The Risinger Build: Episode 12 - Air Tightness & Control Layers

[@JasonGunderson-h3c]

I’m Tennessee’s first Certified Passive House Builder. We’re building a Passive-House level home in the Nashville area. After framing and MEP trades, we scored 0.42 ACH50. We (and the owner) are very happy with that!

[@johnbarker5009]

As someone who lived in a home built in 1950, I can testify as to how difficult it is to seal up a house that wasn't designed and built to be well sealed in the first place.

[@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb]

@@johnbarker5009 yup, but betcha that house didn't have a lick of mold or extensive rot.

[@johnbarker5009]

@@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb that much is true. I sold it because I took a job out of area, not because I needed to get out from under the house.

[@phamlam3720]

@@ArthurDentZaphodBeebI have a 1970 house that leaked a lot. Zero thoughts put into air sealing. They put a window in shower and a leaked developed in the corner and rotted the stud.

[@oldtimefarmboy617]

@@phamlam3720 "@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb I have a 1970 house that leaked a lot. Zero thoughts put into air sealing. They put a window in shower and a leaked developed in the corner and rotted the stud." @ArthurDentZaphodBeeb is one of those people who truly believes that if a house is not drafty that it will rot to the ground and that a house that is drafty will never have any rot or mold. You just told him he is wrong.

[@codyaragon93]

@@ArthurDentZaphodBeebCurrently remodeling a house build in 1949 and removing rotten sill plate with a putty knife right next to the vent. Roaches and mummified mice in the crawl space, wasp nests in the ceiling… Yup, they sure knew how to build them back in the day. 🙄

[@stevohnalvarado838]

I do blower door inspections farther south of Texas on the coast in Port Aransas, and some houses have trouble meeting 2Ach at pre Sheetrock phase and they use open cell spray foam most times.. I’m glad there’s a channel like this for us to learn and improve

[@AF-O6]

I have learned sooooo much from you and the other Build Show experts. I do have one big critique on this build. Burying the AC line sets in the wall cavity will really complicate things 10 years from now when the system needs to be replaced. I humbly suggest that since you’re building a masterpiece that will still be here 100 years from now, that you think about the people (who may not be as dedicated as you or understand the building science) who will have to repair inevitable plumbing/electrical/HVAC problems. …sort of the way Ted Benson does with his designs of decoupling the disposable systems from the structure. Again, love everything you and the Build Show does!!!

[@Mrhappy555]

@@AF-O6 this guy is an idiot China copper is leaking all over America It’s all shit now Build simple expecting to replace everything All the requirements have screwed over Americans It’s all bullshit

[@phamlam3720]

Line sets don’t need to be replaced. HVAC tech can trim the end and use it on new systems.

[@Mrhappy555]

@@phamlam3720 your an idiot who doesn’t know what he’s doing 35 years of experience I’ve seen and replaced more leaking line sets leaking in the last ten years than the first 25. Rookies

[@Mrhappy555]

@@phamlam3720 i’m gonna tell you how this is gonna work son First of all, the first Contractor is going to go out He’s gonna put some Freon in it cause it’s gonna be in the middle of the summertime and he don’t see a leak Month maybe sooner maybe too much later there going to call him back. He’s gonna charge some big fee for looking for a Freon leak and putting some leak detector in it and he’s gonna leave Another couple months goes by they’re gonna call somebody else Guys do the same thing Now the customer is out thousands of dollars and the unit still not fixed The next guy they get he’s gonna want to change everything out and they’re gonna do it And then they’re gonna come back. They’re going to decide the leaks not in the unit. It’s in the line. Now the customers been doing this for a couple of years They are pissed off The contractor who changed the equipment is on the hook He’s gonna talk himself out of it and make them pay for the remodel, cause they gotta tear the wall out All because people who are building houses now are inexperienced investors That’s real experience ive seen it. I’ve lived it.

[@phamlam3720]

@@Mrhappy555 or you get a contractor who would drain the unit, perform a pressure test and vacuum, then refill the unit.

