Looking really great. Suggestion: frame in a raised cat walk down the center of the trusses so you can get from one end to the other without wading through the blown insulation. Mark the trusses with large numbers then take a bunch of photos before its insulated -- you will have a nice map of all the plumbing, wires and framing that will be hidden by the insulation. What R value are you using?
Good job...I live in the province of Alberta in Canada and vapour barrier is required by code...you did it right by installing the vapour barrier last...love your channel...keep going you are one hard working dude...👏😃😄😁😎😀👍💪
If you add roof sheathing like OSB, you do need a vapor barrier because the warm interior air will heat the sheathing and then water can condense moisture in the sheathing itself and the sheathing will rot over time. In AZ, even though humidity is very low, often vapor barrier in the finished ceiling is not used, but condensation in the attic is eliminated by venting the attic. But in "cathedral ceilings" that are conventionally framed that have drywall directly attached and are not vented, I have seen not only the sheathing rot, but even the structural wood rot over time - and this is in AZ. So in cathedral type ceilings a vapor barrier would be required. As a licensed GC, I will not build a cathedral ceiling unless it is vented AND it has vapor barrier. But as I said, with a truss system like what you have, in AZ we do not put up a vapor barrier at the drywall because we have insulation installed directly over the drywall and that provides a barrier from the interior warmth. No condensation above the drywall occurs because the cold air from the attic does not get through the insulation to reach the drywall. I strongly suggest that you purchase 8' x 4' 1/2" OSB and cut it into 2' wide sections (8' fee t long) and install walkways in your attic. This will make your attic much more accessible for maintenance. You also can install some full sheets in some areas to create attic storage. You can install your blown-in insulation above the plywood and mark the areas where it is installed for future reference because the insulation will hide the OSB. It costs some money up front but in the long run it is well worth it. I also suggest that you run LED attic lights in your attic right now. Again, it is so convenient to just go up through an attic ladder and flip a switch and have the entire attic lit brightly. It really isn't that hard because you can connect your attic light runs to existing light wire circuits. Because LEDs draw so little electricity, your existing light circuits can easily carry them. These are just suggestions to make your life easier later on when you have to go up in the attic to do something. You are doing a great job!
As far as the kids' swings go, can you locate a place for them and install a flush beam in the ceiling and then attach some eye hooks to the beam so the swings can hang from the eye hooks? Kind of a long shot, but it was just an idea. You're doing great work... keep it up!
Looking good. That is a HUGE space above the living areas. I would surely think about sheathing a lot of it for storage. Heck, you even have enough space for more rooms there.
Good job putting up the barrier and explaining its purpose. We built our house back in 2006-7. I used R-22 fiberglass insulation in the ceiling. But if I had to do it over today I would have had the underside of the roof spray insulated. Mainly because our A/C duct work is up there and it gets mighty hot in the Florida sun and it probably would have been more efficent.
You can always open cell spray foam the roof deck and make a conditioned attic. You will likely get a higher rate value then the r22 you have, and keep the ductwork out of such a hostile area. The return on investment is definitley there and will be made up in a few years.
Why didn't you tape the vapour barrier sheet edges to each other? It's required by code in many jurisdictions and even where not required it is simply "good practice". In the same circumstances I would spray foam the over the top plates thus joining the vapour barrier/top plate seams to have a contiguous barrier from sheet to sheet between rooms. Moisture will eventually wick through the top plates into the attic. Even though spray foam in the wall cavities comprises its own vapour barrier you might also consider a can spray foam seal between the wall insulation and the back of the vapour barrier that comes down the wall a bit when you install the drywall to ensure a contiguous seal between wall and ceiling vapour barriers. Yes more work and slight cost but you've taken so much effort getting to this point a last few details will maximize your return.
