Thanks for taking time out of your day to watch our video! It feels so good to have the building fully insulated, because we think it's about to get real cold! 🥶 Have you checked out our most recent Time-lapse video? ua-cam.com/video/NXJi-f8_a-4/v-deo.html
Consider 3/4 plywood instead of Sheetrock for shop walls. 3/4 plywood allows u to hang anything anywhere without looking for a studs. I did this in a couple of garage / shops and it is awesome for shop layout and wall storage. Great video!
Plywood just roots from the inside out due to moisture; I have taken it out of many "shop/garage" areas up in the midwest, it did not matter if it was painted correctly. In poll-barn construction once you start with plastic finish with plastic including the floor then the space must be conditioned. For the apartment I would plastic the outside wall & floor to stop dust and other thing from getting into the insulation, it will need 3/4 fire rated drywall anyway as the seperation.
Heard your comments about moisture and have the following comments: When you get the slab place plastic sheeting on the base before woven wire and concrete. Other option is use a spec moisture barrier below the slab. This will keep moisture in control. Second the moisture barrier is a debated topic but comes down to where the dew point in the wall is located. In norther dry environments it’s best to place behind drywall. You have a vented cavity, not best since you do not want air flow, negates any RValue. In short you are doing great by researching, but keep in mind Idaho is dry and you need to be context of that environment. Moisture barrier needs to be on the interior with air barrier (tyvek) on the exterior. Do me a favor and close all big openings if you want to be warmer (stairs and that big opening at the second level. If you might want to place a horizontal 2x4 horizontal as a guard rail if you do not close off the openings. It might save a trip to the hospital. By the you are doing well on your project.
I was wondering why you were dragging an ATM machine up your stairs. Now, it makes more sense it was a insulation blower. DUH !! I'm so impressed with your stamina to get things done.
Again you guys are doing great, love watching yall getting it done. I still say that you need to build a 55 gallon wood heater for the shop. You can hang an oil drip system later to recycle your used oil and provide a huge heat upgrade. The chimney can go out through the wall, so no more holes in the roof. A large wood stove at ground level will dehumidify way more than any store bought unit and does not need electricity! Good luck guys.
OMG!!! I just watched the stair fiasco 3 times and my ribs hurt from laughing!!! That is how my wife and I "work together" on most everything too!!! Laughter tears are the best tears. ❤🧡💛💚💙💜
So I might have mentioned something about a crane would come in handy :-). To ease the moisture from the dirt, how about placing some plastic on the dirt and covering it in sand. It should work as a temporary measure and also keep everything clean and out of any mud until you get the floor pored. Thanks for posting
Wish I had your drive and energy, I built our home in Western KY 21 years ago. We bought 19 acres in Durango recently and are going to be retiring and building our retirement home in 2-4 years. I have also spent hours watching Matt's Build Show videos!! Looking great guys, keep up the great work!!
Vapor Barrier: You actually need one between the apparent and the shop. The reason for this isn't a moisture concern but one of vehicle exhaust. By code, a vapor barrier is required between the residents and the garage.
Great progress guys. Thanks for the update. Moisture is a challenge that is for sure. Laying poly on the dirt will help reduce moisture evaporation into the building however the downside is that it will make it challenging to walk on. Here in Canada this is what is recommended for a crawl space to manage moisture. Cheers from Canada!
Great episode thanks. On your upcoming plumbing project. When installing, I would make considerations for quick simple drain down of the system. If you have a quick adventure during winter months open a couple valves and off you go your system is empty. On your traps there are RV traps that are either easy to drain or some that don't retain water at all... we have a cottage in the snow belt of NY state, so we have had fun keeping these drain down requirements in our system. To the point of integrating a blower (hot tub bubble blower) into the plumbing system to blow it out. Crazy, but easy to run off without freezing worries. Just a point to consider. Let me know if you'd like more info. Keep up the good work.
YES! Open the low point drain tap, then open all the upstairs faucets, which allows air to replace the water in the pipes, and the water gravity flows out… The P traps are easy to winterize, just dump some RV antifreeze in each one.
its coming along great!!! im going to say this, vapor barrier/moisture problems is different for a pole barn then it is for a stick framed house!!!! 2 totally different problems to address!!! thanks for sharing with us & good luck with the moisture!!
Great job guys! Doggies looked comfy on there cot. Sheetrock the ceiling next before that plastic comes loose and all your Insulation drops down and you have to do it all over.
Looks great! I would recommend covering as much of the exposed earth of the shop area as possible with at least 6mil plastic, it will greatly reduce the amount of water evaporating into the air. If that isn’t possible at least put plastic down under any wood stored on the ground of the shop to stop it from getting moisture and mold. I’d recommend insulating the wall between the shop and living space with at least R-11 fiberglass. Also insulate the floor under the living space to at least R-19. A vapor barrier on the wall between the living space and the shop wouldn’t be a bad idea. You’ll be running equipment inside the shop, the barrier will minimize the exhaust fumes making it into living space. Sealing the seams and penetrations in your living space floor should be enough to stop fumes from migrating from the shop. Going beyond R-38 in the attic is a good idea. Your limitations are space available and how much the drywall will support. Your drywall should support a little more than 2lbs. Per sq. ft. After your first big wind storm I’d check the attic to make sure the wind hasn’t moved any insulation away from the eaves. I don’t recall what your soffit vent looks like but from other metal building soffits I’ve seen they seem pretty good at slowing wind speed.
My wife and I rented one from HD and it was broken.I ended up tearing it apart and fixing it so we were able to use it.Worked well after that.We should've charged them for using it.
Totally agree with your comments about vapor barrier. When we built our house the basement was unfinished but had insulation and 4 mil plastic VB. Within a couple years I noticed small black dots of what I assume was some kind of mold behind the VB on the surface of the insulation. So that was a bit of fun to remove, spray with bleach and replace.