[@Starship007]

We have a Jotul GF 370 direct vent fireplace. The fireplace sealed in glass with Combustion outside. It’s beautiful. Plus the cast iron construction really throws out the heat. Even gas cooktops combustion is occurring inside polluting the air and taking oxygen out of the air

[@malikto1]

I really like LED fireplaces. Heat if you need it, ambiance on demand. No air leaks and they look good.

[@kurtsemlinger6859]

I started my sheathing to foundation seal with Zip Liquid flash. Took too much at $50/tube. I switched to Siga Fentrim and it was much easier and less expensive for the same end result. I did seal all penetrations with liquid flash, zip seam tape and stretch tape. Hoping for good results.

[@iamtruesyn]

Would love to see the soffit build out and how you are venting. Also, when you get to the garage doors, sealing, best practices in this day in age.

[@williamdemilia6223]

I like your thoughts of no FP. I am in New England and I agree with no FP. A brick chimney is going to pull the heat out of the home while using. I know most folks love them and fine.

[@iamblaineful]

I love the fluid applied slab to sheathing detail, especially over Zip R, and fiber reinforced seems like a no-brainer to me. Siga tapes seemed like a good option and I know fluid applied will take more time to tool, but I think a better and longer lasting seal. Thanks for running through those critical detailing items for air and water.

[@buildshow]

Very welcome!

[@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb]

Zero chance Matt would use fluid applied if he were paying for it. Fluid applied sounds great - until you apply it - it's messy, it's slow, it's very expensive.

[@robertjohnson4939]

Really appreciate your videos and information. As a new hvac contractor in Georgia, this is what we need

[@markdusseau5100]

Matt at the 12:30 mark it looks like the bottom of the zip sheeting isn’t covered by the liquid flash

[@FowlInstincts]

Nice as always Matt! Great job Build team

[@duggydo]

This is the way. We need to build our houses like this. 👍🏻👍🏻

[@TT-ik3kd]

unrealistic and not affordable for most people unfortunately

[@crabkilla]

Very few people will pay for the details. Everyone wants it just like they want a Mercedes AMG for the price of a Kia.

[@StephenCoorlas]

No. This is completely backwards thinking. It’s very unfortunate what the construction industry has become.

[@duggydo]

@@StephenCoorlas what exactly is backwards about good insulation and controlling the airflow into the house?

[@crabkilla]

@@duggydo I love these details and think this is the way things should be built but now more than ever, people want to cheap out. Construction costs are 2x in the last 10 years. If you ask people to pay $1,000 extra for airsealing details or $1,000 extra for their kitchen countertops, guess which one they pick?

[@whymindsetmatters]

Did you guys add a fire wall between the house and garage in case the homeowner has an EV?

[@LegacyViewsICFhomeBuild]

I’m building a 48’ tall multigenerational icf home for under $400k. I have a continuous air barrier because I put pango wrap under my footers and under my basement floor and then it transitions to blue max on the outside of my icf foam and up to my roof where I will have sharkskin. Oh and then there is the 8” of concrete in the walls. 😂 I can draw a continuous line around the whole home. By the way I love your videos! I have watched almost all of them :)

[@joemarshall8149]

how are you building for so cheaply? I follow all your videos as we just finished up our ICF walls. Are you including materials only since your labor is free?

[@LegacyViewsICFhomeBuild]

@@joemarshall8149 the only way to build that cheap is to do all the labor yourself. Around 70% of the cost of a home is labor. It takes a lot longer but it is the only way I can afford to build a house. 😅

[@e85johnson68]

@@LegacyViewsICFhomeBuild Very true, I’m building smallish home myself. At 32x24 size, I’ve only spent around $30k for foundation, framing, Zip and roof. But it’s just me doing it all, including digging and block work. It takes a lot of time, but it’s worth it.

[@Babarudra]

I like your videos, I feel like I get a bunch of good information. I especially like when the houses are average sized, family homes. I know you've done some renovation episodes, I'd really like to see more of them. If there are other Build show contributors that you can aim me at, it'd be appreciated.

[@JG-iq2qv]

I would love to see a high performance SIP build.