In Alaska, caulk (commonly referred to as “Black Death”, not sure of the name) is used to adjoin two pieces of plastic. Then the two pieces of plastic are French rolled into itself and stapled. When the vapor barrier is brought down the wall, the caulk is applied to the back side of the vapor barrier, sealing the vapor barrier past the bottom plate, to also stop air moving under the bottom plate. This stops air movement into the condition space and stops any moisture into the insulation, making a continuous vapor barrier wall to ceiling piece of plastic.
What are you going to do with yourself when you get the house done? HAHA! You are doing a great job documenting this! The little tips and tricks are great pieces of info.
There's a U tuber in Canada called "the Crazy Framer. I don't know if it's everywhere in Canada, but they are nuts about vapor barriers. Watch his channel to see what he does. He puts a strip of vapor barrier under the top plate when he frames the walls so that when they do the ceilings, they can tape to it. When I built my house here in South Dakota, I did not put vapor barrier where my ceilings were drywall. However, I did where I did the Tongue and groove, as I did not put drywall up first. I was surprised, having come from Minnesota where it's mandatory to vapor barrier the ceilings, to find that it's not typically done here.
Spray foam is good for filling gaps but the material you want to seal the edge of the plastic to the wood is called accoustic sealant. It is black in color. You put a finger sized bead on the edge of the wall then using a roller squash the plastic into it. They adhere and seals the two sides together.
in cold climates like canada its code that you have to seal all the edges of vapor barrier with caulk or tuck tape. also you have to vapor barrier your walls though with foam you dont usually need too, but if you had... maybe wouldnt have had those issues.
That's a neat trick with the cardboard squares. What size of staple did you use with those? I'm going to try that out when I do the vapor barrier in my new garage.
Hey man. Thanks for sharing. I need some help on my own place. I'm in the process of installing a metal roof. What I've read says that I should put the vapor barrier over the rafters, add a batten over the rafters along with insulation, add purlins, then water/vapor barrier and finally attaching the metal roof (including flashing and ridge cap). Overall, this seems to avoid the OSB/plywood sheathing/decking and replace it with the purlins and batten. What do you think?
Paul , thanks for the detailed explanation on the vapor barrier. I thought that was much the case- as a plumber and HVAC contractor, I have done both new installations and remodels- bids for all new work are simple, bids on anything resembling a remodel are a joke. I tell people going in what the base hourly cost per man is and what my markup will be, include all my trip time, rework and reinspect time and then add 10% if I like you. They want a hard and fast bid, so I give them a bid with locked in conditions that leave me room to write up and bill for "extras"- the things the bid didn't cover. Believe it or not, most people would have done better using my system. So, yes, I know what a disaster it is to schedule when other work interferes. Good call, even if it cost you some time later. As always, I'm already jealous of this great house!
Was wondering, do you think You could use spray cork on metal ceiling panels for sound absorption? Any suggestions on how you personally would do this? spray before putting them up or after installing?
I am finishing a 24 by 24 pole barn. I was planning to put foam board up in between rafters to insulate some and then frame rafters 16 on center for roll insulation for ceiling. Should I still put up plastic for vapor barrier?
Great series and I continue to learn a lot from your experiences. How did you cut the cardboard squares for holding up the plastic vapor barrier? Thanks and continue the fantastic work.
Is this a good idea for garage ceiling with only 3 joists in the middle to seal the ceiling to keep the heat going to attic and attic vent in the winter? I am only going to use the heating only as needed
Nice job, especially for one guy, I would have used carton (cereal boxes and phone book covers) in stead of cardboard, I think that is important because the US standard is to use only one sheet of 1/2" drywall, and not two layers like is code in Europe (the second layer makes for a stronger, flatter result) I would also have used a 2ft. strip of plastic over all top plates when the walls were stood up, and then tape them to the larger sheets, to make the whole vapor barrier "one piece" In Europe it is code to tape (50 year rated) all seams, and use caulk (also 50 year rated) in all places where the plastic meets up with something not plastic, I see on You Tube that the Canadians use "Tuck" tape like there is no tomorrow, for that same thing. BUT this is YOUR house and YOU are the only man that has to be happy about it !!!