Hey guys, I love your videos, your attitudes and what you're doing. You're an inspiration to me and to many others. As a building contractor though, I have to say I've got some serious concerns with your direction with the vapor barrier. I love Matt's video's, he's a great guy and does a ton to educate people correctly about building science. I watched the video you linked, and I'm struggling to see where you interpreted that you don't need a vapor barrier, I hear him saying the opposite pretty clearly at the 15:00 mark. I've been working in the industry for 30 years, and before that, my Dad too was a builder so I grew up on job sites as a kid. I've seen the Code evolve, I've watched the move to vapor barriers, and now the trend to focus also on air-tightness. I've watched the consequences of when we brought in vapor barriers and really didn't understand the implications of what adding them to a wall system would do. I'm in BC, maybe a couple hundred miles north of Seattle. We have some of the worst moisture problems in the world to deal with, and I've seen what happens when things go wrong. With the walls, you're right, you don't want to end up with a dual plane of vapor barriers that will trap moisture. You've got a vapor barrier there with that backed insulation, (sort of). You don't have an air barrier at all, and the metal cladding sort of also gives you a bit of a rain screen. I'm not too worried about your walls. You're also very correct in that an air barrier is a super significant piece of the puzzle. But you absolutely DO NOT want moisture moving through the ceiling into your attic. Your hopes that it will just vent out through the ridge vent doesn't play out in reality. I would expect that you're going to find that with a metal roof, all that uncontrolled moisture is going to condense and rain down on your insulation. I've seen it do this even with an asphalt/plywood roof, even with a vapor barrier. You guys might get lucky in that you omitted the VB entirely in the ceiling. You *might* get enough heat loss into the attic to create enough air movement to move that moist air out, but what happens when the temps are around freezing and the outside air you're drawing into your attic is at 100% relative humidity? You only replaced hot moist air with cold moist air, and now the roof is even colder. The other option would be to seal for air tightness. But unless there's something on the market I'm not aware of, the paints available are VB paints not air barrier, and the air tightness requirements for a VB are way less stringent than for an AB. With the VB paint, you have to use gasketed elec boxes, and I pretty sure you have to caulk all the edges of your drywall. Even if you had done all that, unless I'm mistaken, none of that gives you a proper air barrier. Paint doesn't deal with all the cracks and escape points, which tends to funnel moisture and concentrate it, which means these points become problem areas. Like you said, it's a really hard thing to deal with properly. Believe me I know! We have to go to a TON of work these days to deal with this. Way more so here in Canada with recent changes to our Code. It's super tricky, it's costly, and the details have big consequences that you have to get right. You guys have a little less to deal with than the climate I'm in, so hopefully things work out for you. You've got yourselves a real-world test case scenario there, so I'm really, really interested to hear how it works out. Please keep us up to date on how things go over the next couple years. Check your attic often throughout winter. Hope this all doesn't sound too negative. Not a hater, I'm 100% a learn-by-doing guy myself, and I've learned waaaay too much the hard way. I'm really enjoying your builds and find myself sharing your excitement, you guys are naturally infectious that way! Looking forward to your next installment, keep up the good work!
Hi there! I was wondering if you could give me some advice about how to insulate the upper level of my dairy barn. It’s a concrete block barn built in the 1930’s with a metal roof and a concrete slab floor which was added in the 80’s. We want to convert the lower level to a guest house space, so the upper level would essentially be an attic. I was thinking of using rock wool, but would I need an OSB sheathing and an air gap, or no OSB sheathing? Or should I use something like foam board or vinyl backed fiberglass batts?
Thanks for your comment. I am learning as I read all this. You do not come across to me as a hater or a troll, but one with experience in this area. Thanks for your comment. All the best from Texas.
@kellydklassen What about whirly birds in the roof to allow more air flow to help prevent condensation and ventilate? Would that help at all? We operate ours part of the year, and close them off at certain temps.
@@ORSkie Kind of. The problem in winter (at least in a PNW climate) is that yes, you are ventilating air, but you're still sucking in 100% humidity cold air which as it warms can take on more mositure as the attic heats up that air. Then you have the cold surface of the underside of the roof that will give that moisture a place to condense. To factor into that on the flip side though is that theoretically the air is in movement which if great enough will help delay the increase in temperature/humidity of that air in the attic and therefore condensation. Those whirly gigs are much more effective had battling summer problems than winter. PNW weather is super tricky for building technology. And I don't think we have figured out a good solution for it yet.
@@kellydklassen yeah. We live somewhere where we have cold & dry winters so we use whirlys during summer to help vent the heat but close them up for winter or we freeze, lol.
Insulate the interior wall facing the garage , you may want two separate zones. 70 degree living space 50 degree garage. Less fuel used and will also help with cooling come summer.
Sheetrock the wall between the apartment and the garage/workshop area. And insulate that wall. You two are working so well together! Enjoy your videos and personalities - so cool!
Well done guys. The moisture barrier is right on. For decades houses were built using plastic on the walls and ceiling. Old timer builder taught me about houses need to breath. Speaking of breathing, watched a UA-cam video on "rock wool" which was an eye opener. Rock wool fibers are not organic and are lighter than air. From a lung point of view it doesn't seem to be a good replacement. Love your process.
You could also Poly under the slab to prevent the ground moisture from coming up. In our area it also helps with Radon gas coming up into our basements. As for the vapour barrier there is more than one way to skin a cat. Up here in Canada the most common method is poly on the warm side of the insulation. All electrical boxes would have a ploy enclosure around the box and sealant. As long as you can stop the vapour before it can condensate in the attic and turn to frost.
It's great to let you keep us updated on your progress. I agree with Glen Smith in that the plastic might stretch and give you problems. I'm sure you'll put something in the ceiling of the shop to give the plastic some support. Keep the videos coming.
The building is starting to Look really good, well done getting the attic done without Riley going through the plastic. We like watching the videos to see what else is in the background that you are working on that's not yet been put in an episode. Plastering seams this time, and a big box downstairs under the tarp. Excellent work.
Had you thought about the heating for the workshop floor. If you had under floor heating you would be able to work in your workshop all year round and in any weather. Just a thought.
@@Chris_at_Home I have in floor hear in my 24x32 shop in Northern Minnesota. I switched from off peak electrical water heater to a wood-fired boiler. Excellent even heat, very comfortable, doesn’t take too much wood to keep it comfy. In your place, it could heat the whole place. You just layout a curving grid pattern of 3/4” PEX tubing either in one or two zones and poke both ends above the level of the slab. After the concrete cures, you can plumb the outdoor wood boiler to the 2 ends sticking up, set up a small pump to circulate the water, and let ‘er rip. (But definitely read up about in-floor heat) I didn’t use water but instead found cold climate windshield wiper fluid to fill the system & keep it from freezing.
Yes another great progress update... we’re about to finish the insulation in our shop studio space and totally relate about the abundant and often conflicting vapor barrier guidance. Because the Midwest has both dry winters and a super humid Spring/Summer, spec’ing the right vapor products is especially important. I was a bit surprised at the absence of a fire stop between your truss carriers (suspect you don’t have a code/inspection requirement, but it helps to mitigate aggressive convection into a vented attic space). Keep up the progress... looks like your loft will be fully closed in the next few episodes.
Great video thank you! You're smart to be concerned about moisture it can destroy a building without you even knowing it. Your moisture problems will not be over when you pour a concrete slab. Concrete slabs give off a lot of moisture for months if not a full year so you still have to be concerned about moisture for quite a while. Also metal siding is a very good vapor barrier and it's on the wrong side of the wall so you have to be especially careful to keep moisture from getting into the wall. As a retired Builder I'm enjoying watching your progress. You're doing great!
It was pretty cool seeing all of f you I love being friends and helping one another...wonderful having such a good friendship and learning with one another...such is life to be, one of the things I love about having good friends ..a gift from Heaven🥰
When you finish the shop ceiling consider adding more insulation to the attic , in the north you should have 18" of insulation in the cielings for an r54. Love how you guys tackle each obstacle and overcome it.
My guess is that the machine was running at a lower power because of the generator. Causing it to not spin fast enough to pull the insulation into the machine, that's why you needed to help feed it. Great job, it looks awesome.
I'm not a builder and I didn't play one on TV but out of the many post frame metal buildings I've had built in the pacific northwest not one has ever been built without the 2" roof blanket before sheeting the roof. That place is looking awesome.
