Airtight Drywall and Air Sealing: Part One

[@julieth3699]

Very helpful video! Thanks for sharing.

[@anthonyorourke7653]

Where can you get the foam block for eletrical hoxs

[@anthonylombardi3370]

Kindly name the products used.

[@kellyboyle5089]

please advise the name of the caulk and foam you are using to air seal with? Also, is there a specific brand drywall adhesive you recommend?

[@flinch622]

For electrical box & wire penetrations, I like using 3M firestop - it swells if it gets hot [chemists use the term "intumescent"]. Having faught mice in the past, I will seal all stud holes - vertical or horizontal, if/when a wall is open. For sill plates at window openings [and associated frames], best advice I know is low expansion rate foam - you do not want the window frame getting bowed in by high expansion rate. There's lots to choose from, and often marketed as "window and door". Try Great Stuff, etc Some of the concerns of IECC simply go away... if you solve a buildings negative ventilation problem. New fireboxes for example, may demand a dedicated fresh air feed. After that, kitchen exhaust hoods can be a problem. The commercial end has recognized that way back: a place like KFC would get built with a supply fan and duct to compensate for their exhaust hoods.

[@Andrew-fr3bp]

The best caulking to seal up the sill plates, top plates and the joints between doubled up studs is an elastomeric polyurethane sealant such as "Tremco Dymonic 100" or "Masterseal NP-1". Both come in 10oz standard cartridges and 20oz sausage packs. They both are rated to adhere to concrete, wood, metal, vinyl, etc and can be used to caulk the nail fins on vinyl windows as well.

[@cindyjohnson5242]

This is exactly what I needed to hear! I'm doing that project now.🥰

[@johnwhite2576]

What brand type is that spray foam?

[@Lughnerson]

Let's say there are 100 tiny leaks and you seal 80 of them, which leaves 20. You spend more money up front sealing and insulating, so you can spend less for a smaller HVAC unit. And energy cost go up almost every year, so the savings compound.

[@Bauer434]

Do you think this is necessary for new construction? Approximately How many cans of foam for 2000 sq ft 2 story home? Approximately how many tubes of caulk?

[@Lughnerson]

From a Matt Risinger video, they stick built a new 3500 sq ft home and used 36 sausage tubes of caulk.

[@supremedictator.]

If you build a very air-tight house, you must pay detailed homage to the gods of air-exchange lest you anger the must and mildew devils. Having an air-tight home is really great if you live in an area with potentially problematic air quality due to forest fires or industrial pollution or pollen, but there's a lot that goes into making sure each room in the house has sufficient air (and moisture) ingress and egress. It's a lot easier to build a slightly leaky and slightly less efficient home but your HVAC bills are a bit higher.

[@jackriley5974]

This is why the same house built in the 70s and 80s for $200 grand now costs $400 grand. Go back another 50 years and wadded-up newspapers was used for insulation and tarpaper was used under the exterior sheathing. Mold was unheard of. If he's trying to protect the entire house, why isn't the primary barrier on the exterior of the structure, then you wouldn't have to worry about electrical and plumbing stub-outs, inside corners. I know doing so would open another can of worms, and I welcome that argument!!

[@bobsondugnutt7526]

If the air barrier is only on the exterior, you can't control moisture-laden air from entering the wall cavity from the interior. If the air barrier is only on the interior, you'll get wind-washing of the insulation when the air enters from the exterior. Using two air barriers fixes both problems. Also, air-sealing is rarely perfect and is liable to fail given enough time. Having two air barriers can help the system stay functional for longer.

[@GroovyMisfit]

At about the 6:24 mark, the speaker is caulking along the bottom plate and floor. I understand the point of the presentation is to air seal the house. But in addition to air sealing, could the product also strength the bond between the floor and wall to provide more resiliency, assuming that an appropriate adhesive caulking is being used. BTW, what was the specification of the caulking use to do the sealing?

[@A-Sidhu]

the wall would already be fastened to the floor system using nails, anchors, screws, wall sheathing overlapping from the outside onto the rim joist, etc. any amount of glue or adhesive applied at the joint area will be negligible in adding to the strength of the framing assembly. When you spray foam the whole wall, it does at strength to the whole wall system because it makes the wall assembly more rigid.

[@flinch622]

No, there's no strength factor in that. But I would add one more benefit: if you ever suffer bedbugs, having the base of drywall 100% sealed eliminates one more [brain frying] place they can hide in the daytime. A gap the thickness of a business card might as well be a superhighway for those bastards.

[@cindyjohnson5242]

@@flinch622 good point!

[@martinfleming759]

Anybody feel like they're in 2nd grade while watching this?

[@kennybutcher6307]

I had no idea what an air barrier would do with that explanation. I hope I pass and get to move to grade 3!

[@ATXTube]

I'm telling mom!

[@supermetaltastic]

What does he mean by proper vent?

[@javiersaavedra41]

Good video if posible tell me the name of foam and the seller

[@Hello-zf5lq]

How do we know for sure moisture will lot form in these air right spaces.

[@approots]

Condensation happens when warm moist air moves through a wall and condenses on colder surfaces. So if the spaces are air-tight, then moisture containing air isn't moving through them.

[@Hello-zf5lq]

@@approots what if the plastic, foam or drywall that is airtight is itself - cold, why won't moisture form on it then

[@approots]

@@Hello-zf5lq But what moisture? Where would the moisture come from in a sealed space? Condensation happens when warm moist air moves to a cold surface. Leaks are necessary for this to happen in insulated walls.

[@approots]

If there is no insulation between the warm air and cold surface (windows), then yes, there could be condensation.

[@flinch622]

I hate those 'in the wall' styrofoam over-boxes. Considering any top plate openings and the drywall edges will be sealed, how is any measurable pressure differential ever going to develop ? That is the only way flow happens. An utter waste of material and time, and is just more junk that winds up in a landfill at some point. The hacks that pulled this idea out of their arse should immolate themselves: they made housing more expensive with zero benefit to persons or the environment.

[@jonpaton4449]

Great video. But,,,, today this isn't good enough. Air sealing each individual cavity will further increase insulation values, enhance pest control and fire resistance.... Remember, every step forward in air sealing techniques increases the need for good ventilation.

[@andypagakis]

what wasnt good enough?

[@bennettpisek5566]

Drinking, and home improvement. A winning combination.

[@venegasenmerida6307]

Waa thinking thw same

[@supremedictator.]

I think that you're referring to his speech seeming a little slurred. While this is a potential symptom of alcohol use, many people with congenital hearing problems develop very similar speech issues. Similarly, stroke can affect the speech centers leaving people with slight speech problems even after therapy. The rest of his movements and body control are not consistent with alcohol use sufficient to cause slurring, so I am 99.9% sure that the guy hasn't been drinking.

[@pearlperlitavenegas2023]

My apologies if it's a medical issue vs drinking.