|
Motronic posted:Holy poo poo, how long as that siding been on? I haven't seen AL siding in decades. It's quite possibly the original aluminum siding that came from the house. I mean, it's not falling off or anything. So it's pretty much the spray foam or nothing in this case? I can live with holes cut into each joist that either they spackle over or I have someone spackle & paint. It's less awful than tearing off siding and outside wall material and then installing new siding, or taking indoor drywall out from basically the whole 2nd floor.
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2022 01:00
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 3, 2024 04:09 |
|
|
MJP posted:It's quite possibly the original aluminum siding that came from the house. I mean, it's not falling off or anything. Blown in insulation is going to be a lot cheaper then this injection spray foam product - because it's a lot easier to do, and doesn't require as much skill. It's basically the same process as in your video, except the hole is much larger and they use cellulose: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XOlocRsuUds The outside of your house is what protects it from the weather - you do not want to put any holes into that unless absolutely necessary. Patching drywall is so much easier as compared to trying to re-waterproof the outside of your house. Try searching for stuff like "your state + energy audit" or "your state + insulation rebate", it's possible your state/power company has programs in place to help pay for this. Even if they don't help pay, they might be able to connect you to someone who knows what they're talking about. Failing that, check out https://www.bpi.org/certified-professionals
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2022 02:07
|
|
|
Motronic posted:Holy poo poo, how long as that siding been on? I haven't seen AL siding in decades. Huh. I see it all the time. Just re-sided one in Galloway Twp. (raccoon house). The only rare aluminum I see is the really heavy 5" stuff. Now, steel siding: I rarely see anymore Motronic posted:
Absolutely. Under your aluminum siding is (possibly) vapor barrier or (probably) tar paper or (we hope not) nothing at all, even sheathing (yes, I have seen this in New Jersey). So yeah prepare for the holocaust.
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2022 03:08
|
|
|
MJP posted:It's quite possibly the original aluminum siding that came from the house. I mean, it's not falling off or anything. No, not spray foam. Blown in cellulose almost certainly. Dunno where you came up with this (seemingly to me) oddball injected spray foam. And it will likely be at least three holes in each stud bay on the walls and multiple holes across each joist bay for the ceilings. And it's going to make an amazing mess inside, which is why it's typically done form the outside. Just the prep and sealing and then the cleaning afterwards will be a major project. So will fixing all the holes and painting. Those two things will far exceed the cost of the actual insulation and labor to get it in the walls. PainterofCrap posted:Huh. I see it all the time. Just re-sided one in Galloway Twp. (raccoon house). The only rare aluminum I see is the really heavy 5" stuff. Weird, it's just not really a thing up county here. Everything is either so old that it's stone or wood or it's been built or redone recently enough that it's the normal continuum of vinyl on the cheap side to hardee on the expensive side. Or, ya know....Toll Brothers stucco.
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2022 16:08
|
|
|
I've seen some advertising locally for a retrofit spray foam company, and I briefly considered it. My 2 HVAC units are right on the other side of my bedroom wall and I thought it might cut down on the noise a little bit, but ultimately I don't need these guys screwing with the hardie on the outside, nor do I feel like patching and painting a bunch of drywall inside. Plus I think the odds of them not loving it up somehow (lets throw expanding foam in an existing cavity and hope it doesn't cause any issues) are low It is a thing though. https://www.retrofoam.com/install-process
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2022 16:34
|
|
|
Motronic posted:No, not spray foam. Blown in cellulose almost certainly. That's weird, there's tons of spray foam contractors around me. It's basically moot, though - the house can't be populated while they're doing the work, and that means evacuating cats. Given the mess and costs for cellulose, we'll just deal. If there's relatively new (5ish years old) fiberglass batts in our attic floors to help with the 1st floor, but nothing in the attic ceiling joists, should I get batts put in there to help? Or would that do jack to help the 2nd floor rooms since there's no known insulation on the walls?