Awesome guys, the Tyvek suit's are certainly not overkill, when it comes to insulation fiber's PPE is the name of the game. Respiratory protection is priority, I'm sure your throats were a little scratchy after all that.
I watched that Matt Risinger video awhile back and it definitely changed my attitude a bit on vapour barriers. A previous house I owned had several rooms where the walls were drywall laid on top of lathe+plaster with no vapour barrier behind. When checking inside the walls for adding low voltage wiring, I found that everything was clean (no mold) and dry on studs that were easily 100 years old. In that case, the exterior was brick so moisture had a path to escape. I think that is the key -- to have a path for moisture to go so that it doesn't collect on your wood and rot it. The new digs are looking great. I look forward to seeing your next projects -- and your sweet tracked jeep in the snow!
Since you created a common attic over two different occupancy types: Living area versus the shop area consider a one hour fire rated drywall separation between these two different occupancy types. This one hour envelope would include the ceiling in the shop, the wall between the living area and the shop and the underside of the living area over the shop.
We lived in a camper for 2 years and battled water caper all the time!! Know the pain and we got us a house and the first thing we finished was the bathroom with a endless water heater! Just a thought!
Good morning Courtney thanks for the little laugh this Monday morning while having my cup of coffee and your latest video. The view and the snow covered tree's are absolutely beautiful. Definitely wii be much warmer now with this stage done. By the way you two look good in your suits. Lol. 😀.
nice! love Matt, he's great! make your attic access lid heavy! like glue a 3/4" plywood to the drywall and rigid foam insulation to achieve the same insulation propereties like the rest. Or better leave the drywall sheet away, because it gets chewed up after a few removals.
I absolutely love your channel! You are us except your much cleaner and more PG rated than I and Danielle would be. Love it you inspire and show us thru our trials and tribulations how it's possible ❤️
Geyser kick in but I love it and no capo always works good together but the fact that you guys are doing such a great job is inspiring me to do a good job
in canada... vapor barrier is part of building code. you are right... not easy to seal the electrical outlet but once you do 3 or 4 of them you get the hang of it... if you want the house to breath (well... not if you want... its mandatory) get an air exchanger... all new house have that over here. also dual to triple windows help a lot to keep condensation from appearing on the windows. nice build you have so far!
Your work is so inspirational! I have always wanted to do many of the things you have successfully accomplished. However: two personal careers and raising 5 kids later and now turning around I realize the time has passed (I'm now 78) to accomplish the work. you have demonstrated. My congratulations on your accomplishments.
I think the next project should be turning that Ford Courier into a barbecue. I know that may sound crazy but I never saw a more skilled couple than you guys you do welding you do metal work you do creative stuff that blows my mind it's not all got to be just Square you can do it it would be highly entertaining.
I only discovered this channel a few days ago and I've been binge watching ever since. I know you will have your apartment sorted by now but I don't want to fast forward, I want to see the whole process and I'm currently up to episode 76, insulation. Actually, I don't want to get to the end, I'm trying to ration how many episodes I watch per day but I'm not very disciplined. Not to worry, great channel really enjoy watching.
I did this on our house build. Wife and friend fed the machine while I was up there. I spent 7hrs straight up there blowing it all in….bought enough for R-30 at 1600sq feet, but our attic is only 1200. I have insulation piles stacked all the way to the plywood on the ceiling in a lot of spots! Lol probably R-45 up there.
@@Franisboche money, I was wanting spray foam but the 22k estimate I got for the whole house was not in the budget. Just the roof was like 6 still iirc.
Hi guys, I was a licensed home inspector for 13 years, so I can't pass this by without comment as I love what you are both doing and I'd hate to see it undone by condensation/moisture issues! You are correct in that you want and need to manage humidity and condensation, however you are incorrect about the pros/cons of polyethylene vapour barrier. When used correctly, it is vital. It may help to think of your structure as three separate environments... the interior living space / the wall cavities / and the attic space... and each of these areas MUST be isolated from the other. We run into issues when they are able to bleed into each other. Properly installed vapour barrier - on the warm side of the wall/ceiling, before the thermal break (insulation), and with all the seams taped and sealed - prevents air leakage into the wall cavities and attic space. This is vitally important because air carries moisture in the form of water vapour.... and because cool air can not hold as much water vapour as warm air, when humid warm air passes through and into colder spaces, it drops its water in the form of condensation... and this condensation MUST be able to evaporate. If trapped you will have issues. In any environment, where you cycle through seasons with significant temperature differences between one side of the wall and the other, the wall "sandwich" must breathe from the outside (We learned this the hard way here in BC, with the whole leaky condo fiasco, when builders thought it would be a good idea to construct walls in the same manner as they do in southern california). The vapour barrier on the inside prevents/minimizes moisture transmission INTO the wall, but because the wall exterior is (intentionally) not airtight, any little bit that finds its way in can evaporate through the exterior envelope and not be trapped. An attic is its own separate environment. You mentioned having ridge venting on the roof, which is GREAT... but when you were insulating your attic I was not able to see if there were baffles between the roof trusses. Baffles are necessary as they create channels to allow air IN, which facilitates air-exchange through convection. If you have them, great... if you don't, install them because you need to allow for air to circulate in the attic - air must be able to ENTER at the eaves and EXIT at the ridge. Think of trying to heat an interior space with forced air - if air can not escape at the same rate as the air that is being forced into the room, you will have very little air EXCHANGE. It would be like trying to blow air into a 2 liter pop bottle. In your situation, with no vapour barrier in the ceiling, you will get an excessive amount of water vapour in the attic which will condense when it hits the cold environment. And with ineffective air exchange, this condensation will not evaporate/expel at a rate necessary to prevent issues because there is no air EXCHANGE. So... baffles, if you don't have them. As for controlling interior humidity, because we create a great deal of it from breathing, doing laundry, showering, cooking, etc.. please ensure sure you have vented ducting from each of these areas, and that these ducts go to the exterior (NOT into the attic space, for instance, as I have seen on many homes where DYI homeowners didn't know any better, or contractors have cheated by removing ducting after inspection). It's also not a bad idea to have humidity-sensing/activated switches controlling the laundry and bathroom areas where you shower, so you don't have to think about running them. Anyways... I'm happy to answer any questions if you have them. All the best!
Absolutely correct advice, especially about under-eve vents, each of which require a baffle in the attic to channel fresh exterior air into the attic, in order to help flush out moist air out the ridge vent. My home in the Northwest was built professionally and to code, but with its "hip roof" had insufficient attic ventilation to remove the moisture in the attic. Moisture was condensing on the tips of the roofing nails, and dripping onto the attic insulation. I installed a powered roof-mounted attic fan, which helped, but nor enough. I ended up needing the double the number of under-eve attic vents, adding a baffle for each. (The baffles allow an air channel into the attic from the vents, while keeping the blown insulation from blocking and clogging the vents.) Moisture problems solved.
