Thanks, Matt! We’ve been converting an abandoned Home Depot shed into a house and just did a video installing Rockwool Comfortboard exterior insulation. We’re in Tennessee and installed the insulation over the WRB (tyvek). I’m looking forward to seeing how it holds up overtime. I loved the analogy with the puffy jacket!
I used 11/2" foam board on the outside of my walls and an inch of closed cell spray foam on the inside to seal. And filled cavity with Rockwool. So around R29. And R65 Cellulose in the ceilings. I wanted 2" minimum outside to mitigate the condensation. All of the contractors telling me that one inch of spray foam was enough. I didn't go with what they were telling me. That was in 2017. Boy am I glad I didn't listen to them. I installed geothermal heating and cooling myself. And have 10,080 watts of solar. Have had zero bills. For 6 years. I live in Wisconsin. 3400sqft heated and cooled to what ever temperature I want. at all times.
I love ya Matt but I wish you would do more cost comparison videos. There’s a “best”practice, but also there’s a cost impact for all of these products.
But for how long would those comparisons be valid? If he made the video you want, a year later, the costs of any products could be 3x higher or lower. Also, if you’ve got a manufacturer paying for you to make a video, how much latitude do you really think you have?
Cost comparisons are so hard to do when costs and labor rates vary a lot across the continent. Texas costs are WAY cheaper than New England, for example.
Yes, BUT he CAN quote materials cost-that’s much less of a spread and mostly due to transport costs-e.g. if you live near a hall plant this stuff is VERY cost competative, but if you are 500 miles away transportation pushes it into mineral wool territory @@DeuceDeuceBravo
Thanks for the video. It confirmed a good choice earlier this year. I helped my son add 1" Halo Exterra this summer to his remodel house in NY. He also replaced every window and door, so we bucked out each RO 1" to accommodate the foam and it worked out well. Looking forward to a warm winter inside.
Awesome work Matt. As a young homeowner I’m excited for construction to move past building to the current lackluster standards. I’m finding myself replacing every builder grade item asap.
I live in Warsaw, Poland, so climate is about that of Chicago, maybe a bit further north. I just looked at some home plans available for sale and I saw nothing under 8" of insulation, with 12" becoming more common. XPS or rockwool, both have about the same thermal conductivity. That's R38-R56 on that insulation alone, up to R46-68 when you factor in 10-12" thick walls with R-value of about 0.9/inch thanks to areated concrete blocks. Of course, that's peak value, not counting reinforced poured columns (maybe 5" every couple of meters, probably 1-2 per wall in most single family houses, plus extra around large windows) and top plate.
Matt, thanks for all your videos they are super helpful. I am very soon building my family home in Middle Tennessee. I am a little confused with how to proceed with exterior insulation because i have watched your videos on ZIP System which has the insulation attached to the inside of the panel, but here you show sheathing first with the insulation installed on the outside. I hope you have time to answer this and clear it up for me. Again thanks for all your videos.
Here in Europe, external EPS insulation is standard as most of our houses are either brick/concrete or stone. It is the cheapest way to do the job. I got 20 cm thick on the outside of my house. I would prefer ventilated facade with rockwool insulation on the outside, but the price is nasty
All good points-it depends on your build location challenges and costs. If you are in fire prone California or termite infested Texas, mineral wool compelling. In northern climates these are less of an issue, and if not too far from halo plant you’ll find it’s much cheaper. And if water subgrade is an issue rockwool probably a better drainage plane especially you don’t have to tape it. It is easier also to just glue halo to exterior foundation wall subgrade,
I love your videos. I'm in southwestern Michigan and have never seen external insulation on a new build. i have noticed many houses being built with 2x6 walls in the last few years but standard 2x4 with R-13 batts and osb sheathing is still the majority.
Come on , Matt. Everybody living in Texas the past few years know that the lowest point in winter is in February. 😂 I got to consult the Mafia, uh i mean the H.O.A. before i consider the Exterra. Looks cool..or warm! Thanks for the video!
4:59 You're correct that I have seen condensation on a window however until I left San Diego area of California where I lived for 53 years I did not, ever see condensation on any of our windows. I saw it in Washington I saw it in New York I saw it in Oregon, but even where I moved when I left California, to the desert outside of Las Vegas, there is never been condensation on the windows here, it's too dry. Just making a point that not everybody has seen condensation on their windows. I don't know why I never saw in California because there's plenty of moisture in the air but maybe it just doesn't get cold enough, and we didn't have air conditioning ever running so when it got hot enough we just dealt with the heat
Another important selling point of GPS (Graphite Polystyrene) in general (not specific to Exterra) is that it does not lose R-value as temperatures go down. Polyiso loses R-value the colder it gets.
Here in Ontario Canada, the code requires exterior board insulation to be vapour open (above 0.5 perms) but too many builders trap the moisture with foil faced polyiso. Halo Exterra is a much better product.
I'm building my house in Sweden with only exterior insulation. I'm using 300mm/12 inches Graphite EPS resulting in U-0.103(Metric)/R-55(Imperial). Long screws needed for sure! Need to calculate how much thermal bridging the screws end up with...
So cool! Can I come visit? Yes I’d love to see that modeling for the amount of BTU’s moving through the screws. Go stainless to reduce that thermal transfer
@@buildshow Matt you are always welcome to visit! The Swedish west coast is nicest in summer! Your videos have been a great inspiration for the design of my house, especially the monopoly framing, "perfect wall" and putting a big thick blanket around the house. We will go with ICF for the first floor (because I will do this by myself) and monopoly framing for the attic roof structure. ICF is U-0.11(Metric)/R-52(Imperial), roof is U-0.103(Metric)/R-55(Imperial) all around. Really excited to start building the house, we start to dig week 2 of 2024! If you ever happen to be in Sweden then you are more than welcome to visit.
Matt, Have you ever watched Spray Jones on UA-cam? He has many videos on spray foam insulation. One of his videos show that with 2x6 studs that thermal bridging is not much of an issue. He shows that in Canada that just Closed Cell in a 2x6 wall will have very good performance. The 2x6 Stud with spray foam has a higher R-value than its numerical value would lead you to believe. He shows it's not really necessary to have rigid foam on the outside. The thermal imaging camera is amazing. With Spay Foam, there is a point of diminishing returns.
Honestly, it’s still worth doing, because the outside of that two by sixes gonna be really really cold, and that induces additional stress. Even just 1 inch of foam, which is really not all that expensive, will significantly help the R-value throughout, and keep your framing happy.
The price is the issue and the studs are a bridge. With external it performs way better than spray foam at a lower cost. Spray foam can cost 50 percent of building budget in some cases. Rigid polyiso is the most expensive board and I did a job for around 10-11,000 polyiao, and the bid to spray the material was $20,000 bids 35-62,000. 1000sf area walls and ceiling.
