearly and succinctly you are explaining dozens of concepts... tying them together systematically and logically... Thank you so much!

@musicalmarion Ай бұрын

Pity about the annoying background music, you don't teach with a noise going on at the same time. There is so much great information but I had to switch off due to the noise overload. Why do they do this, aren't we capable of hearing just a voice ?

@scotteric8711 5 күн бұрын

This was my exact scenario! I'm no home construction expert, but I knew that "updates" to my home changed the moisture dynamic and created more harm than good. Now I have to reverse it all and make good improvements.

@FrancisKoczur Ай бұрын

The capillary break between the masonry and wood mud sill is good advice. The foundation wall advice is faulty. The dimple mat isn't stopping efflorescence, it's covering it up as the moisture will still migrate through the wall without a hydrostatic break on the other side of the wall, so might as well be installed on the other side of the wall, or using gravel backfill with a waterproofing membrane. Install the perimeter drain at the footer and add insulation on the outside while it's dugout, then there's no need for half measures.

@FrankReif 9 ай бұрын

I've seen a project where they jacked the rim joist up in sections to instal a dpm/air sealing gasket between it and the masonry. The building can move a lot before adding the exterior sheathing, as the old nailed board don't have the shear strength. Seems like a pretty good detail to me. Those borate plugs are dubios - I get using it for protecting end grain in for joist embedded in masonry wall (we have a lot of these in the UK), some even suggest using stainless steel plates to encourage localized thermal bridging to keep the end grain drier.

@FrankReif 9 ай бұрын

Excellent video again. Conditioned attics are great to run services. Yes, you have about ~30% more surface area to insulate, but air sealing the attic ceiling perfectly is really fiddly, saving the labour cost and liabilities alone is probably worth the extra insulation. Deep fascia detail can be addressed by extending the overhang. We have a lot of issues with not having a sufficient overhang, so this ends up protecting the buidling's facade from the rain more - the uplift issues do need to be considered too.

@Mtn378 Ай бұрын

Great info. It may be beyond the scope of your channel but it would be great to have a post on how to properly ventilate older homes after making them air tight. I understand that air quality and interior humidity can become issues.

@BillyJ10 9 ай бұрын

Can I ask what product(s) are available as capillary breaks between footing and foundation?

@scotts2181 9 ай бұрын

The same liquid applied waterproofing products for foundation sides can be applied to footing before the vertical is placed. There could be some other options too 🤷🏻‍♂️

@ASIRIDesigns 9 ай бұрын

With regard to embedded posts, sometimes it's possible to retrofit a raised post base to uncouple the wood post/column from the concrete.

@hu5tle- 8 ай бұрын

Would you consider Zip-R over the shiplap sheathing?

@MB-vp7xr 7 ай бұрын

Thank a bunch for taking the time and educating me. What I’m looking for is the solution between the studs. You’re speaking jibrish to me because of my ignorance! What is a good brand or a particular item I can use to insulate between the studs. I have a two story house, upstairs not insulated, I’m only insulating the bottom floor, brick on the outside and drywall on the inside. 700 sqft downstairs and the upstairs mirrors the same surface so 1400 total. Thanks man 🙏🏼

@gerryblodgett871 5 ай бұрын

My question concerns vented vs non-vented attics. I have a open vented attic, so it gets very cold in the winter. We do not currently have soffit ice jams that are very common here in Mass. We want to insulate the attic to retain heat to make it more useful for storage. My plan is to build vent channels, between the rafters, from the soffit to the peak, to allow cold air to still rise and cool the underside of roof deck. Then insulate inward of the vent channels, to hold heat in the attic. my plan is to seal the inside opening of the peak vent so that to the inside air doesn't escape, but the vented air can still exit the the peak vent. IN the summer we would open the peak vent completely so the the heat in the attic could escape. The alternative is to seal the attic and put insulation between the rafters, hoping that the roof will not get too warm, and cause melting-refreezing problems . Any thoughts ? Gerry

@adamkennard7701 2 ай бұрын

Great information. Really enjoy watching. Could you explain the exact same situation of an 100 year old house but with a brick exterior? I have not confirmed yet but it would most likely be brick siding, then true 1x sheathing, then true 2x4s, and then lathe and plaster. Goal to air seal as tight as possible.