When I do fiberglass insulation and drywall, I tape a a "good level" 20 inch air filter to a box fan to catch the loose fibers and drywall dust. I blow it off outside often. It is not perfect, but it is better than not doing it. I also duct-taped a piece of pipe to the end of the blowing nozzle to give more reach to the corners when blowing insulation.
Hey Guys, Love your videos . I can certainly relate to everything you are doing there since I spent most of my lifetime in cold climates doing the very things you are doing I have noticed that you guys arent novices in that some of the ways you do things. An example was when you purposely left that wall unstudded so you could lift the drywall up to the living space above. That is "planning ahead" and saves plenty of backbreaking work if you`d had to carry it up the stairs. Good job! I do have to comment on a couple of things however. I dont know who told you that insulating the outer walls with board insulation in between the 2x4`s and then adding the fiberglas insulation that has a paper moisture barrier on it could cause a moisture problem. Perhaps it could, dont get me wrong but almost all good contractors these days who build in cold climates finish the walls with a continuous layer of 4 mil or even 6mil plastic stapled on tightly before interior drywall. I dont know at this point what your interior finish will be in the shop portion of your building but regardless of what it is, drywall or plywood, etc. I would defitely add a layer of poly over top of the figerglas insulation. A layer of poly superceds any and all vapor barriers. NO interior heat vapor can penetrate it. Its too bad that you took out the board insulation as it added to your wall`s R factor. OK so now, I dont know too if someone advised you or you had gotten online advice about blowing in fiberglass in your ceilings. Some places in the country dont really need a moisture barrier, its true however in your cold climate you really DO need a vapor barrier between the ceiling drywall and the blown in insulation. I was sad to see you put the ceiling rock up with no vapor barrier above it especially true in a heated space like you living space will be. It IS needed. Without it heated air in a living space is laden with moisture and that moisture will permeate drywall and get trapped in the fibers of the figerglass and over time lower the fiberglass`s abilty to insulate. It isnt the end of the world yet. THere ARE paints that may be applied on interior surfaces like drywall that WILL act as a vaopr barrier. Another big + to a poly vapor barrier is that it stops air escape as well as intrusion big time. far better than insulation Be sure to place a layer of poly on your shop floor prior to pouring any concrete and it will absolutely stop moisture from the ground from "wicking up" through the slab. Again, love watching you two do this stuff and youre both quite obviously nice and smart people. Keep up the good work
Lived in Alaska for 50 years and vapor barrier has always been used in the walls of new construction. My home is 35 years old with fiber glass insulation and poly vapor barrier. No issues even at -45ºF.
I don't think they want to hear that. Leaving out the vapour barrier is going to be a big mistake downnthe road. They based their decision on Matt R's numbers for a single 4x8 sheet of gyproc, not a full ceiling. Moisture is going gnto go through that, hit the underside of that roof steel, and made a mess!
I did a similar blow in, not as high up, it took us 3 day at 12 hours a day and 10 inch thick for a 12 by 20 ceiling. Also, we cheated on the drywall. I made a H board. I screwed a pair of 4 foot 2 by 4s to the end of an 8 foot 2 by 4. Where the side of the H was 4 foot and the bar was the 8 foot. It made it really easy to get the drywall up and in place where I wanted it. If only I had suggested that over a year ago, right. I just subscribed in the last 4 to 6 months. I did watch your appliance lifting. Your hatch was a great idea, you may consider putting it on a hinge. Then, if you need it, you can open it up for what ever you need to put up. I would also consider a lift next to that hatch that will lift 1000 lbs, hang a plate from pulleys, when not in use it can stay up against the ceiling. It would have been easier to get the appliance up there. I do enjoy your videos, thanks for making them. Lee
The stairway incident with the giant equipment reminded me so much of how hubby and I work (or don't) together. 🤣 Figures that you got the tougher job and all he had to do was point and shoot the hose. 😕 Can't wait to see the Snowverlander in action. We got snow here and then it was 60. 😒❄ -Troy & Aimee
Lol, all the talk about vapour barrier is kinda funny!! The wall insulation already have a paper vapour barrier. And as Courtney and Riley have mentioned though out the build series. Building codes change from townships, city, state and county. So what’s right in your area may not need to be done in other areas. It’s amazing what they have pulled of in such a short time and on a limited budget!! Courtney, it was great seeing you in a collaboration video at the Johnson off-grid homestead. Now you can tread some excavator work for some tractor work with them. Keep up the great work and stay safe!!
Good luck guys! We're battling moisture too. Both in the walls and attic. We'd be interested to see your walls if you pull a batt or two back. Ours are soaked even with the plastic. We just ordered a mold specific dehumidifier for the attic.
Thanks for taking time out of your day to watch our video! It feels so good to have the building fully insulated, because we think it's about to get real cold! 🥶
Have you checked out our most recent Time-lapse video? ua-cam.com/video/NXJi-f8_a-4/v-deo.html
Consider 3/4 plywood instead of Sheetrock for shop walls. 3/4 plywood allows u to hang anything anywhere without looking for a studs. I did this in a couple of garage / shops and it is awesome for shop layout and wall storage. Great video!
Plywood just roots from the inside out due to moisture; I have taken it out of many "shop/garage" areas up in the midwest, it did not matter if it was painted correctly. In poll-barn construction once you start with plastic finish with plastic including the floor then the space must be conditioned. For the apartment I would plastic the outside wall & floor to stop dust and other thing from getting into the insulation, it will need 3/4 fire rated drywall anyway as the seperation.
Plywood is REALLY expensive...
moisture resistant OSB is a more suitable choice than plywood
@@TACTICALNOMAD holds it just fine, if you do it properly. A tool hanger should be on a plate of spare pine or whatnot. French cleats are my favorite.
@@michaelparkin8216 Fire separation in Idaho is only 5/8
Heard your comments about moisture and have the following comments:
When you get the slab place plastic sheeting on the base before woven wire and concrete. Other option is use a spec moisture barrier below the slab. This will keep moisture in control.
Second the moisture barrier is a debated topic but comes down to where the dew point in the wall is located. In norther dry environments it’s best to place behind drywall. You have a vented cavity, not best since you do not want air flow, negates any RValue. In short you are doing great by researching, but keep in mind Idaho is dry and you need to be context of that environment. Moisture barrier needs to be on the interior with air barrier (tyvek) on the exterior.
Do me a favor and close all big openings if you want to be warmer (stairs and that big opening at the second level. If you might want to place a horizontal 2x4 horizontal as a guard rail if you do not close off the openings. It might save a trip to the hospital.
By the you are doing well on your project.
I was wondering why you were dragging an ATM machine up your stairs. Now, it makes more sense it was a insulation blower. DUH !! I'm so impressed with your stamina to get things done.
I thought the same thing.
Again you guys are doing great, love watching yall getting it done. I still say that you need to build a 55 gallon wood heater for the shop. You can hang an oil drip system later to recycle your used oil and provide a huge heat upgrade. The chimney can go out through the wall, so no more holes in the roof. A large wood stove at ground level will dehumidify way more than any store bought unit and does not need electricity! Good luck guys.
OMG!!!