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2022 16:44
|
|
|
This book I own has like everything you need to know about do it yourself insulation or the knowledge to ask informed questions and make suggestions to a contractor "Insulate & Weatherize (Taunton's Build Like a Pro)" I hear the other books in the series are good too, but I haven't read them yet. It was light on spray foam, but spray foam has as many cons as it does pros, cons being it's very expensive and flammable. Not to say that it's not great for like around windows and doors or sealing corners on your foundation or attic. Spray foam tip: if you seal something that's exposed to sunlight you should paint or stain it or the UV light turns it to dust in a few years.
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2022 16:50
|
|
|
Its a thing up here in Northen MN too, but unfortunately wont work for my house. I still have some knob and tube in the walls running light switches and ceiling lights and they cant foam around that. Plus my house is stucco which is harder, more expensive to fix I guess. At some point, perhaps once Im done paying for daycare, I can try and swing it.
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2022 16:52
|
|
|
MJP posted:If there's relatively new (5ish years old) fiberglass batts in our attic floors to help with the 1st floor, but nothing in the attic ceiling joists, should I get batts put in there to help? Or would that do jack to help the 2nd floor rooms since there's no known insulation on the walls? NO! That's not how building envelopes work. You will just rot out your entire attic. Your attic is an unconditioned space and must remain that way unless and until you convert it entirely to conditioned space, which means vapor barrier to insulation to air flow. If you want more insulation for rooms beneath your unconditioned attic you add it to the insulation on the floor of your unconditioned attic. To address your last sentence: ceiling insulation is more important than wall insulation because physics. But no one is going to be able to evaluate your particular situation without seeing the place. I can also almost guarantee you that more than 50% of your basic comfort problems is not lack of insulation but lack of air sealing. You could probably improve your comfort levels by a lot just dealing with drafts coming in around windows, doors, outlets, etc. The insulation will make the place more energy efficient of course, but the drafts are what make the place feel terrible assuming you already have a heating system that can keep up.
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2022 16:52
|
|
|
Quaint Quail Quilt posted:"Insulate & Weatherize (Taunton's Build Like a Pro)" Pretty sure I saw that in a movie once and it looked like it smelled crazy in there.
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2022 17:31
|
|
|
Motronic posted:NO! That's not how building envelopes work. You will just rot out your entire attic. Gotcha - is the sealing question basically just applying caulk to joints at windows and electrical boxes? That I can do myself without much issue.
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2022 17:35
|
|
|
MJP posted:Gotcha - is the sealing question basically just applying caulk to joints at windows and electrical boxes? That I can do myself without much issue. That's a good start. Depends on where the drafts are, the window construction, etc. Pulling trim and spray foaming around windows, then reinstalling and caulking the trim to the walls is a good start. There are easily available gaskets for outlets and switches that will help with those. A FLIR camera (can be rented form a big box store) is a good start in finding the problem areas.
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2022 17:45
|
|
|
MJP posted:Gotcha - is the sealing question basically just applying caulk to joints at windows and electrical boxes? That I can do myself without much issue. Kind of. The best and right way to do it was during construction. Each box is made with flanges and made to seal up tight around the wires coming in. The second best was to take regular boxes and seal around the backside with some sort of peel and stick membrane after the wires are run and seal them around the edges to the drywall. This last two options I think are up for debate and I'm interested in other opinions on it. Either remove the faceplate and apply a foam around the outlets and switches so that creates a seal between the face plate and the device. This does add a little bulk and can leave the faceplates sitting funky. I did this, for reference. The other would be to empty the box by pulling the device out without disconnecting them and caulking any opening, then caulking the box to the drywall. I'd do this next time if I had the ambition. For the windows you should be looking at the felt seals and such around the operating parts. These can be replaced if they're worn or broken. There shouldn't be many places where you have to seal the glass but on a cold day you might be able to feel where there are little gaps. Also replace worn weatherstripping on doors into the house, those flatten and break down over time.