Lookin good! Do you think you'd need the 6 mil plastic if you had closed cell spray foamed the back of the roof? And would you still need to do blown in insulation if the roof is spray foamed? Also, what weight of snow load are your trusses rated for?
If you spray foam your roof you don't need the vapor barrier because close cell foam itself can be used as vapor control layer. The blown in insulation wouldn't be needed in a condition attic.
It depends on the climate -- in cold climates you want vapor barrier on the warm side of the insulation so interior moisture is stopped before it can condense or freeze on the cold side of the insulation. If the barrier were on the cold side of the insulation then interior moisture would condense and possibly freeze on the interior side of the barrier (which is in the cold attic). In warm humid climates you do it the other way. You want to stop exterior humidity (think Florida) from passing through the insulation condensing on the relatively cold (from air conditioning) drywall. Not a freezing issue but a mold issue. In climates with both then I guess you flip a coin. Don't think you would put two barriers as that would trap moisture in the insulation material.
If you have 3/4 inch plywood sheathing under a standing seam roof, would you still put the plastic under the bottom cord? vented eaves, solid rakes. blowing in cellulose, corrugated steel is the finished interior celling. heated with infloor heat. wall assembly is 2x6 with 3/4" plywood, house wrap and corrugated steel.
I am trying to put up an air vapor barrier on my ceiling in my basement ceilings are not that high however there’s air ducts for the heating and there’s electrical outlets already in place so I need to be able to do this and go around these features somehow and still make it airtight can you show me an example of that please not one person has anything on RU-vid and I need to have this done I have all the material in place and I just need some instruction so I could go on this project and stop the fibers from going into the air right into my lunch but I’m exercising
So did you get your roof trusses engineered to handle a load from drywall? And won't the interior walls you nailed to the trusses act as a cantilever and stress everything?
Yes as long as you have your trusses built properly. You have to specify what you are putting on for finished ceiling and roofing so that the top and bottom chord can be built for that specific loading.
What are the exterior dimensions of your two buildings (garage and house)? I know previously you mentioned 18 feet high to accommodate two stories and your living space was 4000 sq feet. I was wondering how wide as compared to the length.
I'm from the US but I was working in Leicestershire for a couple of years and was renting a house in Narborough. The house had a step over at the entry which was a constant trip point until we got used to it. Is that a code to have that barrier at entrance doors in UK or was that just the way that house was built?
Those sheathing methods actually are weaker than steel because the screws don't hold as well in osb . I work building pole barns in Montana and we get some extreme winds so that might be why that is more important out here versus somewhere with less wind
I know it's going to cost quite a bit more, but I really want to seal and spray the entire roof for an insulated and unvented attic when I build so that I never have to worry about any of that. I feel like it will be worth the extra expense in the long-run.
@@TdrSld I was thinking Schluter for the entire shower/tub areas and an HRV so that I'm constantly pulling air out of the bathrooms and putting fresh air into the bedrooms and common areas
@@chaseweeks2708 That is a great start, but bathrooms put out a lot of water vapor and keeping it in the room and venting it out is the best way to keep it from molding. I have seen tons of 2000's and 90's home were they just through dry wall up and said the vent will do the job. Guess what mold everywhere around the bathrooms. even on the under side of the roof above the bathroom. Really scary the way cheap track homes of been built down here in South Texas. If you're looking for good building science Matt Risinger here on RU-vid is a great resource! So is Marshall Remodel, he has some good pointers for colder climates.
