How Climate Impacts Your Insulation Choice

[@jenniferhunter4074]

Could you talk about retro-fitting insulation in older homes? Especially in colder climates. We can't replace our roof just to add insulation. We can't just rip out our siding to add insulation. We're pretty much stuck with working from the inside WITH whatever the original builders thought was good practices. My home is a little over 100 years old. In the majority of the walls, it has no insulation. The framing wood that I can see is fantastic. You can't buy that kind of wood at the lumberyard anymore I think. Century old wood. The construction is solid. This house will last if I don't do something stupid. ... But I do want to be warm and comfortable. I have cold winters, humid summers. So the best of both worlds. How do you solve that problem?

[@idanko731]

Unfortunately, there is no way to insulate these older homes without a major renovation. The only viable way is to gut the interior and reframe it to allow for insulation. An alternative would be to Stucco the outside of the house using foamboard as insulation and backing for Stucco. It actually works very well to seal/insulate an old house. Difficult decisions if you have an older house where you want to preserve architectural elements and finishes.

[@janking2762]

If you have some room behind your walls, you can cut holes in each stud bay , in an inconspicuous location, and blow cellulose into the bays. Patch the holes and you are done. This can slso be done from the outside depending on the exterior material. They make plugs for the outside holes.

[@jenniferhunter4074]

@@janking2762 I'm planning to gut room by room. I'm taking a hard look at rockwool. 1. I want to update the electrical. 2. I hate my lathe and plaster walls. 3. fire issues because I kind of like my family and I live in a wooden house 4. deals with humidity 5. Long term efficiency even with vapour because I won't be ripping open the walls every year 6. rodents. I have no desire to give mice a nice nesting area. Every fall/winter, I have to do an exterior check to try to catch any potential openings.

[@ryanlcooper]

I’ve looked into this a bit and depending on the house it can be both more effective and cheaper to pull the siding and add an outer layer of foam panels. You don’t have to do nearly so much interior demo and reassembly and you can get a continuous membrane.

[@jenniferhunter4074]

@@ryanlcooper Oh.. but I want to do interior demo. I hate my lath and plaster walls. And I really want to re-wire my home. So I'm actually okay with room by room gutting of the walls. For the foam panels, my main concern is moisture. Winter has snow and a heated house. Summer has humidity and internal AC. The original construction depended on leaky house to dry out the moisture. Oh.. and I'm definitely going to have a smart vapor barrier membrane. This is all planning process still.

[@curiousmind1991]

I really enjoy this content, I find the down to earth yet nuanced explain theoretical topics very engaging. The animations are also very effective :) Greetings from Eastern Europe!

[@ASIRIDesigns]

Glad you like them! Cheers!

[@AaronTheHarris]

What's the right strategy in the desert southwest, with hot and cold extreme but interior humidity always exceeding exterior humidify?😊😊😊

[@jackjmaheriii]

Great video! It’s also important to consider your heat source and ventilation strategy. For example if you’re in climate 6+ and you heat with wood (drying) you’ve got a lot of room to tailor your assembly. But you take the same climate zones and switch to propane (humidifying), you have to be extremely detail oriented with materials, construction or you’re going to end up with a lot of water in your walls.

[@AmericanVet.4everJesusAmen]

Ok, I live in a rain forest zone (105 inches of rain yearly) and maped by forest service as 90% likely forest fire likely? Should I do rockwool on the inside and outside? I was going to do LP siding (concrete). Your advice will save me. Thank you.

[@cornbreadreturns296]

I’ve been thinking about adding exterior insulation during siding replacement - in Minnesota. We have a standard house wrap on OSB sheathing, 2x6 walls, fiberglass R-19 in the walls (altho effective R is probably much less due to bad air sealing). Is there anything I need to do to the house wrap before adding? Would 3 inches of GPS/XPS foam be adequate (R-15)? Any other considerations? Thanks! Love your work and videos!

[@ChristopherCurtis]

I can't cite it and I'm no pro, but your external wrap is probably stapled. I've read that you can have as many air barriers as you like, but you can only ever have 1 vapor retarder. I'd suggest you can wrap it again, and be sure to use tape on the seams. I think 2021 model code is R5 external continuous if you have wall insulation. 3" requires some somewhat exotic (ie: 5") fasteners. XPS gets less effective in cold weather, and degasses over time. I've never looked up GFS data but I think EPS or mineral wool is a better option.

[@jonathansage2147]

You could also remove the wrap and go to a fluid applied WRB and air barrier like polyguard has (there are many others). I'd also second using Rockwool in MN.

[@andreycham4797]

There is a wall calculator you just type material, its thickness, consequences of layers, the region where your house is located and the calculator would show the dew point in your wall assembly. But I did not see such calculators in English only in a couple of European languages

[@hutt132]

In a warm humid climate, how would you prevent moisture getting trapped in the wall if you put a shower along the exterior wall? For example, if you had zip sheathing on the exterior side and a water barrier on the interior side for the shower.

[@ASIRIDesigns]

This is a great question - we actually don't recommend locating showers on exterior walls for this very reason.