[@steveksi]

Leading by example. Very nice. It is a similar method with Recording Studio builds. Has to be air (thus sound) proof.

[@X-22CamRS-SS-RS]

I have been into building science since the mid 80's. So glad for your show to keep me updated with new building components. Do you have a video that explains vapor barriers in cold climates like Minnesota that are supposed to have vapor barriers on the inside? I know that in warm climates you have the vapor barrier on outside. Trying to figure out if I can use T studs with Zip R on the outside in Minnesota without trapping moisture in the wall by creating a vapor barrier on the outside. Love the Zip R but maybe not good for my climate zone. Thank you, Building Science Nerd Randy Larson

[@philspd473]

Staggered stud exterior walls are your friend... I've been doing energy star homes since the 80's on the northeast coast...

[@jeffandlaurie1173]

Great information! At time stamp 14:15, are the overdriven nail holes in the sheathing supposed to be filled with liquid flash as well? A how-to/instructional series that shows how to detail all sorts of penetration types would be SO helpful. I am almost ready to sign a contract to build a house but am SO paranoid that all these things will be overlooked. I've already shared many of your videos with my builder but I don't know how well this will translate overall. I guess I'll need to be on the jobsite after hours and do all this detail work myself...

[@leestebbins5051]

At 11:40 pretty nifty mitered corner on the siding versus a typical outside corner.

[@VillelaHN]

Thank you for sharing your knowledge. 🙏

[@jasons2855]

Matt, I would love to see you create a video series for owner-builders who are looking to GC their own home and ensure it is well built/high performance.

[@e85johnson68]

I would really like this as well, as I’m currently building my own home myself, using a lot of the products Matt talks about and uses. It would be cool to have Matt do a series on a few homes being built by the owner.

[@kahlinkoertner5241]

I second this motion. I am planning every aspect of my build and the details is where everything counts, especially when you're building on a budget.

[@CarpenterCody]

Can you please do an episode on talking about dealing with the airtightness during construction of house. Like how do you get the drywall mudd to dry and get rid of paint humidity when house is airtight. Is the only option to install a tempory fresh air supply system/ conditioning system?

[@jakebehrens1709]

Can you make a video detailing how to install zip wall sheathing at a corner of the house

[@TerranVisitor]

Appreciate you so much Matt. Well Wishes.

[@buildshow]

I appreciate that!

[@alonzosmith6189]

Matt, Tk U for sharing. I will live in a spec house built in 2021. My wife told me to stop finding issues. 😢 the next step to talk the wife into building again.

[@markdalton55]

Matt, has anyone looked at how the Prosoco sealant active chemicals react to the sheathing on the Romex Simpull ?

[@brianmahoney4156]

is the joint and seam OK to leave exposed to UV? the data sheet says 12 months and then recommends an "inspection." it would make my next build much easier if i could just leave it exposed... this episode was so informative. awesome work

[@CMCraftsman]

I’d recommend Siga Fentrim tape for where the foundation meets the sheathing. It’s a light grey the color of the foundation and it’s much less messy.

[@brianmahoney4156]

@@CMCraftsmanthe data sheet on that tape says it cant be exposed to UV :( awesome product still

[@phamlam3720]

@@brianmahoney4156 your siding should be preventing UV from reaching the sealant or tape.

[@brianmahoney4156]

@@phamlam3720 it prevents direct sunlight, ie puts it in the shade, but uv is still reflecting off the ground and hitting whatever sealant is exposed. i recently decided to just lap my continuous rockwool over the joint to fix this

[@brianburns3965]

Houses do, in fact, need to breathe. However, just like people don't breathe through our skin, houses shouldn't breathe through their walls. People use their mouth or nose and an air tight house uses an ERV or HRV to bring in fresh air and exhaust used air.

[@ilickspam]

why use lexel when you're going to seal the outside joints from wood to concrete with r-guard? how long would the pink joint and seam filler last? assuming there's full coverage from uv/light.

[@chadhowell1328]

Belt and suspenders approach as he says. One method is great but just in case of a failure in a part of it, then you have that backup.