Those massively wide overhangs are a no go in high-wind zones.....FEMA's recommendation is 8 inches to reduce lift at the soffit. I redid an old house with 2x4 braced corners, and used R-Max poly-iso outer sheathing....man that stuff is incredible!!
Thank you Matt, love your show. I have a 20 year old house (2x6 R15 w/R45-50 roof) in central Colorado at 9600' altitude. We are climate zone 7 but low on water (
Yes, that’s one option for exterior CI, or just remove concrete fiber board and install EIFS. Also, not sure about cost difference but assume EIFS is more expensive
@weekendwarrior3420The space between the glass on double and triple pane windows is filled with argon gas that helps prevent heat transfer. triple lane windows are common here in Alaska.
@weekendwarrior3420 Find a manufacturer that offers a 20-year or longer seal failure transferable warranty. Best if they also have a nice long history of offering replacement parts for decades. Andersen is one option. I've got direct experience with replacing components and rebuilding entire units. My family has a home with the old Primed Wood casements (1932-89?) that was built about 50 years ago. Got him new weatherstripping, locks, operators, hardware, wood stops, a couple new sashes, and quite a few screens. I've done the same thing with the old primed Narroline windows as well as newer Permashield Narroline and Permashield casements and awnings. Just got done replacing a transom window's entire sash (installed in the 1990s) since the owner is selling and doesn't need to replace the neighboring transoms (they're completely fine).
24:30 FYI - let in bracing is basically not possible in earthquake areas, seismic zone D, if you're going just by code. If you involve a structural engineer then it may be an option. Alternatively, if you wanted to avoid doing osb or plywood structural sheathing you could use prefabricated shear walls such as Simpson Strongwalls.
Here in the NW (Portland OR) we have rain with wind. The bottom half of my house always gets wet, even with a 2’ overhang. We are also in an earthquake zone that makes me question the use of the diagonal bracing in lieu of exterior sheathing.
Matt, great content. I'll be using some of your advice in a design/build of my own. I design homes, so this one will be unique. Acquiring the lot made the project real.
The photos of frost inside houses make me laugh. Grew up in a 2x4 house built in 1972. We had single pane windows. When I graduated in the 2000s, it was still quite common for my bedrooms to be entirely encased in a sheet of ice.
Despite the chart you showed, most of Nevada, primarily Las Vegas builds to the 2018 code. We use R-4.2 1 inch foam board on all the homes here with our 2x4 walls with R-13 interior insulation.
I’m currently experimenting with recycled door foam cores (windows cutouts in standard exterior doors, 22x64") consisting of 1.75" of polyurethane sandwiched between steel), r13 each, 5.50$cad per piece. I seal all joints and use multiple layers depending on need (4 on roof, 2 on walls exterior to the frame)
Hey Matt. Big fan, just bought a brick veneer rancher that I plan on taking to the studs. What videos of yours do you recommend, for insulation, lighting, and flooring. I've watched the attic ones and a few tankless water heater ones.
I can understand how exterior insulation can prevent radiant heat transfer but, how does it stop cold? The air gap behind the foam would be the same as outside temp.
1:50 The IRC2021 code raised insulation levels a lot, and requires exterior insulation in zones 4-8. BUT ... The 2023 code is nearing completion now and all the insulation requirements have been moved back to match the 2018 code. For that reason I am avoiding adopting the 2021 changes in my work for the time being. It seems the code writers realize that they went overboard and are now stepping back. Exterior has some obvious advantages, but also some major disadvantages in terms of adding a lot of complexity to door and window installations, especially when combined with rain screens. This is adding a lot of probably unnecessary expense to builders and finally to homeowners. In fact, it is the "whole wall R-value" that matters, whether that is achieved with exterior insulation or a small amount more of interior insulation. It's the entire assembly that matters in terms of total energy transfer. Unless building departments require me to do otherwise I'm sticking with 2x6 walls with R20 batt insulation in zones 1-5, and in zones 6-8 I'm using 2x6 walls with 2" (apx R10) of closed cell spray foam against the inside of the sheathing and R15 batt insulation inboard of that. I'm also using a "smart membrane" inboard of the batt insulation. 13:00 There is a problem with this insulation table. The R5 ext. insulation in zones 5-8 does not provide enough insulation value to keep the wall sheathing warm enough to avoid condensation inside the wall. This is going to bite people hard. If you're going with ext. insulation in zones 5-7 go with the 13+10ci option and in zone 8 do the 0+20.
Dream of having a home with concrete walls, heavy rock wool exterior insulation with a fire resistant exterior covering and a steel roof. (Like the look of the ones that look like tiles. By having concrete walls inside the conditioned space, acts to stabilize temperature and should remain solid for hundreds of years. Properly built, very tight, fireproof, fairly impervious to weather and natural disasters. Geothermal heat pump, for high efficiency heating and cooling. Solar EV (maybe solar tiles?) & HW ( live in Florida, have no idea why this isn’t mandatory if your roof is sunny) for energy independence.
Get a book or look online, you would be amazed at the air infiltration for concrete and brick. You still need an air barrier. That said, thermal mass is really good for reducing energy cost and maintaining comfort.
And the reason solar roofs aren't mandatory is because they are the worst place to put panels.solar gardens at the minimum. Over half of people have to get a new roof to get panels and don't add that into the solar cost. Solar tiles are double what panels are right now.
Matt, I would love to hear your thoughts on IF cities should be able to adopt their own 'building code.' Building codes and standards are very important, however as builders we face enough bureaucratic hurdles as it is. A state building code (without regional differences) would allow the entire industry to become more efficient, take on less risk, and allow for greater standardization of details and methods. Would love to hear your thoughts!
My township has their own codes/approved building materials over the state's and county's bastardizations of the IBC/IRC, it is a real pain in the keister
Can you shows some showcases where this was install not a new house but 5-10-20 years old house? What is the cost of installing outside insulation, removing the siding and installing the siding?
I live not too far from St John's Newfoundland and for years I've been saying that people should install rigid insulation on the outside of their homes. R20 inside of 2x6 walls is simply not enough in our. Those who add 1" to 1.5" rigid insulation on the outside of their homes are noticing a drastic increase in home comfort and a decrease in utility bills. It's a no-brainer in my opinion but a vast majority of people do not do this here.
I am certain the entire home could be solid foam . Coat the exterior with durable siding. A properly constructed home of solid interlocking 8” deep bricks tied to the foundation will out perform, out last any stick built crap.
What is the fire rating for Halo Exterra? I live in a house that has vinyl siding, Tyvek, then 1 1/2 inch Dupont foam board, studs, fiberglass insulation, 3/4 drywall. We've had two houses burn down over the years and when they get burning it's hard to stop it. The vinyl siding and foam burn hot and quick. Once the fire gets into the truss roof it's game over.