I just watched the stair fiasco 3 times and my ribs hurt from laughing!!!
That is how my wife and I "work together" on most everything too!!!
Laughter tears are the best tears.
❤🧡💛💚💙💜
We were in tears we were laughing so hard the first time we watched it together. 😂
Bread knife works great too to cut insulation.
So I might have mentioned something about a crane would come in handy :-). To ease the moisture from the dirt, how about placing some plastic on the dirt and covering it in sand. It should work as a temporary measure and also keep everything clean and out of any mud until you get the floor pored. Thanks for posting
Wish I had your drive and energy, I built our home in Western KY 21 years ago. We bought 19 acres in Durango recently and are going to be retiring and building our retirement home in 2-4 years. I have also spent hours watching Matt's Build Show videos!! Looking great guys, keep up the great work!!
Vapor Barrier: You actually need one between the apparent and the shop. The reason for this isn't a moisture concern but one of vehicle exhaust. By code, a vapor barrier is required between the residents and the garage.
Looking great! If you get your larger wood stove hooked up downstairs, the wood heat will greatly help to reduce the moisture in your building.
That's good mention about dirt floor and humidity.
It was nice to see Cortney in a different environment the Martin's are great. 👍👊😏
It’s such a pleasure watching you work together and making your dream come true.
Great progress guys. Thanks for the update. Moisture is a challenge that is for sure. Laying poly on the dirt will help reduce moisture evaporation into the building however the downside is that it will make it challenging to walk on. Here in Canada this is what is recommended for a crawl space to manage moisture.
Cheers from Canada!
Great episode thanks.
On your upcoming plumbing project. When installing, I would make considerations for quick simple drain down of the system. If you have a quick adventure during winter months open a couple valves and off you go your system is empty. On your traps there are RV traps that are either easy to drain or some that don't retain water at all... we have a cottage in the snow belt of NY state, so we have had fun keeping these drain down requirements in our system. To the point of integrating a blower (hot tub bubble blower) into the plumbing system to blow it out. Crazy, but easy to run off without freezing worries. Just a point to consider. Let me know if you'd like more info.
Keep up the good work.
YES! Open the low point drain tap, then open all the upstairs faucets, which allows air to replace the water in the pipes, and the water gravity flows out…
The P traps are easy to winterize, just dump some RV antifreeze in each one.
Way to go!!! Looks great!!
its coming along great!!! im going to say this, vapor barrier/moisture problems is different for a pole barn then it is for a stick framed house!!!! 2 totally different problems to address!!! thanks for sharing with us & good luck with the moisture!!
That thing is a champ! It's amazing the heat a "little" wood stove can produce!!
Thank you again. Have nice safe warm day.
Great job guys! Doggies looked comfy on there cot. Sheetrock the ceiling next before that plastic comes loose and all your Insulation drops down and you have to do it all over.
Yes!
One of the coolest guy I ever seen does this hard working genius ever get upset ? Great team thanks for sharing 👍
Looks great!
I would recommend covering as much of the exposed earth of the shop area as possible with at least 6mil plastic, it will greatly reduce the amount of water evaporating into the air. If that isn’t possible at least put plastic down under any wood stored on the ground of the shop to stop it from getting moisture and mold.
I’d recommend insulating the wall between the shop and living space with at least R-11 fiberglass. Also insulate the floor under the living space to at least R-19.
A vapor barrier on the wall between the living space and the shop wouldn’t be a bad idea. You’ll be running equipment inside the shop, the barrier will minimize the exhaust fumes making it into living space.
Sealing the seams and penetrations in your living space floor should be enough to stop fumes from migrating from the shop.
Going beyond R-38 in the attic is a good idea. Your limitations are space available and how much the drywall will support. Your drywall should support a little more than 2lbs. Per sq. ft.
After your first big wind storm I’d check the attic to make sure the wind hasn’t moved any insulation away from the eaves. I don’t recall what your soffit vent looks like but from other metal building soffits I’ve seen they seem pretty good at slowing wind speed.
The pink panthers achieve another goal. I am itching just watching you!
My wife and I rented one from HD and it was broken.I ended up tearing it apart and fixing it so we were able to use it.Worked well after that.We should've charged them for using it.
😂
We wrap. Our houses with Ty’s kids on the out side then siding
Totally agree with your comments about vapor barrier. When we built our house the basement was unfinished but had insulation and 4 mil plastic VB. Within a couple years I noticed small black dots of what I assume was some kind of mold behind the VB on the surface of the insulation. So that was a bit of fun to remove, spray with bleach and replace.
Hey guys, I love your videos, your attitudes and what you're doing. You're an inspiration to me and to many others. As a building contractor though, I have to say I've got some serious concerns with your direction with the vapor barrier. I love Matt's video's, he's a great guy and does a ton to educate people correctly about building science. I watched the video you linked, and I'm struggling to see where you interpreted that you don't need a vapor barrier, I hear him saying the opposite pretty clearly at the 15:00 mark.
I've been working in the industry for 30 years, and before that, my Dad too was a builder so I grew up on job sites as a kid. I've seen the Code evolve, I've watched the move to vapor barriers, and now the trend to focus also on air-tightness. I've watched the consequences of when we brought in vapor barriers and really didn't understand the implications of what adding them to a wall system would do. I'm in BC, maybe a couple hundred miles north of Seattle. We have some of the worst moisture problems in the world to deal with, and I've seen what happens when things go wrong.
With the walls, you're right, you don't want to end up with a dual plane of vapor barriers that will trap moisture. You've got a vapor barrier there with that backed insulation, (sort of). You don't have an air barrier at all, and the metal cladding sort of also gives you a bit of a rain screen. I'm not too worried about your walls.
You're also very correct in that an air barrier is a super significant piece of the puzzle. But you absolutely DO NOT want moisture moving through the ceiling into your attic. Your hopes that it will just vent out through the ridge vent doesn't play out in reality. I would expect that you're going to find that with a metal roof, all that uncontrolled moisture is going to condense and rain down on your insulation. I've seen it do this even with an asphalt/plywood roof, even with a vapor barrier.
You guys might get lucky in that you omitted the VB entirely in the ceiling. You *might* get enough heat loss into the attic to create enough air movement to move that moist air out, but what happens when the temps are around freezing and the outside air you're drawing into your attic is at 100% relative humidity? You only replaced hot moist air with cold moist air, and now the roof is even colder.
The other option would be to seal for air tightness. But unless there's something on the market I'm not aware of, the paints available are VB paints not air barrier, and the air tightness requirements for a VB are way less stringent than for an AB. With the VB paint, you have to use gasketed elec boxes, and I pretty sure you have to caulk all the edges of your drywall. Even if you had done all that, unless I'm mistaken, none of that gives you a proper air barrier. Paint doesn't deal with all the cracks and escape points, which tends to funnel moisture and concentrate it, which means these points become problem areas.
Like you said, it's a really hard thing to deal with properly. Believe me I know! We have to go to a TON of work these days to deal with this. Way more so here in Canada with recent changes to our Code. It's super tricky, it's costly, and the details have big consequences that you have to get right.