@j.frankparnell3087 26 күн бұрын

Best building science channel I've found! Do you have any information directly related to insulating the attic(s) of a post-war 1.5 storey house? Located in Alberta, Canada. It looks like it is closely related to what is known as a Cape Cod in the U.S. It has kneewalls forming an attic on each side of the rooms, then the sloped ceiling section that leads to the small triangle attic above the rooms. I am trying to 1) stop ice damming and 2) improve winter/summer comfort in the upstairs living spaces. There seems to be so much contradictory information out there about these house types. I've been told that it is vital to maintain air flow through the sloped section. I've also been told to fill the sloped section with high-density cellulose and provide each attic with it's own ventilation. I've been told that removing the old insulation and air sealing would net a 15% savings on heating. I've also been told that it wouldn't make much difference and wouldn't be worth the expense. I've been told to replace the original paper-faced batts in the knee walls. I've also been told that would do nothing but look nicer. It's all so confusing with a high potential to waste money. It would be nice hear ASIRI Design's take.

@LouieGrind 5 ай бұрын

Personally I would avoid using borat salts indoors because they´re considered to be an endocrine disruptor, IE messes with your hormones. Other than that I think most of the solutions are good/sound. People often forget that the biggest energy leak is when your building is not air tight. Just making it air tight helps a lot! Insulating should come as the secondary solutions because, as you mentioned, it comes with a lot of potential moisture issues.

@jjjarod1 8 ай бұрын

As a developping arch tech. This was very helpful

@dingai Ай бұрын

RE insulating the soil, I can think of a couple reasons for this but I'm not sure if I'm on the right track. Is it a) to prevent freezing progressing from the surface down alongside the foundation, increasing the hydrostatic pressure at the point of soil-foundation contact? b) If it's not frozen, I suppose the drainage can also continue rather than freezing the water in place and having the reverse issue when the surface defrosts and water can't pass through the frozen barrier layer and travels laterally to the soil-foundation contact againt? c) ?

@basilkingsley 9 ай бұрын

This is so detailed. What if you have a brick house and for heritage reasons, cannot insulate from the outside? How do you insulate the brick wall to a NetZero standard?

@antonbriggs5680 9 ай бұрын

He covered that question in a previous video you'll need a smart vaper barrier and a air gap between it and the interior drywall.

@basilkingsley 9 ай бұрын

Do you work with clients in Canada?

@ASIRIDesigns 9 ай бұрын

Those tend to be the most tricky, and it depends on a lot of different factors including the exposure to weather/overhangs, climate zone, whether the brick wall is a veneer or a thick multi-wythe wall. Sometimes it's better not to insulate! You might find these two videos to be helpful: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZqGym31jrJxmaacfeature=shared kzbin.info/www/bejne/eaTNpGWvi7unbaMfeature=shared

@basilkingsley 9 ай бұрын

@@ASIRIDesigns Thank you!

@JL-hn6hi 8 ай бұрын

In the gable roof, can the 2by extensions you describe (for additional insulation) be added on to existing TJI rafters? Thx.

@literallymyusername8291 2 ай бұрын

My 1939 craftsman style house previously only had gable vents and vermiculite insulation. When I got a new roof I had it changed to a ridge vent with soffits (and baffles), and blown in insulation. I'm not sure what, if any, insulation exists in the walls. Hoping I didn't make a mistake!

@Ivanskrakow 4 ай бұрын

Certainly interesting and an in depth look at insulating old houses.. However seems like it would be better to bulldoze the house and put up a replica?? I did want to hear what the thoughts are of close cell foam ? If it is impermeable to moisture ? which is the problem, moisture getting trapped in fiberglass insulation..??

@WayneMarion 12 сағат бұрын

Plywood wasn't widely available in the fifties. My parents new home had shiplap for sheathing and 1x6 T&G roofers for roof and floor sheathing. It's amazing how much the modern 'authorities' don't know.