Early stages of designing a small timber-frame cabin with an architect who's a buddy of mine... less than 1,000 SF, but still working it out. Done extensive remodeling but this would be my first new build if I can make it happen. Up in Idaho... not as cold as Canada, but quite cold and quite wet in the winter... plenty hot in the summers as well. I watch the Build Show... told my buddy about the perfect wall system and we're working this idea out. So far, we're experimenting with the monopoly house concept, and considering enclosing the entire structure in exterior insulation sips, and leaving the entire timber frame exposed to the interior... Question regarding the perfect wall system... if the finished roof is mounted to rafters on top of the air-tight barriers... say zip sheathing for example... and the siding is furred out as well... could you vent and the bottom where the siding is furred out from the sill plates and enclose the eaves? The thinking is you'd have continuous air-flow from the lowest possible elevation to stack up behind all the siding and all the way up to the roof vent, and reduce radiant heat transfer from the weather-tight shell to the insulation or the structure. Am I off base with this idea?
Hi my husband is a builder .. here in BC Canada we have non heated attic ( truss ) spaces. We put venting in the soffit then roof or ridge vents We calculate the venting required for each home.
What about staggered or engineered studs? That should be considered. One of my pet peeves is the hvac. If you live in an area like you and I do with predominately slab homes I believe that codes should require either an on grade hvac room, or minimum r-20 insulation for the entire installed hvac system in an unconditioned attic. Nothing like having 100+ air coming out of the ducts at first on a summer day, or your ducts constantly cooling the house and your furnace short cycling on cold winter days and nights.
Do you not insulate the ductwork. I only have ducts on the incoming and outgoing air on my cold climate ERV. And still are R8 insulated. I have all infloor heat and chilled water fan coils for ac. Geothermal in Wisconsin. Oh yah inslab heat downstairs. No basement. I've lived in 6 homes in Wisconsin with basements. All of them leaked. So I built this one with out.
@@danmccoy6164 yes, but the ductwork is only R8 and furnaces/airhandlers and plenums usually have 1/2" fiberglass. I did add R10 to my furnace and plenum which is about 16' x 2' x 2'. As a retired mechanical contractor I would never install hvac equipment in an unconditioned space.
@@98grand5point9which is the standard here in Texas.... I wish I had the money to insulate the ductwork more than the little but around it now. Getting R60 insulation done this week because at about R20 due to builder using the cheapest crap and it all settling to about 6-8".
Hi Matt, I'm going to foreward this video to a client whose passive solar house I just designed and it is currently under construction. We are up north here in Cannukistan zone 5-6 and the project is designed for step code 5 with R 24 cavity insulation and 2'' of exterior rockwool . Our homes have to go through an energy auditor before a permit can be issued and there was a comment about adding more insulation from 2'' to 3'' exterior as an upgrade. My rant !!!!! Along comes the builder . The foundation called for 2'' exterior insulation and when I arrived on site it was back filled with zero exterior insulation applied. Triple pane wood metal clad windows are called for but the builder is directing the owners to double pane vinyl. He is telling the client exterior insulation is not worth the money. I think that is just because he is lazy. With a passive solar design at our latitude a 4' overhang is required to shade the southern windows in the summertime. The over hang is calculated with information from the Passive Solar Energy Book published in 1979. My design Bible. The builder does not like the large overhangs. What the? The main bathroom called for a curbless shower because one of the owners is soon to be wheelchair bound. Now the floor is down with no accomodation for the curbless I don't know what else the builder wants to change but never in my life have I designed a house only to see someone build whatever he wanted and remove all the energy efficient upgrades. There are more things he has done wrong but I don't have time to write a novel. 😠 No screaming with rage emoji so angry face will have to do. littleapplehomes.ca
Always good to see this discussion. I would love to see Matt take a look at the house or at least talk about it that was recently built in Jonestown, TX built by Strata International Group Inc that is completely foam. I would like to see opinion about that concept and look for potential issues that might be here vs more typical building techniques. Also I would note that I have been trying for years to upgrade my home insulation, in the Austin area, but so far literally every company that I contacted has ghosted me, it would be nice to see if anyone can provide a suggestion here.
Do you have the budget? Im thinking about foing down to watch a SpaceX launch. I was planning on some time in Austin. My first construction job was in Austin in 97. Im a colorado constractor now.
@@sparksmcgee6641 I haven't been able to find cost estimates or even get anyone to give me a quote, so I don't even know how much it will cost to know if I have the budget for it or need to save up more money.
Those have been around since the 70s. You have to spray up to every penetration after the door or window is installed. Youre payong cash since things like loads for wind and roof are tough to do. So code will be a probelm unless the company is going to supply ES reports.
Thanks for the content Matt. Every time new energy codes come out it should become more apparent to people that the climate concern is a bunch of propaganda. You have built some high performance homes and know what '"could be" w/o too much modification in design, budget, etc.
Tell me more. For someone who obviously makes SOME of his pay from sponsors, I still always got a relatively genuine vibe from him. What have you found that brings you to this conclusion?
Does Zipsystem R6 board count as exterior insulation despite the fact it's behind the board? So the recommended way of installing this for zone 3 would be Plywood/OSB -> Halo Exterra?
Government officials: “There’s a housing affordability crisis! We need to do something!” Also Government Officials: “Here are some new requirements that will make housing costs go up by tens of thousands of dollars at the bare minimum.” I love your channel Matt, have learned SO much from you, and appreciate everything you do. You teach us “laymen” the some of the best ways to build. However, I still maintain that if I want to live in an uninsulated shed with no utilities, it should be my right to do so without ANYONE being able to tell me otherwise. In that same way that if I want to live in a R-1000 passive home with every new technology known to man, I should also be able to do that. These ever-encroaching codes and requirements are THE primary reason housing is so expensive and nearly unattainable for those who haven’t already purchased a home. Thank God for the (ever-decreasing) few counties in Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado and the South that don’t require these control mechanisms. Again, I love your channel, love to learn from you, and I appreciate that you are educating everyone on what will be required in the future. I myself live at 8,000 feet in Colorado and love that I can still heat my home with only a wood stove. A luxury of personal choice that is quickly disappearing.
Need some help deciding using 5/8 or 1/2 dense armor plus for 16 on center studs. The studs have some bows in them and I’m trying to get them as plumb as possible. Should I do the 5/8 or 1/2 dense armor plus??
About to build a new house in North Carolina Foothills. I am researching insulation/outsulation. if using 2x6" studs, outsulation to R30 as you describe, how/what do you do with open space of interior and how do you manage sound barrier/insulation? My late husband was a GC in commercial construction. I know enough to be dangerous but I am learning as quick as I can, learning terms and concepts. I am also the contractor/designer of my house with the help of a GC who is a family friend. Oh, I'm building the house to be functional, efficient, and debt free. You can laugh now and say a prayer for me.