You guys have a little less to deal with than the climate I'm in, so hopefully things work out for you. You've got yourselves a real-world test case scenario there, so I'm really, really interested to hear how it works out. Please keep us up to date on how things go over the next couple years. Check your attic often throughout winter.
Hope this all doesn't sound too negative. Not a hater, I'm 100% a learn-by-doing guy myself, and I've learned waaaay too much the hard way. I'm really enjoying your builds and find myself sharing your excitement, you guys are naturally infectious that way! Looking forward to your next installment, keep up the good work!
Hi there! I was wondering if you could give me some advice about how to insulate the upper level of my dairy barn. It’s a concrete block barn built in the 1930’s with a metal roof and a concrete slab floor which was added in the 80’s. We want to convert the lower level to a guest house space, so the upper level would essentially be an attic. I was thinking of using rock wool, but would I need an OSB sheathing and an air gap, or no OSB sheathing? Or should I use something like foam board or vinyl backed fiberglass batts?
Thanks for your comment. I am learning as I read all this. You do not come across to me as a hater or a troll, but one with experience in this area. Thanks for your comment. All the best from Texas.
@kellydklassen
What about whirly birds in the roof to allow more air flow to help prevent condensation and ventilate? Would that help at all? We operate ours part of the year, and close them off at certain temps.
@@ORSkie
Kind of. The problem in winter (at least in a PNW climate) is that yes, you are ventilating air, but you're still sucking in 100% humidity cold air which as it warms can take on more mositure as the attic heats up that air. Then you have the cold surface of the underside of the roof that will give that moisture a place to condense.
To factor into that on the flip side though is that theoretically the air is in movement which if great enough will help delay the increase in temperature/humidity of that air in the attic and therefore condensation.
Those whirly gigs are much more effective had battling summer problems than winter.
PNW weather is super tricky for building technology. And I don't think we have figured out a good solution for it yet.
@@kellydklassen yeah. We live somewhere where we have cold & dry winters so we use whirlys during summer to help vent the heat but close them up for winter or we freeze, lol.
Insulate the interior wall facing the garage , you may want two separate zones. 70 degree living space 50 degree garage. Less fuel used and will also help with cooling come summer.
Yes the way to go. You want to insulete all way around the apartment. 👌
Well done so far.
Sorry I’m late with this one …. Add two or three light fixtures to the attic with a switch near the access. A cat walk from end to end also helps
Sheetrock the wall between the apartment and the garage/workshop area. And insulate that wall. You two are working so well together! Enjoy your videos and personalities - so cool!
Well done guys. The moisture barrier is right on. For decades houses were built using plastic on the walls and ceiling. Old timer builder taught me about houses need to breath. Speaking of breathing, watched a UA-cam video on "rock wool" which was an eye opener. Rock wool fibers are not organic and are lighter than air. From a lung point of view it doesn't seem to be a good replacement. Love your process.
Enjoy your much needed rest and play time. Everything is looking good.
YAY! You guys occasionally bark at each other once-in-a-while too! Awesome ;-) I feel so much better now!
😉
What a job.
Congrats.
Cheers. 🍷&🍺
You could also Poly under the slab to prevent the ground moisture from coming up. In our area it also helps with Radon gas coming up into our basements.
As for the vapour barrier there is more than one way to skin a cat. Up here in Canada the most common method is poly on the warm side of the insulation. All electrical boxes would have a ploy enclosure around the box and sealant. As long as you can stop the vapour before it can condensate in the attic and turn to frost.
I was thinking if it is a while before the slab, put down poly under the gravel anyway.
Good choices, and research. Sealing is the key to solving water vapor.
It's great to let you keep us updated on your progress. I agree with Glen Smith in that the plastic might stretch and give you problems. I'm sure you'll put something in the ceiling of the shop to give the plastic some support. Keep the videos coming.
Great progress! I love you guys trying to get it done the best you can. It may not be perfect, but you apply what you learn and move on.
Awesome!
The building is starting to Look really good, well done getting the attic done without Riley going through the plastic.
We like watching the videos to see what else is in the background that you are working on that's not yet been put in an episode.
Plastering seams this time, and a big box downstairs under the tarp.
Excellent work.
They're like little breadcrumbs of what we have been up to in the past few days! 😂
Had you thought about the heating for the workshop floor. If you had under floor heating you would be able to work in your workshop all year round and in any weather.
Just a thought.
A bathroom would be a first priority now that you can have heat in there.
@@Chris_at_Home I have in floor hear in my 24x32 shop in Northern Minnesota. I switched from off peak electrical water heater to a wood-fired boiler. Excellent even heat, very comfortable, doesn’t take too much wood to keep it comfy. In your place, it could heat the whole place. You just layout a curving grid pattern of 3/4” PEX tubing either in one or two zones and poke both ends above the level of the slab. After the concrete cures, you can plumb the outdoor wood boiler to the 2 ends sticking up, set up a small pump to circulate the water, and let ‘er rip. (But definitely read up about in-floor heat) I didn’t use water but instead found cold climate windshield wiper fluid to fill the system & keep it from freezing.
@@johnvarner6053 just remember about the pipes when fixing things to the floor😊.
Insulation is a messy job. Excellent teamwork. Way to get it done. Looks fantastic. Thanks for sharing
Yes another great progress update... we’re about to finish the insulation in our shop studio space and totally relate about the abundant and often conflicting vapor barrier guidance. Because the Midwest has both dry winters and a super humid Spring/Summer, spec’ing the right vapor products is especially important.
I was a bit surprised at the absence of a fire stop between your truss carriers (suspect you don’t have a code/inspection requirement, but it helps to mitigate aggressive convection into a vented attic space).
Keep up the progress... looks like your loft will be fully closed in the next few episodes.
Great video thank you! You're smart to be concerned about moisture it can destroy a building without you even knowing it. Your moisture problems will not be over when you pour a concrete slab. Concrete slabs give off a lot of moisture for months if not a full year so you still have to be concerned about moisture for quite a while. Also metal siding is a very good vapor barrier and it's on the wrong side of the wall so you have to be especially careful to keep moisture from getting into the wall. As a retired Builder I'm enjoying watching your progress. You're doing great!
Thanks Richard!
It was pretty cool seeing all of f you I love being friends and helping one another...wonderful having such a good friendship and learning with one another...such is life to be, one of the things I love about having good friends ..a gift from Heaven🥰
You’re guys home has just made a huge efficiency and comfort improvement, that’s so exciting!!!!!
We can’t believe the transformation!
Great job on getting the Installation in.
With the skills you both have you can be certain your home will be perfectly built!!
When you finish the shop ceiling consider adding more insulation to the attic , in the north you should have 18" of insulation in the cielings for an r54. Love how you guys tackle each obstacle and overcome it.
Matt is an amazing source for building science!
Both of you have such beautiful souls!! Keep up the great work!! What a fun project to work on together
You are both so inspiring. Honest about your inexperience but that does not stop your ingenuity, and perseverance!
You may have already thought about radon testing. With the moisture from the soil you may also have trapped radon with the sealing you’re doing.