@mab49696 Ай бұрын

I need advice for a 200 year old log home in the flood plain that hurricane Hellene just deposited 12’ of water and mud into my house. I have removed all the mud, sheetrock and insulation and added dehumidifiers and running for next month to dry the place out I have a 3’ crawl space, dirt floor. The house backs up to the solid rock mountain so no excavation able on the uphill side. Do i vent my crawl space? Or seal it off? I had a vapor barrier installed in crawl space but removed it after flood How should i go back with ventilation since it may flood again? I have given up on any insulation and any product that will make my house float. I watched two houses float past me in the flood. 1997 we had 4’ of water in house so i must plan on another flood in my lifetime

@pats1010 8 ай бұрын

Love this channel mate. Nice work!

@LuminairPrime 9 ай бұрын

Expensive to rock wool and poly iso the whole thing, but this is a beautiful renovation explanation video!!! 👏

@beauremus 7 ай бұрын

Phenomenal video. Thank you! 🙏🏻

@lakenbanks9426 21 күн бұрын

What if you can’t take off the siding?

@1ajs 8 ай бұрын

my 1920's house has ice daming issues at where the wall meets the roof less space between the wall and the deck compared to ur drawing. the heat transfer of the wall going up apears to be the cause is there much i can do? tried looking for zip system products but no one seems to stock it in canada all i can find is 100$ a sheet foam

@ASIRIDesigns 8 ай бұрын

I'd recommend checking out this video on ice damming: kzbin.info/www/bejne/n5PGpKavZ5qHhbsfeature=shared

@john-wesleycurran495 2 ай бұрын

What tablet are using in your video?

@scorpio6587 9 ай бұрын

I'm curious about ways to fasten the joist extensions to the rafters. Anyone have an idea?

@ASIRIDesigns 9 ай бұрын

The SDWS timber screws from Simpson work well.

@scorpio6587 8 ай бұрын

@@ASIRIDesigns Awesome, thank you kindly.

@Jared_Albert 6 ай бұрын

So $200k in retrofit to save $1500/ winter in heating costs?

@multipotentialite 3 ай бұрын

Did you mean to say cold HUMID air at 5:55?

@katekiddo1714 18 күн бұрын

Now to find someone in my area who also knows this

@kirkjohnson2924 19 сағат бұрын

What area?

@katekiddo1714 18 сағат бұрын

@ Lancaster, PA

@treystills 9 ай бұрын

Awesome stuff, thank you!!!

@Despicable909 8 ай бұрын

Have to ask. How did you get experience in this field very interested in following a similar path.

@roryflynn3973 3 ай бұрын

Awesome video. Owner of a 1910 duplex with a converted attic space in Northeast Ohio. Gutted the attic and planned on adding vented soffits, roof vent, and mineral wool to rafters and flooring with a gap for air flow… until I watched this video haha. What’s frustrating about insulation videos are they come off as an all or nothing approach , if you’re not willing to dump $100k into insulating then don’t even f’ing bother hahahaha ahhh going to kill myself now. Do your insulation guides have any tips for the POORS?

@Jack_of_1_Trade 2 ай бұрын

In old homes you can. It have a vapor barrier, you need to let the walls breathe. That is how it has always been done. I have an old home, 1900’s, ballon frame. Total nightmare! But I work with it. Rock wool works great for the walls. Fiberglass in the attic floor and open vents.

@tullgutten 8 ай бұрын

First tip is to NEVER use steel studs for anything structural or insulated walls as it will suck out/in the heat many many times faster than a thinner wood stud

@MrJohnboyofsj Ай бұрын

and if your successful at insulating an old home you will end up with moisture problems inside the home unless you install an HRV fresh air system. When the cold weather starts and you close up your airtight home exhaust fans for your range hood and bathroom fan will no longer be effective at removing moisture due to the airtightness of your renovations you will only get negative pressure without an intake and humidity builds up to 70+% you will get condensation no matter how well you've insulated because some corner of your home is going to be colder than the rest and its going to condensate and mold.