My comment was misleading. I was just referring to Matt's house. I think he said he uses iso on the outside. That would be great for Texas and warm climes but not good for Canada.
Ct and Ma has the same requirement as Winnipeg! REALLY!! We are putting new construction ownership out of reach for most Americans. Heck, my dad built a new home on a mailman's salary. Ya know, I've been watching Matt for several years in preparation for my new construction (last) home and I've enjoy all and I've learned so much. So now I have been getting pricing for our downsized 982 sq ft, two story, one bedroom, 1 & 1 1/ bath, modified cape. The low end of $350+/sq ft to high of $500.00 including septic and well (Southern Ma).. Property not included.. Oh, that includes an allowance for a 75' gravel driveway. Now add all of the latest insulation ideas.... I'm guessing that thew 2030 code in Vancouver would add $75K (see Matt's vid). Now throw in radiant ht. flooring for another 15K, plus heavy foundation ins. and the list goes on... You end up with a 1000 sq ft home at $5.5 to $700,000. At 20% down (140K) 7.5% interest you're at $4000/month. Throw in taxes and ins. and you're at $4,500.00 for a modest cookie cutter home. Sorry for ranting a bit!
Good people are asking us to build better, safer, more energy efficient, comfortable homes. But what the point when literary millions of Americans starting out can not afford to buy one???
This is a conversation I want to hear more of. I tend to be in favor of doing everything we can to make things more eco-friendly and energy efficient, but there is a limit to everything.
If you build it right, rather than simply slapping a bunch of stuff together, it may cost more to construct but it should cost less to *own*; that's increased mortgage payment for upgrades, less the savings on your utility bills. Not to mention increased comfort, etc.
Yes I had a contractor put up the outside. And I did everything else. Geothermal heating and cooling. Infloor heat and chilled water fan coils. Super insulated all myself mostly by myself. I had 10,080 watts of solar installed. Because I didn't want to be climbing around on the roof. Took me almost 4 years. Never missed a day working on it. And working massive OT driving a forklift. To afford the materials. Still cost me around $380,000 to build. 3400sqft. But thanks to inflation of the last couple of years. Now no matter how much I did myself. I wouldn't be able to afford it. Luckily I have ZERO bills. Or I wouldn't ever be able to think about retiring.
@@danmccoy6164 Sounds like a terrific plan. I did my last renovation that sold in September. Google "1012 Main Rd. Granville Ma" and you'll see my work. We sold the house to keep the remaining 105 acres for our retirement home. The problem is I just turned 69 yrs young and as much as the mind would like to build most of it my body is saying "fahgettabout it! And it's not that we don't have the money. I just refuse to part with it. My wife is egging me on to GC it.. Mama Mia!
Wasn't entirely clear how Halo's perforated surface can act as a water barrier, how the foam behind that perforation performs when wet and what the cons are of this system!
Here's my take on your question. Grandfathered in. If you replace the siding you may have to upgrade to code but that's subjective to the building inspector. Some think it's grandfathered because that's how it was built before the code, some think it has to be brought up to code. It can be hit and miss wishy-washy with inspectors. Also, adding "outsulation" on an existing house not set up for it will put the windows and doors too deep into the house and will act as a catch for water, (not good), so that has to be addressed also which can cost more and more and more.
Pretty sure that when I heard Joe talk about putting insulation between your ribs or wearing an outer coat, he meant putting insulation actually BETWEEN your individual ribs, under the skin, not under your shirt.
When saying certain areas on the west coast (LA, Arizona) which typically get low amounts of rain, look at Hurricane Otis. This is a new reality, and places that have never had such events should perhaps anticipate them. Regarding the metal t-track for let in bracing (around 24:40), I'm curious what the energy cost is. We know that Metal studs are terrible. This is not nearly as deep, but it has a significant surface area. Any idea what the the impact on r-value is?
Has the code changed the vapor retarder requirements? I understand what you are saying about insulation on the exterior. The exterior insulation allows the wall cavity to remain warm enough to be a higher temperature than the dew point.
huge thing that needs to happen that builders/framers do not do is have Silgasket between sandwhiched studs/corners and California Corners. You need to stop air infiltration on the OUTSIDE of the stud, not the INSIDE. Like double sil gaskets (concrete, gasket/sealant, OSB, gasket/Sealant, Wall Base. 11:05 - Texas, The fact your water lines are on the outside and attic, not protected was factor 1. Factor 2. No one had the idea, or put out the emergency message to 1. turn water off. 2. drain the systems?
Yes, technically your right but I've see the same thing Matt showed us in NE Oregon. I don't know the mechanism of it but we had frost in the corners of the rental house while I was up there on a construction contract.
I am guessing that your corner had such a great heat loss that the condition air couldn’t warm it enough to keep the outside cold air from bridging to the interior corner. Open up a window in stand next to it on a very cold night. You’ll feel the cold air rushing in. But in actuality, the heat is going out so fast and being replaced by the cold air.
@@bobjoatmon1993 Yes, it's simply the case that the heat in those corners flowed out of the house, due to relatively poor insulation, bringing the temperature in the corners low enough that they condensed the moisture in the air in the house onto the corners and it froze.
Omit sheathing? I thought sheathing was the structural element reinforced stick build 2bu framing giving the building racking strength. Losing this then the old blocking and diagonal blocking would need to return, no?
Pretty good video. There is a big problem with continuous insulation and it's the steel fastener which transmits the cold temperature directly into the warm space and forms condensation on the nail causing mold and other issues.
Matt I live in Ontario Canada and bought a new house that had R22 in the 2x6 studs and an R7 foam on the exterior. On days when it freezes at night and melts during the days I get water running down my vinyl siding. The water is coming out the little holes at the bottom of the siding. If I push on the siding it pours out. This siding is located on a front porch that has a 7 foot over hang. Do you know what could be causing this. There is Tyvek behind the foam.
Funny how the numbering of a these climate zones goes in the opposite direction of the USDA Hardiness Planting zones. Also, are these new codes going to make ICF more popular?
Boy wood naked tstuds eliminate that need for exterior insulation as you can then insulate through the wall not just in-between the thermal bridges we call studs.
Please explain. In the build show, you and Steve Bayzrck just talked about heat travels one way. He stated we generate heat, use it and keep it as long as possible. So, with all that, wouldn't it make sense that every building be built to the same insulation efficiency? Whether I am keeping heat in or keeping it out it is affected equally by the insulation barrier regardless of flow direction. So, why do different regions get different minimum standards? The cost of heating or cooling a house shouldn't matter, I would think.