[@markpalmer5311]

Excellent! I’ve been thinking pretty hard about finding some way to block a little more air around garage doors- especially at the bottom corners. I put a window unit in to just keep it below 110 in Texas heat and am thinking about a mini split. Any ideas?

[@willtrapp6188]

Why would you use joint and seam filler over the flashing material at the anchor plates? Doesn't the joint and seam filler need flashing on top of it?

[@dustyh2371]

Is there any reason why the exterior face of the ZIP sheathing can't be flush with the foundation? This would eliminate the need to seal the underside of the ZIP panel.

[@rivergladesgardenrailroad8834]

good question, I wondered that as well.

[@teamxcelap2]

Would love to know what a modest budget is. Compared to similar size/layout homes, how much did you save?

[@BillTrownsell]

Lol - I agree. I'm not quite sure I see them doing a ton of cost cutting steps to hit a budget number. This house is probably pushing $250/sqft

[@CamHart73]

Can you share the cost / sqft of the house? What is a modest budget?

[@rivergladesgardenrailroad8834]

good question

[@turnandburnroadtripssouthe8432]

Best way to seal bathroom ceiling from attic with T&G on rafters in central alabama?

[@raymondpeters9186]

Pumicecrete is by far the best building material on the planet My goal is to build a pumicecrete home for Community First in Austin Texas Take care Ray

[@TT-ik3kd]

One potential air leak I see may be the HVAC lineset between the Pipe and Insulation, may be wise to peel the insulation back right before it penetrates your exterior and seal it up then put back. Probably not much but worth 2 minutes

[@blueeyesthicdrag]

Matt, how much would a build like this cost $/sqft ballpark in your area

[@omurillo61]

Hey Matt what do you think on hydro gap sa from Benjamin obdyke

[@pazirandeh]

What is that fiber cement lap siding? I thought Hardie discontinued their 5/8ths lap, but it looks just like it!

[@buildshow]

That’s indeed Hardie. Artisan is back in their catalog

[@jodysaliba]

What's the difference between Prosoco Cat 5 and Prosoco Spray Wrap MVP? The price difference is fairly substantial, but their website appears to be pretty identical in terms of use cases and what they do.

[@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb]

Matt, in principle, a tight house is a great idea. In practice, so many things can go wrong. You need proper HVAC design, installation and maintenance, which rarely happens. Make small mistakes on any one and you're healthy house now wants to kill you. That said, many of the things you advocate, I agree with, especially sealing around foundations and penetrations. The problem with relying exclusively on mechanical ventilation means you add layers of complexity and increased maintenance. People don't drain their hot water heaters and can barely remember to change air filters. You think homeowners are going to continue to buy expensive HEPA filters 4x a year? And even if they do change filters, they're going down to a big box store and find something 'close' to fitting - at 1/10th the cost - and then forget about it for the next 7 years. That's reality.

[@fox156]

Kill you??? U think not replacing your air filter in your airtight house will kill you? Come on.

[@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb]

@@fox156 No, it's the offgassing formaldehyde from foams/carpets/synthetics and high CO2 levels that kills you in an improperly ventilated tight home. Mold caking on old filters probably doesn't help. Relying on mechanical (ie, powered) ventilation is a recipe for problems.

[@fox156]

@@ArthurDentZaphodBeeb wow, how come we’ve never heard about this death from off gassing problem before?

[@stevengruner6435]

The relentless "houses need to breathe" army out in force as usual. Their leaky house won't have fresh air without mechanical intervention when there's little to no wind and similar temps indoor to outdoor; wild swings in humidity also.

[@einarmikkelsenPNW]

Please add episode 10 - 12 into the playlist

[@charlietuna1971]

Cat 5 or Spray Wrap? Both are Prosoco products and both are used for the same thing. Cat 5 is double the cost...is it twice as good?

[@creylacoste4981]

Tape bottom of zip makes r guarding easier and smoother.

[@KJSvitko]

Blower door testing and air sealing are under appreciated tools for comfort and reduced heating and cooling costs.