[@hutt132]

@@ASIRIDesigns Are there any specific materials or a way to work around it if a shower had to be placed on an exterior wall? Such as furring out the interior side a few inches and having that few inch gap vent up to a sealed attic?

[@richdobbs6595]

Thanks. I've been considering the roofing design for an off-grid home in Northern Idaho on a partially wooded parcel. My current idea is combining rigid mineral wool on the top and edges of a roof for wild fire resistance, with ISO insulation inside of this for its cheaper cost per R. The roofing would be snap lock metal panels installed on top of purlins. Similar approach for the walls. From what I've gathered, 2" of mineral wool would be sufficient for fire protecting the ISO, especially if installed as two layers of 1" board. What do you think of this approach? The air barrier would be at the sheathing surface. Minimal interior insulation in the attic with open faced batts in the cavity.

[@ryan52403]

Great video, pretty rare to see exterior insulation in our area (CZ5) and trades aren't used to it. While exterior insulation would certainly be better, what are your thoughts on have a very well sealed exterior air barrier with dense pack cellulose (damp or dry) or JM Spider Insulation in the cavities to reduce/eliminate convection and potential for moist indoor air to condense on the back of the sheathing?

[@dearontufankjian9823]

Question. I live in climate zone 4A (NJ). Whats the difference between faced fiberglass vs rock wool insulation? There is no exterior insulation. Thanks

[@niktak1114]

Is drywall a sufficient vapor/air retarder with unfaced mineral wool cavity insulation in zone 4?

[@apod2020]

I'm in the southern end of the marine climate zone in CA where we have a ton of condensation in the morning on all our surfaces but generally dries out during the day. Our exterior walls are stucco, single layer asphalt, open stud bay, drywall. 1960s "slap it up FAST" style construction. Would you expect any significant issues with moisture inside the wall by at very least adding rockwool to the bays? Doing the walls properly would be cost prohibitive. Temperature fluctuations in the house are terrible for such a mild climate.

[@ASIRIDesigns]

Yes, I wouldn't insulate that wall. By insulating the sheathing will be significantly colder since it's no longer coupled to the interior conditioned space, and it won't dry out nearly as easily since insulation slows heat flow.

[@lakenbanks9426]

Hello, I have a 100 yo house in Michigan. I can’t add to the exterior. What’s the best way for me to insulate the interior walls? Thanks for all ur info

[@Senthiuz]

His previous video might answer some of your questons:A Complete Guide To Insulating an Old Home (For COLD CLIMATES). kzbin.info/www/bejne/gn6yoquvj7WcrLM

[@lakenbanks9426]

@ ya I’ve been watching like crazy. Unfortunately not quite yet. But thank you!

[@keithwingo514]

Warm climate and we have very aggressive ants. Caught them eating the polyiso around a window AC. I'd be terrified to put it into a wall or roof. What's the best alternative?

[@ericscott3997]

I've been watching many different KZbin channels regarding all variations of Insulation. RockWool/Mineral wool seems to be the most resilient in regards to insects & small vermin. FiberGlass would be second.

[@ASIRIDesigns]

Definitely mineral wool!

[@janking2762]

Mice love to live in fiberglass.

[@jonathansage2147]

​@@ASIRIDesignsNo one makes a rigid mineral wool that they spec for installation on a pitched roof. I've seen it done, and it seems like it could work, but I really don't like the idea of using a product outside spec, especially on a roof.

[@Hobnobble]

This video didn't show up in my youTube notifications.

[@ChristopherCurtis]

Same here - it doesn't show up in my "Subscriptions" (I have all alerts off). I found it hanging out on the main page though.

[@Hobnobble]

@@ChristopherCurtis the algorithm is trying to train humans... i have all alerts on for this channel

[@fooflateka]

Thanks that’s helpful

[@thinde88]

If you have a good exterior air barrier like zip sheathing is there much reason to go with a premium smart membrane vs just your typical Kraft paper faced fiberglass batts? I know you won’t have an interior air seal but it seems like if you have a solid exterior air seal then you won’t have much if any vapor drive.

[@ASIRIDesigns]

The location of the air barrier relative to the insulation is actually very important. If you locate the air barrier outside of the insulation layer (presumably fibrous insulation) there isn't anything stopping interior air leakage from coming into contact with the backside of the sheathing. Same thing in warm humid climates. It's more important to locate the primary air barrier on the outside of the assembly to prevent warm moisture laden air from condensing on the backside of the drywall if the space is air conditioned. Does that make sense?

[@ChristopherCurtis]

@@ASIRIDesigns I don't think that answers the question, at least not my version of it. In CZ6, if I have sealed ZIP on the exterior, do I *NEED* Intello inside, or is the vapor retarding properties of the Kraft backing on fiberglass batts "good enough"? My assumption is that it is, given that I understand that sealed sheetrock can serve the same vapor retarding purposes.

[@adamliberman6767]

​@@ASIRIDesigns I don't understand why it is a choice of air sealing inside or out. Wouldn't it be best to make both the exterior and the interior air tight?