Deltas. Delta T is the difference in Temp. Bigger the delta is the more $$$ to keep steady. Think the cost of running 2 exact hot tubs one at 70° and one at 105° on a zero degree day. The delta T of 70 is going to be way cheaper than the delta T of 105. Your delta T is the key. It is common to have a 60 delta T in the winter for 12 hours with a minimum of delta T of 30. Summer it is nearly never more than a delta T 30 and that is probably only for 3-4 hours. I live in climate zone 6 tonight Oct 27 it is going to be 18° that makes a delta T of 42° for at least 3 hours with the overall high only being 50 so an overall of like Delta T of 30 ish for the day. Take July over night low was 60, high 95 so max delta T is 25 with the overall average probability maybe delta T of 10 ish with hours of near zero delta T. I am not an HVAC guy but professionally I work with super cold temps (-452F ) and we way back in the day had to manually calculate delta T and the over heat loss and Watts of cooling needed...... So same exact principles. Also please forgive the grammar I've been playing hard today and have some serious arm pump and I'm on my phone. Hopefully this helps.
I still prefer Rockwool over Exterra. Rockwool is much more fire resistant, and that's an important factor for where we live in Austin, Texas.
EXACTLY!!! And any foam product is derived from petroleum and I’d rather use mineral wool than something made of plastics
How much do you all pay for rock wool? Is there better distribution in Tx? Mid America is harder to find
mid-america has other brands of rock/stone wool insulation.@@midwestcapitalmortgage
@@DrMJJrRockwood isn't that much different than something sourced from petroleum
@@danonly7 rock wool is much different. It isnt made of combustible material's and therefore doesnt burn
Thanks, Matt! We’ve been converting an abandoned Home Depot shed into a house and just did a video installing Rockwool Comfortboard exterior insulation. We’re in Tennessee and installed the insulation over the WRB (tyvek). I’m looking forward to seeing how it holds up overtime. I loved the analogy with the puffy jacket!
How did it hold up? I too want to go over my tyvex, didn't know if it was possible
I used 11/2" foam board on the outside of my walls and an inch of closed cell spray foam on the inside to seal. And filled cavity with Rockwool. So around R29. And R65 Cellulose in the ceilings. I wanted 2" minimum outside to mitigate the condensation. All of the contractors telling me that one inch of spray foam was enough. I didn't go with what they were telling me. That was in 2017. Boy am I glad I didn't listen to them. I installed geothermal heating and cooling myself. And have 10,080 watts of solar. Have had zero bills. For 6 years. I live in Wisconsin. 3400sqft heated and cooled to what ever temperature I want. at all times.
Please make a video of your geothermal system
My plan exactly. What form of geothermal heat exchange? I’m planning to put the coils in a lake.
I love ya Matt but I wish you would do more cost comparison videos. There’s a “best”practice, but also there’s a cost impact for all of these products.
I look at that too. If Spray foam is 10k more than other options how many years does it take to recoup that savings?
But for how long would those comparisons be valid? If he made the video you want, a year later, the costs of any products could be 3x higher or lower.
Also, if you’ve got a manufacturer paying for you to make a video, how much latitude do you really think you have?
Cost comparisons are so hard to do when costs and labor rates vary a lot across the continent. Texas costs are WAY cheaper than New England, for example.
Yes, BUT he CAN quote materials cost-that’s much less of a spread and mostly due to transport costs-e.g. if you live near a hall plant this stuff is VERY cost competative, but if you are 500 miles away transportation pushes it into mineral wool territory @@DeuceDeuceBravo
It would put to many people off. Contractor rates are pretty different then customer rates.
Thanks for the video. It confirmed a good choice earlier this year. I helped my son add 1" Halo Exterra this summer to his remodel house in NY. He also replaced every window and door, so we bucked out each RO 1" to accommodate the foam and it worked out well. Looking forward to a warm winter inside.
Awesome work Matt. As a young homeowner I’m excited for construction to move past building to the current lackluster standards. I’m finding myself replacing every builder grade item asap.
I live in Warsaw, Poland, so climate is about that of Chicago, maybe a bit further north. I just looked at some home plans available for sale and I saw nothing under 8" of insulation, with 12" becoming more common. XPS or rockwool, both have about the same thermal conductivity. That's R38-R56 on that insulation alone, up to R46-68 when you factor in 10-12" thick walls with R-value of about 0.9/inch thanks to areated concrete blocks. Of course, that's peak value, not counting reinforced poured columns (maybe 5" every couple of meters, probably 1-2 per wall in most single family houses, plus extra around large windows) and top plate.
Official_matt_risinger is a scammer
Matt, thanks for all your videos they are super helpful. I am very soon building my family home in Middle Tennessee. I am a little confused with how to proceed with exterior insulation because i have watched your videos on ZIP System which has the insulation attached to the inside of the panel, but here you show sheathing first with the insulation installed on the outside. I hope you have time to answer this and clear it up for me. Again thanks for all your videos.
Here in Europe, external EPS insulation is standard as most of our houses are either brick/concrete or stone. It is the cheapest way to do the job. I got 20 cm thick on the outside of my house. I would prefer ventilated facade with rockwool insulation on the outside, but the price is nasty
All good points-it depends on your build location challenges and costs. If you are in fire prone California or termite infested Texas, mineral wool compelling. In northern climates these are less of an issue, and if not too far from halo plant you’ll find it’s much cheaper. And if water subgrade is an issue rockwool probably a better drainage plane especially you don’t have to tape it. It is easier also to just glue halo to exterior foundation wall subgrade,
I love your videos. I'm in southwestern Michigan and have never seen external insulation on a new build. i have noticed many houses being built with 2x6 walls in the last few years but standard 2x4 with R-13 batts and osb sheathing is still the majority.
The truly most effective continuing education here, matt. Thanks.
Glad you think so! Appreciate the comment
Come on , Matt. Everybody living in Texas the past few years know that the lowest point in winter is in February. 😂 I got to consult the Mafia, uh i mean the H.O.A. before i consider the Exterra. Looks cool..or warm! Thanks for the video!
Those code changes will make ICF construction even more appealing. ICF, the original outsulation.
4:59 You're correct that I have seen condensation on a window however until I left San Diego area of California where I lived for 53 years I did not, ever see condensation on any of our windows. I saw it in Washington I saw it in New York I saw it in Oregon, but even where I moved when I left California, to the desert outside of Las Vegas, there is never been condensation on the windows here, it's too dry.
Just making a point that not everybody has seen condensation on their windows. I don't know why I never saw in California because there's plenty of moisture in the air but maybe it just doesn't get cold enough, and we didn't have air conditioning ever running so when it got hot enough we just dealt with the heat
Another important selling point of GPS (Graphite Polystyrene) in general (not specific to Exterra) is that it does not lose R-value as temperatures go down. Polyiso loses R-value the colder it gets.
Here in Ontario Canada, the code requires exterior board insulation to be vapour open (above 0.5 perms) but too many builders trap the moisture with foil faced polyiso. Halo Exterra is a much better product.