[@vidalnunez4507]

the budget i'm working with to build a new home wouldn't cover the frog tape expense in this video

[@redemmedcoj3813]

What is monopoly framing if I heard right

[@ReadersOfTheApocalypse]

the no-overhang style using the green zip - to simplify air sealing. overhangs are added later.

[@07Stylist]

Houses NEED to breathe and the air that comes in and out NEEDS to be controlled and filtered

[@brianhope5853]

Rule: If you drill, you seal.😀

[@jeffwhitehead3668]

I’m a little nervous about the structural integrity of the eves being attached outside the structure after the fact. Especially in heavy snow load areas. Am I missing something?

[@SnakeHandler-g7u]

Isn't this his personal house that he built 2 years ago?

[@philspd473]

If you dont allow your treated sill plates dry for 6 months or more dont bother with caulk under it.

[@tedspradley]

17:42 Wait, people are still putting non-sealed combustion direct vent fireplaces into homes on purpose? No wonder it leaked. If you care about air tightness, how could you install a large open hole in your home that is impossible to close?

[@johnspence2466]

Any builders in Southwest Arkansas that build like this

[@designbuild7128]

Houses DO need to breathe; people are just arguing for where and how. Rain screen is example of a "breathing" space behind the environmental (siding) layer. Like Matt has restated before, "if it doesn't dry, it will die." So, either you successfully keep it bone dry and supplement with HRV's, etc, or allow it to breathe very well everywhere it can get wet, and live in a drafty, inefficient house.

[@Padoinky]

Can’t help but think that all of these 90-100% types of “finesse and fitness” tests and all other levels of bldg science details whilst perhaps part of the “bespoke custom design/built home genre” isn’t otherwise just looked at by the “avg Joe builder” as “what, huh, no kidding??Oh well let’s get back to work doing a 70% job for the 100% moola”… cynical yes, but also realistic

[@publicmail2]

Just wait until homeowners don't fix ervs or maintain them.

[@URKlewless]

You all remind me of the people that still drive their cars with a mask on 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@garyhinchman8029]

......build with block, and stay with block and so on.......don't waste your time with this garbage.........gh

[@Crusader1815]

Every time I see insulation outside of the air/water barrier, I suspect it should be inside it instead.

[@buildshow]

Why? Insulation doesn’t need protection from water/air/vapor. But wood homes do need that protection

[@Crusader1815]

@@buildshow Wind can carry colder air through the Rockwool or behind the layers of foam when they are outside of the envelope. Water could also be held against your barrier layer if it seeps back there. You like the jacket analogy... here's the sweater analogy: go outside on a windy winter day and wear a sweater with your weatherproof jacket outside it, then switch and put the sweater on the outside of the jacket. In which case are you kept warmer and drier? I heard Wade Paquin was sheathing his houses with plywood, then coming back with a layer of Zip R-12 on top of that for his air/water barrier. That sounds like a great idea... you get the shear value of plywood directly against studs, then the full effect of external insulation as well, with that air/water barrier on the outside.

[@garciaizm]

@@Crusader1815I’m no expert on this subject but if you think of a cooler it is air sealed from the inside with a layer of insulation around the air sealed space. Then another layer of plastic around the outside to protect the insulation but that does not serve any air sealing function. Even a cheap but well sealed styrofoam cooler maintains internal heat/cold efficiently. At least that’s my understanding of the concept

[@sandpaper4483]

In the future they will say houses were built too tight and you'll have to change it

[@StephenCoorlas]

That future is now, this practice is already being questioned for its dependence on systems rather than good contextual design that can solve most “air tightness” concerns. Buildings that can breathe are not “bogus” if you design them to breathe intentionally.

[@bakerz7269]

​@@StephenCoorlas Exactly. Design them to be water tight and have the ability to dry out any moisture from humidity. If these guys get 1 fail... MOLD!

[@michiganengineer8621]

As you can probably guess, I'm from a SLIGHTLY colder climate than you are. I'll live with an air leak from the fire place, as long as I have a place inside where I can burn wood to keep warm when the power goes out. Note I said WOOD to burn, a gas burner might as well be a picture during a long power outage!