@@TdrSld haha, Matt is how I learned about Schluter. My theory is with the HRV intake being inside the shower/tub area and constantly running, the water vapor shouldn't exit the shower with the negative pressure pulling in fresh air from the rest of the bathroom, and from the rest of the house. I may decide to go a bit overboard and try to run the Kerdi everywhere in the bathroom, but I don't think it will be necessary. A thoughtful choice in paint formulation should prevent what little water vapor that might escape the shower from entering the drywall. I think anyway. I've still got at least 4 years until I'll even be able to break ground, so who knows what I'll learn between now and then, or what new ideas I'll find to work into my design(s).
@@chaseweeks2708 If it's not a steam room you don't need kerdi everywher but you should look into intelligent vapor membranes like siga majrex, its great for cold climate and its superior to the poly barrier in every way. Works great in cold climates and it doesn't trap moisture.
For the area right above the living room and the kids open area living room, why not put the vapor barrier right under the roof so the ceiling goes all the way up?
I know the plastic is relatively cheap, but what else could have been used as a vapor barrier that would have been easier to install by yourself? Thin blue board, drywall, etc? Is drywall (taped on all seams) good enough for a vapor barrier?
@@jesperdahl1486 LOL sorry I didnt realize plastic film wasnt used as vapor barrier till recently. My construction experience is only about 10 years old and limited to my own residence remodeling. I just figured plastic film had been used for a very long time. Our older, prior to 1950s houses are well known for air leakage so I figure that must be why
He mentions he's going to blow in fiberglass insulation on top of the vapor barrier. Nothing against the attic ceiling (direct underside of the roof) though. That's all basically atmospheric conditions.
@@seank9643 I think in such cold weather I should have blown insulation on to the roof . It is an option , later you will decide what is appropriate , greetings from Spain
@@mikeljon7707 I believe the entire attic is vented to the outdoors through the soffits and ridge cap, so insulating anything besides the floor (i.e. interior ceiling) wouldn't achieve anything.
You use the same machine to blow in both materials, so the choice is R value, cellulose is a lot lower pr. inch in R value over fiber glass, or mineral wool.
@@jesperdahl1486 no, its not. Loose fill cellulose is r3.7 per inch while fiberglass is r3.0 per inch. Cellulose is alot denser then fiberglass against air movement, fire and bug proof, and rodents dont like it the way they fiberglass. Cellulose is a far superior insulation the fiberglass. It also doesn't mold due to being treated with borates. Fiberglass molds as well.
@@mikecampanella1990 That comment puzzles me, I am Europe based, and I have previously looked up the values for both cellulose and glass or mineral wool, and cellulose is worse (the same at best) then the cheapest insulation we used in the 80`s and considerable worse then what we use today. I just looked it up again, the Lambda value of of cellulose is about 40, that was about the norm for insulation in the 70`s and 80`s today we use L 37 (if we are cheap) L 35 is middle of the road, and L 32- 33 is the best on the market L 35 is 12,5 % better then L 40, and L 32 is twenty % better then L 40 Lambda is a different measurement then R value, BUT the % difference should be the same. The only problem is, that to afford the L 32 you have to sell at least one kidney.
@@jesperdahl1486 I am not sure what the difference with cellulose here in the United States and where you are from may be. But here, fiberglass is the cheapest insulation option and cellulose out performs it in every measure. Foams typically have a higher r value but many people can't afford them or don't want them off gassing in the house. I know I've seen some nice passive houses and net zero houses from Europe that use dense packed cellulose and gates wooden fiber insulation on exteriors.
A typical trick that will solve the problem in the future is to put a 1 foot strip of plastic on the top of the wall. That then allows you to attach those strips to the plastic that you install after with the accoustic sealant I mentioned...
Sorry I haven’t been watching all of the videos. I saw the condensation issue in the walls and I took some time to look back through the videos I did not watch. ***** the vapor barrier in the ceiling is compromised since the seams are not taped “continues” is a key word. Moist air will most likely find its way into the attic insulation also. You will be amazed how much moisture can travel across little gaps. ✌️
You should run your electrical wires on the side of the rafters rather then on top when going length ways. You never want your wires to be in the walking path to be damaged later on.