Rockwool ComfortBoard 110 is between an r6 and r8; I’d rather use a mineral wool product than a petrochemical product like Exterra
I'm building my house in Sweden with only exterior insulation. I'm using 300mm/12 inches Graphite EPS resulting in U-0.103(Metric)/R-55(Imperial). Long screws needed for sure! Need to calculate how much thermal bridging the screws end up with...
So cool! Can I come visit? Yes I’d love to see that modeling for the amount of BTU’s moving through the screws. Go stainless to reduce that thermal transfer
@@buildshow Matt you are always welcome to visit! The Swedish west coast is nicest in summer!
Your videos have been a great inspiration for the design of my house, especially the monopoly framing, "perfect wall" and putting a big thick blanket around the house. We will go with ICF for the first floor (because I will do this by myself) and monopoly framing for the attic roof structure. ICF is U-0.11(Metric)/R-52(Imperial), roof is U-0.103(Metric)/R-55(Imperial) all around.
Really excited to start building the house, we start to dig week 2 of 2024! If you ever happen to be in Sweden then you are more than welcome to visit.
Matt, Have you ever watched Spray Jones on UA-cam? He has many videos on spray foam insulation. One of his videos show that with 2x6 studs that thermal bridging is not much of an issue. He shows that in Canada that just Closed Cell in a 2x6 wall will have very good performance. The 2x6 Stud with spray foam has a higher R-value than its numerical value would lead you to believe. He shows it's not really necessary to have rigid foam on the outside. The thermal imaging camera is amazing. With Spay Foam, there is a point of diminishing returns.
Thats part of the issue, a lot of this is about making money
Honestly, it’s still worth doing, because the outside of that two by sixes gonna be really really cold, and that induces additional stress.
Even just 1 inch of foam, which is really not all that expensive, will significantly help the R-value throughout, and keep your framing happy.
Plus I couldn't afford to have the entire cavity spray foamed. It's crazy expensive.
The price is the issue and the studs are a bridge. With external it performs way better than spray foam at a lower cost. Spray foam can cost 50 percent of building budget in some cases. Rigid polyiso is the most expensive board and I did a job for around 10-11,000 polyiao, and the bid to spray the material was $20,000 bids 35-62,000.
1000sf area walls and ceiling.
Yes but they force your hand by code. Hate this CRAP
Those massively wide overhangs are a no go in high-wind zones.....FEMA's recommendation is 8 inches to reduce lift at the soffit. I redid an old house with 2x4 braced corners, and used R-Max poly-iso outer sheathing....man that stuff is incredible!!
Did you put the R-Max over OSB or Zip Board, or did you use R-Max only?
Thank you Matt, love your show. I have a 20 year old house (2x6 R15 w/R45-50 roof) in central Colorado at 9600' altitude. We are climate zone 7 but low on water (
wouldnt u have to remove whatecer your exterior stuff is in order to put outside insulation>?
Yes, that’s one option for exterior CI, or just remove concrete fiber board and install EIFS. Also, not sure about cost difference but assume EIFS is more expensive
@weekendwarrior3420The space between the glass on double and triple pane windows is filled with argon gas that helps prevent heat transfer. triple lane windows are common here in Alaska.
lolololol@weekendwarrior3420
@weekendwarrior3420 Find a manufacturer that offers a 20-year or longer seal failure transferable warranty. Best if they also have a nice long history of offering replacement parts for decades. Andersen is one option. I've got direct experience with replacing components and rebuilding entire units. My family has a home with the old Primed Wood casements (1932-89?) that was built about 50 years ago. Got him new weatherstripping, locks, operators, hardware, wood stops, a couple new sashes, and quite a few screens. I've done the same thing with the old primed Narroline windows as well as newer Permashield Narroline and Permashield casements and awnings. Just got done replacing a transom window's entire sash (installed in the 1990s) since the owner is selling and doesn't need to replace the neighboring transoms (they're completely fine).
Great video love knowing the new products
Rockwool actually makes R30 batts for 2x8 framing, if you want to go that route.
24:30 FYI - let in bracing is basically not possible in earthquake areas, seismic zone D, if you're going just by code. If you involve a structural engineer then it may be an option. Alternatively, if you wanted to avoid doing osb or plywood structural sheathing you could use prefabricated shear walls such as Simpson Strongwalls.
Here in the NW (Portland OR) we have rain with wind. The bottom half of my house always gets wet, even with a 2’ overhang. We are also in an earthquake zone that makes me question the use of the diagonal bracing in lieu of exterior sheathing.
Matt, great content. I'll be using some of your advice in a design/build of my own.
I design homes, so this one will be unique.
Acquiring the lot made the project real.
The photos of frost inside houses make me laugh. Grew up in a 2x4 house built in 1972. We had single pane windows. When I graduated in the 2000s, it was still quite common for my bedrooms to be entirely encased in a sheet of ice.
Love how Ohio is labeled Kentucky on that map.
Official_matt_risinger is a scammer
Despite the chart you showed, most of Nevada, primarily Las Vegas builds to the 2018 code. We use R-4.2 1 inch foam board on all the homes here with our 2x4 walls with R-13 interior insulation.
I’m a builder in climate zone 5 and we do 2x6 framing with closed cell spray foam for interior insulation with no exterior CI
I’m currently experimenting with recycled door foam cores (windows cutouts in standard exterior doors, 22x64") consisting of 1.75" of polyurethane sandwiched between steel), r13 each, 5.50$cad per piece. I seal all joints and use multiple layers depending on need (4 on roof, 2 on walls exterior to the frame)
Hey Matt. Big fan, just bought a brick veneer rancher that I plan on taking to the studs. What videos of yours do you recommend, for insulation, lighting, and flooring. I've watched the attic ones and a few tankless water heater ones.
I can understand how exterior insulation can prevent radiant heat transfer but, how does it stop cold? The air gap behind the foam would be the same as outside temp.
1:50 The IRC2021 code raised insulation levels a lot, and requires exterior insulation in zones 4-8. BUT ... The 2023 code is nearing completion now and all the insulation requirements have been moved back to match the 2018 code. For that reason I am avoiding adopting the 2021 changes in my work for the time being. It seems the code writers realize that they went overboard and are now stepping back.
Exterior has some obvious advantages, but also some major disadvantages in terms of adding a lot of complexity to door and window installations, especially when combined with rain screens. This is adding a lot of probably unnecessary expense to builders and finally to homeowners.
In fact, it is the "whole wall R-value" that matters, whether that is achieved with exterior insulation or a small amount more of interior insulation. It's the entire assembly that matters in terms of total energy transfer.
Unless building departments require me to do otherwise I'm sticking with 2x6 walls with R20 batt insulation in zones 1-5, and in zones 6-8 I'm using 2x6 walls with 2" (apx R10) of closed cell spray foam against the inside of the sheathing and R15 batt insulation inboard of that. I'm also using a "smart membrane" inboard of the batt insulation.