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2022 17:47
|
|
|
Motronic posted:That's a good start. Depends on where the drafts are, the window construction, etc. Pulling trim and spray foaming around windows, then reinstalling and caulking the trim to the walls is a good start. There are easily available gaskets for outlets and switches that will help with those. I took a moment to wonder why I didn't think about this, then I looked up and realized my windows don't have trim, they're drywall returns on three sides and a stone sill. I probably could do that to my front door though, although I bet it would spiral into me seeing how it's a poorly made door and sidelite and ordering a new one. I'll try and forget about that for now. Also MJP you should definitely look into renting a FLIR. I borrowed one at my work and mostly got peace of mind out of it when I found the worst offenders were the cable entry (patched now) and thermal bridging through the studs into drywall nails. There weren't any other areas missing insulation or awful drafts that I didn't already know about.
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2022 17:52
|
|
|
Do the rental FLIRs come with the sound effects or nah So just warm up the room, engage thermal sensors, and note the cold spots?
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2022 20:44
|
|
|
Someone really hates our doorbell. We replaced the missing one and the new one is gone now too. I'm trying very hard not to go into security-camera mode like all the other neighbors with their "Smile! You're on camera!" signs, etc etc, but who the gently caress steals
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2022 20:50
|
|
|
Adding more than a foot of blown in cellulose to the attic of a rental I lived in saved me around $100 a month on utilities. Gravity compacts it some so adding 18 inches will settle to like 13 after a year (I think) That landlord also used to use up extra/old low r rating fiberglass batts on interior walls and while I doubt it helps much for comfort it sure did help with sound traveling from one side of a house to the other. When I redo my siding down the road I've considered sealing the sill plate and other areas and maybe replacing year 1988 batts with blown in cellulose and maybe some foam board with air gaps on both sides with furring strips. It may not be worth it when that day comes to go too crazy. I'll probably just do the FLIR camera thing if I take my siding off, I did that energy star free audit through my utility company and they gave my house very high marks.
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2022 20:51
|
|
|
Does a roof lift and lay typically consist of tearing out the existing underlayment, or is it just a lifting of the existing tiles and repairs/replacement or underlayment where damaged? We're in the middle of a lift and lay that started with numerous slipped/cracked tiles and broken flashing everywhere, but I had assumed from the beginning that replacement of the underlayment is a standard part of a lift and lay. Scope of work does include install of new underlayment which is why I also assumed this. Ran into an issue where as tiles were lifted that the existing underlayment is completely trashed from years of dirt, water, and sun exposure from where tiles were just not there or broken, and who knows what else. Roofers did show me a video and it is ugly everywhere and they've basically been sweeping our entire roof for a week as they lift tiles. My confusion is because we got a change order request today since they determined that the underlayment was so badly degraded that it needed to be a tear off over the entire house. I'm probably just confused on terminology and standard nomenclature, but doesn't a lift-and-lay imply removal of existing underlayment, or am I just out of the loop (admittedly not a roofing expert)?
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2022 22:19
|
|
|
A typical asphalt/fiberglass roof installation is over roof sheathing. If you have slate, concrete tile, ceramic, terra-cotta, or cedar shake, the older installations can be on furring strips and there is no sheathing. In older homes, the sheathing my be tongue & groove boards rather than large plywood sheets. If you are re-shingling an asphalt/fiberglass roof, then the old shingles & felt (tar paper) are scraped off, and the nails, drip edges & most soft metals (step flashing vent stack boots) are removed. It is not uncommon to have to replace sheathing here & there due to the conditions that you describe, which usually occur around openings through the roof (chimney, vent stack, skylight etc). It is less common to re-sheathe the entire roof. It could be due to an attic space that was sealed so that it couldn't 'breathe,' resulting in moisture build-up that rotted the decking; plywood that is too thin for the application, especially if the roof framing is 24" OC rather than 16" OC; or a seriously crappy installation like using staples to tie the decking down to the roof framing). Has the contractor explained why that they think that all of the sheathing has to be replaced - why it is in such poor condition? Can you post photo
|
|
#
?
