🏠 The BEST Insulation Strategy - Energy Star with Just 6 Inches of Insulation!!! 🏠

[@pictureworksdenver]

In your list of desired qualities for a new home build - that it should be beautiful, functional, resilient and built for health - nowhere do you mention affordable, and I think that is a glaring omission. While the house you've shown here looks lovely, attending to fiddling details to maximize energy efficiency on luxury homes to marginally lower the energy consumption of its wealthy occupants is laughably pointless.

[@alank3962]

Better question is: Why would anyone put that kind of expense into an 80% shaded cantilever awning - cool, but is it? What’s the point or purpose; air temp is ~ the same on both sides. How did you handle the thermal bridging problem between the I-beam steel and the conditioned interior space?

[@jayworley1583]

To show off, to be able to say I did so, and to spend a ton of money. Obviously, with the Tesla solar roof topping things off, cost was not an issue. Let guess. We're talking about probably a $300,000 roof? With all that space, just put a 20 KW ground mount solar install. My gawd.

[@cborecky]

I'm just thinking about all the layers that have to be removed if a water spot appears on that douglas fir ceiling.

[@franklong6269]

Attic hatches don't leak a lot of energy. Standard attic insulation with R38 is VERY energy efficient - you re just misinformed. The HUGE problem you have with this roof is that if you do have a leak, it will stain your wood ceiling and that is very hard and expensive to repair. A second problem that occurs with this type of insulation is that if it is not installed correctly, condensation can form under the various layers and it will be trapped. Over time, this will cause the wood rafter structure to rot, and the repair costs to fix this problem are astronomical. Traditionally, insulated homes eliminate this problem by keeping the roof at the same temperature as the exterior. These roofs can work and be effective if they are installed correctly, but I would never use this type of roof because there is no redundant protection if there is a failure on the primary sheathing. It makes more sense to install flat trusses or use I-beam truss joists to create sufficient interstitial space to allow a 2-inch air flow layer under the sheathing. This prevents any condensation from forming on the roof structure joist and allows you to use less expensive insulation to get an equal or greater R-factor. A third problem with this roof is that poly iso insulation is very flammable. So if your wood ceiling were to catch fire, the entire roof would explode in flames. The water barriers on traditional roofs (usually 40 lb asphalt or modified bitumen) are also flammable in most cases, but not as flammable as poly Iso insulation. But in both cases, the roofs will burn pretty quickly if the roof catches fire. These systems of above-roof insulation are widely used in commercial applications where the building is old, and there is no space below the roof structure to install insulation. For modern builds, this is not the best design.

[@ka6989]

you mentioned that the same construction could be build in Alaska, the problem with that is the R value of iso drops down drastically in cold conditions.

[@sparksmcgee6641]

It's not that drastic and you need to use the amount of time it's below certain temps over the entire year. I'm from Colorado and grew up in areas that are colder than Alaska. One town I lived in usually had the same temp as fairbanks on national weather maps.

[@drooplug]

I have long believed that thise attic requirements were to resist airflow. Once you hit R21, the roi on additional r value plummets.

[@NexusCapital]

Where’s the walkthrough video for this house?

[@timskufca8039]

you didn't mention thermal-bridging.......it would have been good to see a section thru the wall/roof connection.

[@7-Oaks-Custom-Corey]

7:57

[@ilickspam]

would you be comfortable about breaking down the cost of this roof as a whole? also, would tesla roofs be a good option for gable roofs facing east and west instead of south?

[@danheidel]

As someone who has worked in the solar equipment manufacturing industry, Tesla solar products are high quality but very overpriced. If you want plug-and-play installation that you don't have to think about too much and a big budget, Tesla is fine. But you can often cut your final price in half or more by going with other equipment providers. The downside is that the software UI usually isn't as good and you'll probably have equipment from multiple companies, which does complicate things like repair and maintenance. Once big reason that I wouldn't go with Tesla (and I haven't checked this in a couple years, so it may have changed since then) is that it requires an internet connection to work. If the system can't talk to Tesla, it shuts off. Tesla does have the ability to disable the internet requirement in case of natural disasters that cut the internet but that assumes that they have time to do so. It would really suck to have an earthquake take out your fiber internet and then sit in the dark because the powerwall can't send your data back to them.

[@dustylasseter3079]

Awesome!! I’m curious what the drip edge looks like

[@JTDesign1]

Me too. Please share that detail, cuz that's where the devil lives!