13:00 There is a problem with this insulation table. The R5 ext. insulation in zones 5-8 does not provide enough insulation value to keep the wall sheathing warm enough to avoid condensation inside the wall. This is going to bite people hard. If you're going with ext. insulation in zones 5-7 go with the 13+10ci option and in zone 8 do the 0+20.
Dream of having a home with concrete walls, heavy rock wool exterior insulation with a fire resistant exterior covering and a steel roof. (Like the look of the ones that look like tiles. By having concrete walls inside the conditioned space, acts to stabilize temperature and should remain solid for hundreds of years. Properly built, very tight, fireproof, fairly impervious to weather and natural disasters. Geothermal heat pump, for high efficiency heating and cooling. Solar EV (maybe solar tiles?) & HW ( live in Florida, have no idea why this isn’t mandatory if your roof is sunny) for energy independence.
Why not just go ICF? add more rock wool on the outside if you wish
And quiet inside. Hardi plank wood stud house sucks for noise. I might as well be outside.
Get a book or look online, you would be amazed at the air infiltration for concrete and brick. You still need an air barrier. That said, thermal mass is really good for reducing energy cost and maintaining comfort.
And the reason solar roofs aren't mandatory is because they are the worst place to put panels.solar gardens at the minimum. Over half of people have to get a new roof to get panels and don't add that into the solar cost.
Solar tiles are double what panels are right now.
@@98grand5point9
Maybe you should go read that book. Concrete is water vapor permeable and not at a high rate.
The water barrier layer, "rain screen" should be just behind your cladding. This allows the cladding (hardi, brick, cmu, stucco) to dry.
I live in nova scotia and build homes we run a 2x6 wall and tuck our foam in behing the plywood and water barriers on top of plywood
I would love to see some videos showing some window install details.
Matt, I would love to hear your thoughts on IF cities should be able to adopt their own 'building code.' Building codes and standards are very important, however as builders we face enough bureaucratic hurdles as it is. A state building code (without regional differences) would allow the entire industry to become more efficient, take on less risk, and allow for greater standardization of details and methods. Would love to hear your thoughts!
Japan has a national building (and zoning) code, and they've got cheap cheap cheap housing!
My township has their own codes/approved building materials over the state's and county's bastardizations of the IBC/IRC, it is a real pain in the keister
Can you shows some showcases where this was install not a new house but 5-10-20 years old house? What is the cost of installing outside insulation, removing the siding and installing the siding?
I live not too far from St John's Newfoundland and for years I've been saying that people should install rigid insulation on the outside of their homes. R20 inside of 2x6 walls is simply not enough in our. Those who add 1" to 1.5" rigid insulation on the outside of their homes are noticing a drastic increase in home comfort and a decrease in utility bills. It's a no-brainer in my opinion but a vast majority of people do not do this here.
if natural gas prices werent spiked because of carbon taxes you wouldnt need it
I am certain the entire home could be solid foam . Coat the exterior with durable siding.
A properly constructed home of solid interlocking 8” deep bricks tied to the foundation will out perform, out last any stick built crap.
Matt,
4" closed cell in the 2x6 cavity will meet code. No additional detailing for doors and windows.
1982 house / midwest - replaced cedar with insulated vinyl + tyvek wall temps higher in winter, lower in summer, % humidity %10 lower
"Outsulation " has been used with the trademark of ' Dryvits Synthetic Stucco from their introduction 60 years ago, their logo is a penguin
What is the fire rating for Halo Exterra? I live in a house that has vinyl siding, Tyvek, then 1 1/2 inch Dupont foam board, studs, fiberglass insulation, 3/4 drywall. We've had two houses burn down over the years and when they get burning it's hard to stop it. The vinyl siding and foam burn hot and quick. Once the fire gets into the truss roof it's game over.
Can you do a video on window films for thermal please?
Early stages of designing a small timber-frame cabin with an architect who's a buddy of mine... less than 1,000 SF, but still working it out. Done extensive remodeling but this would be my first new build if I can make it happen. Up in Idaho... not as cold as Canada, but quite cold and quite wet in the winter... plenty hot in the summers as well. I watch the Build Show... told my buddy about the perfect wall system and we're working this idea out. So far, we're experimenting with the monopoly house concept, and considering enclosing the entire structure in exterior insulation sips, and leaving the entire timber frame exposed to the interior... Question regarding the perfect wall system... if the finished roof is mounted to rafters on top of the air-tight barriers... say zip sheathing for example... and the siding is furred out as well... could you vent and the bottom where the siding is furred out from the sill plates and enclose the eaves? The thinking is you'd have continuous air-flow from the lowest possible elevation to stack up behind all the siding and all the way up to the roof vent, and reduce radiant heat transfer from the weather-tight shell to the insulation or the structure. Am I off base with this idea?
Hi my husband is a builder .. here in BC Canada we have non heated attic ( truss ) spaces.
We put venting in the soffit then roof or ridge vents
We calculate the venting required for each home.
What about staggered or engineered studs? That should be considered. One of my pet peeves is the hvac. If you live in an area like you and I do with predominately slab homes I believe that codes should require either an on grade hvac room, or minimum r-20 insulation for the entire installed hvac system in an unconditioned attic. Nothing like having 100+ air coming out of the ducts at first on a summer day, or your ducts constantly cooling the house and your furnace short cycling on cold winter days and nights.
Official_matt_risinger is a scammer
Do you not insulate the ductwork. I only have ducts on the incoming and outgoing air on my cold climate ERV. And still are R8 insulated. I have all infloor heat and chilled water fan coils for ac. Geothermal in Wisconsin. Oh yah inslab heat downstairs. No basement. I've lived in 6 homes in Wisconsin with basements. All of them leaked. So I built this one with out.
@@danmccoy6164 yes, but the ductwork is only R8 and furnaces/airhandlers and plenums usually have 1/2" fiberglass. I did add R10 to my furnace and plenum which is about 16' x 2' x 2'. As a retired mechanical contractor I would never install hvac equipment in an unconditioned space.
@@98grand5point9which is the standard here in Texas.... I wish I had the money to insulate the ductwork more than the little but around it now. Getting R60 insulation done this week because at about R20 due to builder using the cheapest crap and it all settling to about 6-8".
Loved all your videos which are very informative. Could you please evaluate Ray Core Sips and let us know what you think. Thank you
Hi Matt, I'm going to foreward this video to a client whose passive solar house I just designed and it is currently under construction. We are up north here in Cannukistan zone 5-6 and the project is designed for step code 5 with R 24 cavity insulation and 2'' of exterior rockwool . Our homes have to go through an energy auditor before a permit can be issued and there was a comment about adding more insulation from 2'' to 3'' exterior as an upgrade.