Dec 6, 2022 23:07
|
|
|
PainterofCrap posted:A typical asphalt/fiberglass roof installation is over roof sheathing. If you have slate, concrete tile, ceramic, terra-cotta, or cedar shake, the older installations can be on furring strips and there is no sheathing. In older homes, the sheathing my be tongue & groove boards rather than large plywood sheets. I don't have a picture but I can ask for one from the contractor. They said the severe dirt/grime buildup under our tiles (we do have concrete tiles) is just because we live in the hills (doesn't surprise me with the amount of dirt we're cleaning up all the time anyways), and three very large fires in the region (SoCal) since the house was built. The underlayment is just done from rain and sun exposure, and we were aware of many "gaps" or holes in the tile layer on top which is what initially started us down the road of getting the roof fixed, and the roof is at least 30 years old so I could assume exposure for that long. Previous owners had two huge ficus trees with small fruits that they planted and were growing against the roof for who knows how long. The sheathing is still an unknown as the underlayment still needs to be rippped up, but talking with the company owner and they say they prefer to not rip up underlayment if it's in good condition (something about the oil I forgot), and so this tear out of the underlayment is a new requirement, not what I initially thought was a standard part of a lift and lay for a tile roof. PageMaster fucked around with this message at 00:12 on Dec 7, 2022 |
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2022 00:07
|
|
|
Quaint Quail Quilt posted:
If you have plywood sheathing you can improve your air sealing dramatically by taping all the seams with something like Zip Tape. Then I'd add continuous Rockwool exterior insulation over that, then vertical furring strips over the rockwool to make a drainage cavity with some fiber cement siding. Not the cheapest, but it will be warm, super durable, and fire resistant.
|
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2022 00:20
|
|
|
Can someone explain LVP to me. People rave about it but I’ve never seen it look or feel good
|
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2022 03:16
|
|
|
Sheet vinyl is way cheaper and looks the same without gaps for liquids to seep into IMO. I you need a water resistant to the max flooring.
|
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2022 03:32
|
|
|
Upgrade posted:Can someone explain LVP to me. People rave about it but I’ve never seen it look or feel good This decade's vinyl siding
|
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2022 03:51
|
|
|
Upgrade posted:Can someone explain LVP to me. People rave about it but I’ve never seen it look or feel good It's total bullshit that it "looks and feels real" but it looks and feels acceptable to ok, is waterproof, and easy to install. It's also extremely thin. Perfect for a basement.
|
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2022 04:11
|
|
|
Thank you I’m just tired of reading about how it’s supposedly just as nice as real hardwood (or better) and seeing people rip up hardwood and replace it with light grey vinyl planks
|
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2022 04:21
|
|
|
Upgrade posted:Thank you But it's got luxury right there in the name!
|
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2022 04:40
|
|
|
Upgrade posted:Thank you It's "just as nice" for people who can't afford the real thing trying to convince themselves they're not missing out on anything. I think it's an excellent material for the price and ease of installation. It is not the same nor nearly as "nice" as anything its trying to replicate. It gets extra points for being waterproof. The people ripping up hardwood have one or more of the following going on: just looking for a cheap and easy way to change, their hardwood was cheap overlay prefinished poo poo or even cheaper poo poo that can't even be sanded and refinished, is damaged, they don't have the money to refinish it properly, have very bad taste. Remember, there is a LOT of cheap poo poo "hardwood" out there. Stuff where LVP probably _IS_ better. Because when hardwood was "the thing" the market came up with cheap lovely solutions to get it everywhere people were willing to pay.
|
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2022 15:15
|
|
|
LVP was a hell of a lot nicer than the 15 year old cheap carpeting it replaced, and I was able to install it myself throughout the upstairs of our house over a weekend. I've never heard anyone claim it's just as good as real wood flooring, but it was orders of magnitude cheaper. I'd have loved to do real wood, but that simply wasn't in the budget at the time. Just because something isn't the absolute best, doesn't mean it's bad or wrong to use.
|
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2022 15:22
|
|
|
Motronic posted:It's "just as nice" for people who can't afford the real thing trying to convince themselves they're not missing out on anything. It’s HGTV brain, which has also led to terminal cases of floating kitchen shelves and shiplap everywhere
|
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2022 15:23
|
|
|
Upgrade posted:It’s HGTV brain Which goes along with the "cheap flip" aesthetic. Don't know the cause or effect, but they do go together.