[@bradyusko6333]

Curious how you figure you eliminated thermal bridges in the roof? First you have all the beams that stick through the Eves, do you not consider that roof and or thermal bridges? Second you have hundreds of metal screws that penetrate through all your roof insulation, how do you figure that's not substantial thermal bridging? I was going to do the same thing and changed methods as each screw, I figured was equal to 16 inches of 2x in thermal bridging as metal is at least 200x more thermal y conductive than wood. I would be curious to see a thermal image from both inside and outside on both a heating and cooling day. The colder and hotter the day the better it should show. Just curious as I'm always looking to improve how I build.

[@sparksmcgee6641]

Your math on thermal bridging is wrong. Sounds like you looked at a random chart than thw spec of an actual screw. Plenty with lower thermal bridging.

[@danieljacobsen7196]

Where did the ceiling wiring and plumbing go?

[@ColeSpolaric]

The wiring is just above the roof deck. Notice the orange spray paint when they are installing the roof to not hot the wires.

[@JTDesign1]

I've got a similar roof, but a living one instead of solar. It makes sense to put purlins over the car decking as a chaseway for electrical and fire sprinklers. The orange paint to mark their path is a great idea, and no doubt a hard earned lesson.

[@derekmugwanya6023]

You've calculated that the R value is the inverse of the U value i.e. R=1/U and vice versa. However I believe that to get the equivalent European U values from the American R value you need to divide into 5.6 i.e. R=5.6/U. So R-40 is equivalent to a U value of 0.14 in the UK/Europe, not 0.025 as per your chart.

[@toomanymarys7355]

Yes, that is how the EU R values for windows are so inflated.

[@JeromeHeliosRunner]

Actually we are also counting in R value. the only thing that is crazy diff and no ones get here is because of your "foot" systems when we have square meters. so R value in europe that is 5 or 7 is absolutely awesome. but i guess you are talking UK for the U value. here in France it's about R value. but then we are also counting aout the lambda of a material which is the conductivity of a material . so example :Le R is equal to the division between the width e ( in m) & the thermal conductivity lambda λ of the material. tiis value is given by the formula : R = e / λ. so if you have a material of 100 mm thick with a lambda 0,032 W/m.K, the thermal resistance R will be of : 0,1 / 0,032 = 3,13 m²K/W. cheers from france !

[@alwynallan]

The screws bridge the entire package of insulation. For the sandwich I get R-39.0 including the ceiling and the plywood deck. Assuming 1 screw per square foot with a effective diameter of .131" The R-value of the sandwich with screws is R-28.9 - still very good, but 26% less than the unbridged package. A glued up assembly (SIP) would be unbridged.

[@CharlieZenenour]

btw flat roof like this on a timber structure usually don't work very well cause any high speed winds can start to make the roof act as a umbrella in a storm and try to take off by being pulled upwards. Without any significant weight or anything to hold it down is quite possible that in case of natural disaster or unusually high winds the structure could be damaged.

[@onebridge7231]

This roof is anchored to a steel frame down through the foundation slab. If this roof were to get ripped off by a natural disaster or high wind event then the cheap roofs constructed and anchored to the 2x4 walls wouldn’t stand a chance. This roof is much stronger than an average cookie cutter home. Heck, most of the new homes don’t even secure the base plates properly because of poor workmanship.

[@AaronHope_Sow]

I've also seen chain anchor weights attached to similar roofs. Not sure if they were fully functional or for a particular look though.

[@NotSure7474]

It’s nice for sure, when money is no object 😢 Any usable information for us peasants out here?

[@sustainability8200]

Too much thermal bridging along the edges where the Douglas fir ceiling extends beyond to the outside. Wouldn’t pass PH standards.

[@JordanSmithBuilds]

Not to mention the giant steel beam going from outside to inside! We didn’t design this for PH, and I definitely wouldn’t pass those standards. However, it will probably never have a utility bill either, which is too bad.

[@crabkilla]

Can you tell us the price per sq. ft. difference between solar roof and a regular shingle roof?

[@peterxyz3541]

WHY is the texture “nice”? Is that a serious selling point when it’s not like a door knob or a stove?

[@JordanSmithBuilds]

Gives you better grip as you’re walking around on it. Especially on dewy mornings and steeper pitches.

[@michaelpanzer4644]

It would be interesting to understand the relative cost to a more traditional or maybe recent traditional method of decking on rafters with tar paper and spray foam underneath.

[@thomasschafer7268]

😅😅rückständig!! 26-30cm bei neuen Häusern. Man dämmt nur einmal. Nicht später noch mal ein bisschen dazu!!!

[@martinstedtler]

You talk a lot about thermal bridges. What about these giant steel beams going from inside out on both ends???

[@JackMelqart]

well, i am not a fan of peel and stick, i mean peel and stick is a god stuff, it has one issue, long term UV kills it..