[@mister_sparkle]

Gas still works when power is out...

[@michiganengineer8621]

@@mister_sparkle Only as long as the pumping stations have power. Look at Texas a few winters ago.

[@mister_sparkle]

@@michiganengineer8621 lol pumping what? It's a gas pipeline.

[@michiganengineer8621]

@@mister_sparkle The tanks have to be pressurized somehow to force the gas to the end user. Failures at the pumping stations were a large part of the problems in Texas a few years ago when their electrical grid failed, after the wind turbines froze.

[@rivergladesgardenrailroad8834]

Wood is casnagenic

[@nextjin]

850+k is a modest budget 🤣

[@CMCraftsman]

Yes, it’s 2024

[@nextjin]

@@CMCraftsman A 3700 sq ft Schumacher home with 200,000+ of upgrades is 850k. This house will be just under a million probably.

[@olybears57]

I just feel like all of this is silly… build a smaller house and your energy impacts and cost to heat are minimal. Seal the house and you are full of VOC’s and potentials for extreme failure if any of your seals fail. Also ridiculously expensive.

[@fox156]

Good luck selling that small inefficient house. Consumers want a reasonable amount of space, comfort, and efficiency. In terms of costs an efficient house protects consumers from changing utility costs, is better for the planet, etc. consumers have more information than ever before and are asking/demanding these things from builders.

[@JeremeyHowlett]

Houses definitely need to breath.

[@buildshow]

Yes indeed. Through a dedicated fresh air system that can provide filtered/distributed fresh air to the breathing people inside. Not through the walls.

[@Mrhappy555]

Houses don’t need to be this tight it causes other issues. Let the rookies learn

[@hoplophobia7014]

Okay

[@thursdaythought7201]

Watch their other videos. Being airtight can be a problem if you do it wrong. These guys do it right.

[@Mrhappy555]

@@thursdaythought7201 they sell products They are marketers

[@StephenCoorlas]

It’s always wrong, unless you’re building a “clean room lab”. Homes are not laboratories.

[@thursdaythought7201]

@@StephenCoorlas clean rooms are clean not because they are airtight, but because they constantly have positive pressure with ultra filtered air. Why wouldn’t you want a fairly airtight house? Good air quality, no bugs, better comfort.

[@URKlewless]

Build an air tight house and then the code says you need to bring in outside air and exchange inside air. I’m sorry but being airtight is a joke in my opinion. Just opening the door once kind of ruins this concept. Or all those with airtight homes having to crack a window to let in fresh air.

[@creylacoste4981]

Yup . HEPAs and ERVs do nothing for smog, dust, roaches, unconditioned air.

[@aggiewoodie]

Airtight houses use mechanical to bring in air. Air that’s filtered and dehumidified.

[@StephenCoorlas]

Spot on. It’s a scientific dream for perfectionism. Not natural. Unrealistic. Dependence on a mechanical system to breathe? No thank you. That’s called a vegetable.

[@buildshow]

Stephen, My house is crazy air tight but I have a small Zehnder fresh air unit bringing in 30 cfm of fresh air to my bedroom all night long. It’s the most comfortable house and I sleep great here. Come spend a night in my guest room and I’ll bet you’ll change your mind on this issue.

[@YIQUANONE]

@@aggiewoodie I guess no windows need to open except escape windows?

[@VernBigDaddy]

I show up to custom build jobs everyday in central Texas where attic demising walls separating garage attic from attic over conditioned is framed but not backed. Builder says “Best Insulation just uses mesh and sprays foams to that”. My answer: Great! If you are dumb enough to install a screen door on your submarine then I hope you go down with your ship! Open Cell Foam is not a grade 1 vapor barrier at any depth. It is ill also help to Mitigate air transfer but the cellular structure is open in nature. Why do builders always want to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory. Have your framer staple up some Tply and tape the seems or estimate it for zip.

[@casade2831]

There are no nasty bugs, 🐛🐞🐜🕷🪲🪳. Only dirty humans