|
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2022 15:28
|
|
|
When we put it in the beach house, we ripped out chipboard with basically a sticker on top that was heavily water damaged, and replaced it with a higher end LVP. It went in the sun room, and we mitigated the water ingress. It looks fine, much, much better that what came out. It's definitely not as good as the actual hardwood in the rest of the house, but it's very good for that room. In my house I'd put it in the basement, but replacing the carpet upstairs will involve actual hardwood. There's plenty of HGTV brain to insist it's nice in general, but I'd say reasonable people would mean nice for where it is or nice for it's use case.
|
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2022 15:34
|
|
|
I have an unfinished basement that I plan to semi-finish (probably insulation, drywall, drop ceiling) and use for crafting, painting, woodworking, and exercise. LVP seems like the perfect material for the floor down there as I don't want anything that requires maintenance or a lot of care, is waterproof, and is cheap, some I don't need my basement floor to be fancy. So I definitely see it's uses, but I definitely wouldn't use it upstairs when it's time to replace the real hardwood floors.
|
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2022 17:39
|
|
|
From Reddit, relevant to this thread: Any ideas for better privacy for my sliding barn door at the entrance of my bathroom? quote:The door doesn’t lock (not a big issue) but there are small gaps on all sides around the frame when closed. Looking for solutions for more privacy as it is right off the kitchen Go back in time, murder the kitchen designer, return to find a pocket door.
|
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2022 20:16
|
|
|
Bet you it was self-installed. HGTV brains strikes again. You don't put those stupid doors on the common area bathroom. You do it for an en suite bathroom, or an office that doesn't require true privacy. Not the loving bathroom your guests will be pissing in.
|
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2022 20:25
|
|
|
According to the op, it's in a rental. And the bathroom is right next to the kitchen. I'd probably rip the thing out and install a real door anyway, if I was planning to live there for a while. Death to barn doors.
|
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2022 20:32
|
|
|
Misplaced barn doors are still hot with flippers. Oh look, a barn door. That goes into the pantry or a closet, right? Nope, I can see the outline of the toilet through the gaps around the improperly-sized barn door.
|
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2022 21:08
|
|
|
Back when I was still home shopping I checked many homes off my list simply because they had awful barn doors. I really don't understand the appeal of these things. They look awful and have terrible functionality. I'm guessing they're a lot cheaper to install than real doors, which is why flippers love them. When I redid the downstairs flooring I chose to go with high quality LVP mostly because it's resilient and requires minimal maintenance. I'm pretty happy with the result. It's not as "nice" as hardwood, but it looks good, feels decent enough, and has done a great job fending off assaults from my larger friends sliding chairs around on top of it. LVP quality varies widely though. The stuff at my old apartment looked bad and got damaged super easily. The stuff at my friend's apartment feels terrible to touch with bare skin.
|
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2022 21:39
|
|
|
A bathroom directly off of the kitchen was a Hard No for me when my partner and I were looking to buy Fuckin hate that design, why does it exist?!
|
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2022 21:49
|
|
|
|
| # ? Jun 3, 2024 04:09 |
|
|
Kefit posted:Back when I was still home shopping I checked many homes off my list simply because they had awful barn doors. I really don't understand the appeal of these things. They look awful and have terrible functionality. I'm guessing they're a lot cheaper to install than real doors, which is why flippers love them. They cost more to buy (at least taking a quick glance at HD's "in stock today" and "sort by lowest price") but I'd wager if your goal is adding a door to an existing opening, it's much less labor than redoing framing and/or drywall to accommodate a proper pre-hung door. A barn door is like hanging an oversized curtain rod, a framed door involves actual carpentry and making sure an opening is square and finishing work and trim work and paint and and and. Johnny Truant posted:A bathroom directly off of the kitchen was a Hard No for me when my partner and I were looking to buy Probably some combination of "costs less to stub off of the plumbing that already exists int he kitchen" and "no better place to put the entrance". There's a bathroom at my mom's place that's this way for both of these reasons, though knowing what I know now I'd redo the whole thing and make it into a private bathroom for the bedroom also directly attached to the kitchen on that end.
|
|
#
?
Dec 7, 2022 21:53
|
|