[@virtueofhate1778]

​@@adamliberman6767Yes, it would be best if it was possible to make them 100% air tight forever, but it's not possible. Some air (and moisture) will always leak trought and at some point something will happen and there will be a hole in the air barrier and the moisture will be trapped inside the wall forever. That's why the wall needs to be able to dry eather out or in.

[@machickman4041]

Love the video. Insulation is one of my favorites and I love Rockwool. I think it’s best type of insulation for climate 5. You also need to install vapor retarder behind your drywall to all the cavity to dry out if condensation forms. Long lasting walls are the goal. This is also why I will build post frame. Can’t wait for the vapor retarder video.

[@Anaxiphanes]

If it melts it will burn like candle wax or fuel oil. If it's thermoset at least you have the benefit of the required extra energy to break down the macromolecule and don't have flaming drops to be concerned about as with thermoplastics. That said, the are fire retardant additives and product options in most cases, so it is more complex than the video stated.

[@idanko731]

Closed cell foam does not crack from thermal issues such as heating and cooling in the environment. It cracks because the installer sprayed it too hot during the process and sprayed it to thick during the first pass. Closed cell foam needs to be sprayed at the proper temperature and at the proper thickness to prevent issues like cracking or even fires. Don't base your decisions on the poor contractors you hired for Spray Foam installations. If it were bad and didn't work it would have been used for the last 60 years and still being used in almost every commercial environment from Schools to High Rises as insulation and roofing foam. There are resources to educate yourself like CUFCA, unfortunately in the USA there is no requirement to certify for Spray Foam contractors.

[@ASIRIDesigns]

It can crack simply because it's bonded to things that move.

[@kylelarson6054]

Yah, I'm with Asiri on this. First, I think your over reacting quite a bit when you did not even understand his reasoning. Second, although spray foam has it's uses, through the jobs I've been on, even with certified insulators in Canada one of the biggest issues with spray foam is that the same thing that makes it so great becomes it's downfall. With it being such a great barrier product, if leaking occurs somewhere in your assembly, it can cause catastrophic problems very quickly. On buildings it is just as important to be able to spot issues with the assembly as it is building the assembly. Whether an issue arises from the installer, or if damage happens during another phase of the build it is critical that a person can spot those issues.

[@idanko731]

@@ASIRIDesigns Well anything can crack if something moves enough but then you have bigger problems don't you. Like saying we have a problem using 2 x 4's because they burn sometimes when there is a fire.....

[@jonathansage2147]

​@@idanko731 most other interior insulation flexes.

[@LykeArgy]

5:47 what i've seen on 1 youtube video is guy going over the full blown instructions on how to install insulation , and one of his main points was you don't want to do what is done here, and that's have exposed plastic (most just put glue over it to fill it in) which acts as a thermal bridge ,and with how many there are it's alot of energy loss, what you're suppose to do is to get a wider drill and remove enough material to sink them into material and put on that same material cap, wether it's rockwool caps or fiberglass caps or styrofoam caps etc. Just my 2 cents kzbin.info/www/bejne/iH2Tmpx8gsiehq8si=O9sUm7B5DMgIy4Vo&t=428 also gives proper ways how to glue and everything else

[@jonathansage2147]

I wouldn't do caps as the final install either way. What would you affix siding to? Better off to have two layers. First layer has a batten that anchors to the studs. Second layer has a batten that anchors to the first batten. It should eliminate thermal bridging from your fasteners and make it so you don't have to find ridiculously long fasteners as well. Opens up the possibility of using stainless steel fasteners, which transmit heat much less, but aren't available over 6 inches. Lot of labor and details to get right though. I personally just went with a single 4 inch layer of Rockwool Comfortboard with battens and as few 7.5 inch screws as the spec allows (3 / sheet). Still expensive, but it can always be done a little better.

[@LykeArgy]

​@@jonathansage2147 Oh yeah sorry I keep forgetting. I'm from Croatia , most of our houses are brick and concrete, so we put insulation outside and then use something like "glue" "facade" "plaster" (don't know the exact word) on the insulation with plastic net imbedded and then paint that. We don't install wooden siding.

[@LykeArgy]

@@jonathansage2147 Basically this kzbin.info/www/bejne/oKPPdXlnqbF4jsU but more layers, that's why we don't want to have thermal bridges with the "plaster" to the brick

[@jonathansage2147]

@LykeArgy in my climate, that detail would fall apart/crack badly. Stucco isn't really used here as a result. I have concrete panels instead, and they need to be nailed to something - most siding in the states, even non-wood products, require a nailing surface.

[@LykeArgy]

​@@jonathansage2147 "fall apart/crack badly" yeah probs beacuse of all the movement with wooden framing i get it, but we use it everywhere here, both in really cold places and in warm places so i don't know how long that would last, never thought about it, usually buildings from 80's 90's have only stucco with no insulation, but the buildings that i know ar 15-ish years old and have styrofoam still hold with no damage but myself i live in Pula which during winters barely gets to freezing temps and when it does it's just few C under 0