[@gomer591]

How did you get a Tesla roof on a new build? I have called three times and here is how it goes: Tesla Rep- “Solar roof is a ‘luxury roof’.” Me- “I am building a new house, I want the Tesla tile roof.” Tesla Rep- “We only install on an existing roof, please call back when you have your roof completed.” Me- “You mean when the framing is done.” Tesla Rep: ”No you need a completed roof signed off by city.” Me: “And then you will tear off my new roof and install your roof?” Tesla Rep: “Yes, it’s the only way we do it.” I called three times and got three different people who all sound about 20years old.

[@kiohaha]

That sounds crazy and wasteful. Imagine they did that to their car sales. Nah I can’t give you a new car only the parts to add to your old car. Buy your old car we’ll take off the wheels and take the engine out and the fuel tank and we’ll add our stuff. But the weight of it all might not help the old car

[@JordanSmithBuilds]

We didn’t go through Tesla, but an authorized installer. Tesla customer service is very Tesla like…👎

[@robertlee8805]

Good to know. I'll go through an authorized installer.

[@asherhadgu4201]

Can you go in depth on you experience as a builder using the Tesla solar roof?

[@JordanSmithBuilds]

Definitely will. We are so commissioning the system and I want to get a little bit of experience before I start spouting off too many opinions.

[@LeonardGoulet]

peal and stick is much more effective in air barrier

[@2point..0]

I am excited about this video, because we are actually moving to Maine very soon after we find a rental as my Wife has a job transfer to Maine and I am going to be building a double shed style roof too!!!

[@JordanSmithBuilds]

Congrats on the move and good luck with the build!

[@ka6989]

don't use iso as the insulation. Investigate different insulation types for cold climates. The official R value is measured at ~75F, and different materials have a different R value at winter temperatures.

[@2point..0]

@@ka6989 What would you suggest, or guess what would be a better Insulation to select for the state of Maine???

[@ssoffshore5111]

@@2point..0 Use something like GPS at least on the outer layer below the rockwool, the inner temps at the lower insulation level will be far more mild, so using iso would likely still be fine there,

[@2point..0]

@@ssoffshore5111 I am trying to understand you and what you mean??? By chance do you belong to any Discord groups and we can discuss your method that you are trying to relay to me??? Thank you!!!

[@ColeSpolaric]

When i hear people talk about r60 walls and r80 roofs all i can do is question how much are you really gaining by doing that. My hypothesis is not much, but i haven't found any proof

[@bradyusko6333]

Can't give you a hard answer on this but I've got 5000 sqft + 1000 in the garage. It's about 1500 basement, 1000 garage basement level, 2500 main floor and 1000 attic/2nd level. Entire house including footings and under slab are r50 eps. Walls are r-24 ICF, soon to have additional spray foam on the outside and roof is r42-50 closed cell and additional r-30 + open cell spray foam to underside of roof deck. Heat was turned off over a month ago, early March. House is located in Pullman WA. Night temps have been 32 or less and days between 40 and 60 with a few random 65-68 days. Inside temps have held steady at 68 to 71. Also have hade to open windows to cool as a shade roof is not done. We don't really want a lot of solar gain Starting when daytime temps start hitting 60 outside. I'd say it's worth it. Most of the year the house will heat and cool itself. On days that energy is required it will be 10 to 20% of comparable sized house. Plus the garage maintains 62 to 70 all year with no heating or cooling except passive solar and night cooling, open doors. I also put 4-500 foot loops in the ground I can run water through and get near free cooling and warming for the hrv system.

[@JordanSmithBuilds]

I tend to agree with you. I believe that the code (finally) adequately addresses the thermal envelope. I think your money would be better spent on generation or storage of energy. Or even better, the beautification of the home. You can build a yeti cooler with no windows and 1 million insulations, but it will not enrich your life or connect you with nature.

[@danheidel]

It's all a matter of cost vs benefit. If you run thermal simulations of a house, once you start getting above R35 in the walls/R50 roof, other heat loss pathways start to dominate. (This assumes the R values are real R values that take thermal bridging into account) The windows and heat loss through air exchange start cause more heat loss than the building envelope. At that point, you're better off buying better windows and air sealing the house better. Once you do those things, you're basically at passive house standards and IMO, going beyond that is simply a waste of money. This build seems to be fairly well balanced but I've seen too many other builds where they put in R100 roof/R60 walls and then have a ton of windows that completely negate all that expensive insulation. Remember R values are simply a measure of heat lost per unit of area per unit of time. If you start at R25 and go to R50, you double your insulation cost but the heat loss is reduced 50% since the R value doubled. However, if you double the R value again to R100, you double the insulation cost again but only reduce heat flow 25% this time since you already halved it in the last step.