Hang in there...! We enjoy what y'all are doing a LOT..!
You know the main reason of Kraft Bat insulation right? It works very well when installed correctly, tight, and fully covered studs.
Another interesting, entertaining and informative video. Hauling the machine up the stairs was hilarious.
Building's coming on great guys. I hope you're able to get started on the wall asap to keep the heat upstairs. Stay safe
My guess is that the machine was running at a lower power because of the generator. Causing it to not spin fast enough to pull the insulation into the machine, that's why you needed to help feed it. Great job, it looks awesome.
I'm not a builder and I didn't play one on TV but out of the many post frame metal buildings I've had built in the pacific northwest not one has ever been built without the 2" roof blanket before sheeting the roof.
That place is looking awesome.
Awesome guys, the Tyvek suit's are certainly not overkill, when it comes to insulation fiber's PPE is the name of the game. Respiratory protection is priority, I'm sure your throats were a little scratchy after all that.
I watched that Matt Risinger video awhile back and it definitely changed my attitude a bit on vapour barriers. A previous house I owned had several rooms where the walls were drywall laid on top of lathe+plaster with no vapour barrier behind. When checking inside the walls for adding low voltage wiring, I found that everything was clean (no mold) and dry on studs that were easily 100 years old. In that case, the exterior was brick so moisture had a path to escape. I think that is the key -- to have a path for moisture to go so that it doesn't collect on your wood and rot it.
The new digs are looking great. I look forward to seeing your next projects -- and your sweet tracked jeep in the snow!
Since you created a common attic over two different occupancy types: Living area versus the shop area consider a one hour fire rated drywall separation between these two different occupancy types. This one hour envelope would include the ceiling in the shop, the wall between the living area and the shop and the underside of the living area over the shop.
@peterdement Good suggestion AND I would add an emergency escape ladder from each end of the living area.
It appears that you're not afraid to tackle ANYTHING! Kudos! I feel like I'm watching my kids claim their place in the world!
I would have checked if the generator could power the tool before hauling it up there. Glad it worked for you.
If it didn’t we could have used the camper!
It is truly refreshing to see young people who are in love each other another with each other's egos
👍. Have a great week.
We lived in a camper for 2 years and battled water caper all the time!! Know the pain and we got us a house and the first thing we finished was the bathroom with a endless water heater! Just a thought!
Good morning Courtney thanks for the little laugh this Monday morning while having my cup of coffee and your latest video. The view and the snow covered tree's are absolutely beautiful. Definitely wii be much warmer now with this stage done. By the way you two look good in your suits. Lol. 😀.
Thanks for the explanation about moisture issues.
Great video. Looking forward to seeing your continuing adventure!
I can't believe you tried pushing him down the steps
nice! love Matt, he's great! make your attic access lid heavy! like glue a 3/4" plywood to the drywall and rigid foam insulation to achieve the same insulation propereties like the rest. Or better leave the drywall sheet away, because it gets chewed up after a few removals.
Thanks!
“Challenge Accepted!”?!! Awesome to know that y’all are HIMYM fans!👍
Very good job you may be itching for a little while but you got it done keep up the good work you’re making headway I’ll be watching god bless
WOW, yet another amazing milestone met. You two are unstoppable!
I absolutely love your channel! You are us except your much cleaner and more PG rated than I and Danielle would be. Love it you inspire and show us thru our trials and tribulations how it's possible ❤️
Geyser kick in but I love it and no capo always works good together but the fact that you guys are doing such a great job is inspiring me to do a good job
Looking fantastic guys!! Matt is really adamant about unvented attics. Wish I could redo mine.
in canada... vapor barrier is part of building code. you are right... not easy to seal the electrical outlet but once you do 3 or 4 of them you get the hang of it... if you want the house to breath (well... not if you want... its mandatory) get an air exchanger... all new house have that over here. also dual to triple windows help a lot to keep condensation from appearing on the windows. nice build you have so far!
Riley snookered you Courtney!!! LMBOROF 😂🤣😂
You guys are so energetic and your filming is really done well!
Always ambitious! Looking warmer every episode! Less fog on the lens, I'm thinking! On to the Snoverlander! FR
Awesome progress! Just in time for frigid weather!
Your work is so inspirational! I have always wanted to do many of the things you have successfully accomplished. However: two personal careers and raising 5 kids later and now turning around I realize the time has passed (I'm now 78) to accomplish the work. you have demonstrated. My congratulations on your accomplishments.
Don't sell yourself short; I have a friend who was building another log home at age 95...
I think the next project should be turning that Ford Courier into a barbecue. I know that may sound crazy but I never saw a more skilled couple than you guys you do welding you do metal work you do creative stuff that blows my mind it's not all got to be just Square you can do it it would be highly entertaining.
I only discovered this channel a few days ago and I've been binge watching ever since. I know you will have your apartment sorted by now but I don't want to fast forward, I want to see the whole process and I'm currently up to episode 76, insulation. Actually, I don't want to get to the end, I'm trying to ration how many episodes I watch per day but I'm not very disciplined. Not to worry, great channel really enjoy watching.
I did this on our house build. Wife and friend fed the machine while I was up there. I spent 7hrs straight up there blowing it all in….bought enough for R-30 at 1600sq feet, but our attic is only 1200. I have insulation piles stacked all the way to the plywood on the ceiling in a lot of spots! Lol probably R-45 up there.
Why did you decided blown insulation versus spray foam?
@@Franisboche money, I was wanting spray foam but the 22k estimate I got for the whole house was not in the budget. Just the roof was like 6 still iirc.
Hi guys,
I was a licensed home inspector for 13 years, so I can't pass this by without comment as I love what you are both doing and I'd hate to see it undone by condensation/moisture issues!
You are correct in that you want and need to manage humidity and condensation, however you are incorrect about the pros/cons of polyethylene vapour barrier. When used correctly, it is vital.
It may help to think of your structure as three separate environments... the interior living space / the wall cavities / and the attic space... and each of these areas MUST be isolated from the other. We run into issues when they are able to bleed into each other.
Properly installed vapour barrier - on the warm side of the wall/ceiling, before the thermal break (insulation), and with all the seams taped and sealed - prevents air leakage into the wall cavities and attic space. This is vitally important because air carries moisture in the form of water vapour.... and because cool air can not hold as much water vapour as warm air, when humid warm air passes through and into colder spaces, it drops its water in the form of condensation... and this condensation MUST be able to evaporate. If trapped you will have issues.
In any environment, where you cycle through seasons with significant temperature differences between one side of the wall and the other, the wall "sandwich" must breathe from the outside (We learned this the hard way here in BC, with the whole leaky condo fiasco, when builders thought it would be a good idea to construct walls in the same manner as they do in southern california). The vapour barrier on the inside prevents/minimizes moisture transmission INTO the wall, but because the wall exterior is (intentionally) not airtight, any little bit that finds its way in can evaporate through the exterior envelope and not be trapped.
An attic is its own separate environment. You mentioned having ridge venting on the roof, which is GREAT... but when you were insulating your attic I was not able to see if there were baffles between the roof trusses. Baffles are necessary as they create channels to allow air IN, which facilitates air-exchange through convection. If you have them, great... if you don't, install them because you need to allow for air to circulate in the attic - air must be able to ENTER at the eaves and EXIT at the ridge.
Think of trying to heat an interior space with forced air - if air can not escape at the same rate as the air that is being forced into the room, you will have very little air EXCHANGE. It would be like trying to blow air into a 2 liter pop bottle. In your situation, with no vapour barrier in the ceiling, you will get an excessive amount of water vapour in the attic which will condense when it hits the cold environment. And with ineffective air exchange, this condensation will not evaporate/expel at a rate necessary to prevent issues because there is no air EXCHANGE. So... baffles, if you don't have them.
As for controlling interior humidity, because we create a great deal of it from breathing, doing laundry, showering, cooking, etc.. please ensure sure you have vented ducting from each of these areas, and that these ducts go to the exterior (NOT into the attic space, for instance, as I have seen on many homes where DYI homeowners didn't know any better, or contractors have cheated by removing ducting after inspection). It's also not a bad idea to have humidity-sensing/activated switches controlling the laundry and bathroom areas where you shower, so you don't have to think about running them.
Anyways... I'm happy to answer any questions if you have them. All the best!
Absolutely correct advice, especially about under-eve vents, each of which require a baffle in the attic to channel fresh exterior air into the attic, in order to help flush out moist air out the ridge vent. My home in the Northwest was built professionally and to code, but with its "hip roof" had insufficient attic ventilation to remove the moisture in the attic. Moisture was condensing on the tips of the roofing nails, and dripping onto the attic insulation. I installed a powered roof-mounted attic fan, which helped, but nor enough. I ended up needing the double the number of under-eve attic vents, adding a baffle for each. (The baffles allow an air channel into the attic from the vents, while keeping the blown insulation from blocking and clogging the vents.) Moisture problems solved.
When I do fiberglass insulation and drywall, I tape a a "good level" 20 inch air filter to a box fan to catch the loose fibers and drywall dust. I blow it off outside often. It is not perfect, but it is better than not doing it. I also duct-taped a piece of pipe to the end of the blowing nozzle to give more reach to the corners when blowing insulation.
That is an excellent idea!
Hey Guys,
Love your videos . I can certainly relate to everything you are doing there since I spent most of my lifetime in cold climates doing the very things you are doing
I have noticed that you guys arent novices in that some of the ways you do things. An example was when you purposely left that wall unstudded so you could lift the drywall up to the living space above. That is "planning ahead" and saves plenty of backbreaking work if you`d had to carry it up the stairs. Good job!
I do have to comment on a couple of things however. I dont know who told you that insulating the outer walls with board insulation in between the 2x4`s and then adding the fiberglas insulation that has a paper moisture barrier on it could cause a moisture problem. Perhaps it could, dont get me wrong but almost all good contractors these days who build in cold climates finish the walls with a continuous layer of 4 mil or even 6mil plastic stapled on tightly before interior drywall. I dont know at this point what your interior finish will be in the shop portion of your building but regardless of what it is, drywall or plywood, etc. I would defitely add a layer of poly over top of the figerglas insulation. A layer of poly superceds any and all vapor barriers. NO interior heat vapor can penetrate it. Its too bad that you took out the board insulation as it added to your wall`s R factor.
OK so now, I dont know too if someone advised you or you had gotten online advice about blowing in fiberglass in your ceilings. Some places in the country dont really need a moisture barrier, its true however in your cold climate you really DO need a vapor barrier between the ceiling drywall and the blown in insulation. I was sad to see you put the ceiling rock up with no vapor barrier above it especially true in a heated space like you living space will be. It IS needed. Without it heated air in a living space is laden with moisture and that moisture will permeate drywall and get trapped in the fibers of the figerglass and over time lower the fiberglass`s abilty to insulate. It isnt the end of the world yet. THere ARE paints that may be applied on interior surfaces like drywall that WILL act as a vaopr barrier. Another big + to a poly vapor barrier is that it stops air escape as well as intrusion big time. far better than insulation
Be sure to place a layer of poly on your shop floor prior to pouring any concrete and it will absolutely stop moisture from the ground from "wicking up" through the slab.
Again, love watching you two do this stuff and youre both quite obviously nice and smart people. Keep up the good work
Lived in Alaska for 50 years and vapor barrier has always been used in the walls of new construction. My home is 35 years old with fiber glass insulation and poly vapor barrier. No issues even at -45ºF.
I don't think they want to hear that. Leaving out the vapour barrier is going to be a big mistake downnthe road. They based their decision on Matt R's numbers for a single 4x8 sheet of gyproc, not a full ceiling. Moisture is going gnto go through that, hit the underside of that roof steel, and made a mess!
By the time you get to -45, is there any moisture left in the air?
There is inside the house. Breath, showers, cooking etc.
I did a similar blow in, not as high up, it took us 3 day at 12 hours a day and 10 inch thick for a 12 by 20 ceiling. Also, we cheated on the drywall. I made a H board. I screwed a pair of 4 foot 2 by 4s to the end of an 8 foot 2 by 4. Where the side of the H was 4 foot and the bar was the 8 foot. It made it really easy to get the drywall up and in place where I wanted it. If only I had suggested that over a year ago, right. I just subscribed in the last 4 to 6 months.
I did watch your appliance lifting. Your hatch was a great idea, you may consider putting it on a hinge. Then, if you need it, you can open it up for what ever you need to put up. I would also consider a lift next to that hatch that will lift 1000 lbs, hang a plate from pulleys, when not in use it can stay up against the ceiling. It would have been easier to get the appliance up there. I do enjoy your videos, thanks for making them.
Lee
Matt is a really good resource. I've learned a lot from his videos.
You may not know what you're doing all the time but you're getting it done!
The stairway incident with the giant equipment reminded me so much of how hubby and I work (or don't) together. 🤣
Figures that you got the tougher job and all he had to do was point and shoot the hose. 😕
Can't wait to see the Snowverlander in action. We got snow here and then it was 60. 😒❄
-Troy & Aimee
Sometimes we work great together, and other times I drop an ATM machine on my foot… 😂
Congrats on the insulation, as always looking forward to what you guys get up to, next. cheers!
Lol, all the talk about vapour barrier is kinda funny!! The wall insulation already have a paper vapour barrier. And as Courtney and Riley have mentioned though out the build series. Building codes change from townships, city, state and county. So what’s right in your area may not need to be done in other areas. It’s amazing what they have pulled of in such a short time and on a limited budget!!
Courtney, it was great seeing you in a collaboration video at the Johnson off-grid homestead. Now you can tread some excavator work for some tractor work with them. Keep up the great work and stay safe!!
Great job with the insulation and thanks for the tips and the link
Good luck guys! We're battling moisture too. Both in the walls and attic. We'd be interested to see your walls if you pull a batt or two back. Ours are soaked even with the plastic. We just ordered a mold specific dehumidifier for the attic.
Looks like yall did some taping and bedding. Hope there's footage of that. It's looking amazing guys.
@6:30 Thanks 😁