[@superspeeder]

I’m building a double stud cellulose dense pack house for myself right now. It will be R55+ walls, R80 ventilated attic, with R10-13 windows. Energy modelling shows it will use less energy than our 1500 sqft townhouse, but it will be 3600 sqft. I’m building it myself so labor is free, so tough to estimate an ROI. This is my forever house and I’m 48, so I’m sure the payback will be well before I leave. We’re on the cold edge of climate zone 6 in Canada. With energy prices certainly skyrocketing in the future, a low-load home is a smart strategy, in my opinion. In warmer climates it really isn’t hard to build a low energy home, especially if you have sunny weather in winter. We’re not so lucky up here, and I’m building accordingly.

[@MadLadsAnonymous]

⁠@@bradyusko6333Which ICF system did you go with? What size rebar for the walls? For the exterior of the ICF, how did you spray foam it? Did you first apply a product like Rub-R-Wall? What did you do to the spray foam to allow siding/plaster/flash system? (new to all this, but spouse and I considering an ICF build at some point, so I'm still learning)

[@joelstevensz06]

That's what she said! 😂

[@garryford6439]

Can you detail your roof to wall insulation and air barier method? As I see it you won't even meet R 15 in this area and the resulting connection is extremely difficult to air seal. Love the building design and have designed similar but have never solved this problem.

[@sparksmcgee6641]

You dont have to do every bit of structure as the code value. It's the average over a code compliant structure.

[@2point..0]

@Jordan Smith, Love the Energy Star rated Roof, I have to ask a question? What screw-down pattern (edges and in the field) did you follow to achieve that roof??? Liked#122 N Subscribed

[@JordanSmithBuilds]

Engineer came up with a pattern that basically gave us a screw every 2 ft.². The edges of the roof had a heavier screw pattern than in the field, but I’d have to go back and look at the exact detail and it would be hard to explain over text.

[@2point..0]

@@JordanSmithBuilds If you could let me know that would be gratefully apricated... Thank you!!! Oh also I tried to find that R-Value calculator for low sloped shed roofs being above the roof decking...I am still searching for it???

[@jimanderson4444]

All good , except for major over structured roof, don't waste thousands on plywood ! No trucks will be driving up there !

[@patbyrneme007]

Is it possible to stop using the word "perfect" as this is not true and is a word typically used in marketing and sales that undermines the credibility of your presentation.

[@simonclarke2939]

If you insulate the roof rather than the ceiling you are heating a bigger space - dead space if you are having a suspended ceiling.

[@patrickday4206]

You would need like 10 inches of poly in some areas 11 inch screws holding down sheeting 😂

[@pyhead9916]

"Just 6 inches" - That's what my wife said too!

[@JordanSmithBuilds]

The initial title was “is 6 inches really enough?” 😅

[@scorpio6587]

Beautiful.

[@AaronHope_Sow]

I do like the details here. I'm just curious about the connection at the top plate. Since the overhangs are so large and the Doug fur decking and rafters extend out to the exterior having to extend the EPS and rockwool on the exterior sections of the roof seems like a waste. Maybe you make up for that with the extra shade and the Tesla PV production. Just seems like a lot of extra material costs but I'm sure the budget for this house can probably handle it.

[@JordanSmithBuilds]

There’s definitely wasted insulation out on those overhangs. The timing complexity to eliminate that material wasn’t worth just buying the extra material and keeping the detail the same across the whole roof.

[@AaronHope_Sow]

I missed this somehow. But I appreciate the candid reply Jordan. Reality of reduced complexity means that you can often go faster which helps you makeup some losses. I imagine if you had figured out a way to keep the look inside and out while stopping the insulation before the eaves it would have likely been replaced with more wood which also has associated costs.

[@fox156]

Yeah, YT isnt a place to dazzle with slights of hand, if u wsntbyo attract customers maybe advertise Facebook or turn comments off. This os shere ppl that generally know theyr shit go to for minor improvements to their designs. Showing up with a mediocre assembly that's not thiught out isnt going to gaim you YT respect as a builder.

[@CharlieZenenour]

could have made the roof out of reinforced concrete, insulated above the concrete, used mineral wool or wood fiber for insulation, made the top out of green steel, zinc, green roof or even used clay tiles depending on how steep that pitch is. And could made the overhangs be insulated in-between the timbers, finishing it off with the wood sliding. This roof works alright but so far seems to have been made cheaply and without much thought about how thermal exchange works and the structure itself.

[@linkbond08]

6 inches of insulation is a lot, most coolers have 1" on the walls and less on the lid and floor.