My rant !!!!! Along comes the builder . The foundation called for 2'' exterior insulation and when I arrived on site it was back filled with zero exterior insulation applied. Triple pane wood metal clad windows are called for but the builder is directing the owners to double pane vinyl. He is telling the client exterior insulation is not worth the money. I think that is just because he is lazy.
With a passive solar design at our latitude a 4' overhang is required to shade the southern windows in the summertime. The over hang is calculated with information from the Passive Solar Energy Book published in 1979. My design Bible. The builder does not like the large overhangs. What the?
The main bathroom called for a curbless shower because one of the owners is soon to be wheelchair bound. Now the floor is down with no accomodation for the curbless
I don't know what else the builder wants to change but never in my life have I designed a house only to see someone build whatever he wanted and remove all the energy efficient upgrades. There are more things he has done wrong but I don't have time to write a novel. 😠 No screaming with rage emoji so angry face will have to do.
littleapplehomes.ca
Always good to see this discussion. I would love to see Matt take a look at the house or at least talk about it that was recently built in Jonestown, TX built by Strata International Group Inc that is completely foam. I would like to see opinion about that concept and look for potential issues that might be here vs more typical building techniques.
Also I would note that I have been trying for years to upgrade my home insulation, in the Austin area, but so far literally every company that I contacted has ghosted me, it would be nice to see if anyone can provide a suggestion here.
Do you have the budget? Im thinking about foing down to watch a SpaceX launch. I was planning on some time in Austin. My first construction job was in Austin in 97. Im a colorado constractor now.
@@sparksmcgee6641 I haven't been able to find cost estimates or even get anyone to give me a quote, so I don't even know how much it will cost to know if I have the budget for it or need to save up more money.
Those have been around since the 70s. You have to spray up to every penetration after the door or window is installed.
Youre payong cash since things like loads for wind and roof are tough to do. So code will be a probelm unless the company is going to supply ES reports.
@@sparksmcgee6641 I would check out the company. The foam house that I mentioned is rated for 265mph winds.
Halo Exterra will soon be available in all Lowes stores! Reach out to us if you have any questions.
Thanks for the content Matt. Every time new energy codes come out it should become more apparent to people that the climate concern is a bunch of propaganda. You have built some high performance homes and know what '"could be" w/o too much modification in design, budget, etc.
Ditto👍
Please go over the rainscreen that goes over the outsulation. It seems like this introduces a new problem that needs to be addressed: bugs.
But screen at the bottom and top. Check out his videos on the topic. He addresses this
OH was taken over by KY on your map around. 4:00
Engineer here in Texas scuttlebutt is Jan 1 for 2021 iecc
"Feeling good" about using it on your job...
Cracked me up.
Good marketing.
I would do the precast with this outside insulation on the inside just for air barrier
🤓 I liked this nerd out on build science. And I appreciate the not overly salesman tone for the Halo products.
Official_matt_ risinger is a scammer
Tell me more. For someone who obviously makes SOME of his pay from sponsors, I still always got a relatively genuine vibe from him. What have you found that brings you to this conclusion?
At 18:50 you mention you don't do 12" of "peel and stick" anymore, preferring 'fluid apply and tapes' - what products are you thinking of? thank you
Where do you buy this product. Can’t find it. Is it available by mail/freight
Interesting to see my state, Kansas, does have energy code requirements. But of course my city still only follows the 2003 IRC for building codes.
Official_matt_risinger is a scammer
So no energy code for you. If your building you should up the insulation and hvac with design.
Does Zipsystem R6 board count as exterior insulation despite the fact it's behind the board?
So the recommended way of installing this for zone 3 would be Plywood/OSB -> Halo Exterra?
Government officials: “There’s a housing affordability crisis! We need to do something!”
Also Government Officials: “Here are some new requirements that will make housing costs go up by tens of thousands of dollars at the bare minimum.”
I love your channel Matt, have learned SO much from you, and appreciate everything you do. You teach us “laymen” the some of the best ways to build.
However, I still maintain that if I want to live in an uninsulated shed with no utilities, it should be my right to do so without ANYONE being able to tell me otherwise. In that same way that if I want to live in a R-1000 passive home with every new technology known to man, I should also be able to do that.
These ever-encroaching codes and requirements are THE primary reason housing is so expensive and nearly unattainable for those who haven’t already purchased a home.
Thank God for the (ever-decreasing) few counties in Idaho, Wyoming, Montana, Colorado and the South that don’t require these control mechanisms.
Again, I love your channel, love to learn from you, and I appreciate that you are educating everyone on what will be required in the future.
I myself live at 8,000 feet in Colorado and love that I can still heat my home with only a wood stove. A luxury of personal choice that is quickly disappearing.
Very well said!!!!
Will door and window design, depth, have to change in order to accommodate this outsulation and still have space for siding?
Doors and windows are and have been changing to European or flangeless.
Need some help deciding using 5/8 or 1/2 dense armor plus for 16 on center studs. The studs have some bows in them and I’m trying to get them as plumb as possible. Should I do the 5/8 or 1/2 dense armor plus??
Hmm, those CZ 5 values dont look familiar. Is this chapter 402? Or an amend on 2021 ICC? We use R3.8ci plus 20.
About to build a new house in North Carolina Foothills. I am researching insulation/outsulation. if using 2x6" studs, outsulation to R30 as you describe, how/what do you do with open space of interior and how do you manage sound barrier/insulation? My late husband was a GC in commercial construction. I know enough to be dangerous but I am learning as quick as I can, learning terms and concepts. I am also the contractor/designer of my house with the help of a GC who is a family friend. Oh, I'm building the house to be functional, efficient, and debt free. You can laugh now and say a prayer for me.
It's still insulation if its on the exterior
Is rain screen required? I have 2 foot overhangs all the way around
My comment was misleading. I was just referring to Matt's house. I think he said he uses iso on the outside. That would be great for Texas and warm climes but not good for Canada.
Looking ahead what do you recommend for ceiling insulation? Is r-60 blown cellulose sufficient?
Ct and Ma has the same requirement as Winnipeg! REALLY!! We are putting new construction ownership out of reach for most Americans. Heck, my dad built a new home on a mailman's salary.
Ya know, I've been watching Matt for several years in preparation for my new construction (last) home and I've enjoy all and I've learned so much. So now I have been getting pricing for our downsized 982 sq ft, two story, one bedroom, 1 & 1 1/ bath, modified cape. The low end of $350+/sq ft to high of $500.00 including septic and well (Southern Ma).. Property not included.. Oh, that includes an allowance for a 75' gravel driveway. Now add all of the latest insulation ideas.... I'm guessing that thew 2030 code in Vancouver would add $75K (see Matt's vid). Now throw in radiant ht. flooring for another 15K, plus heavy foundation ins. and the list goes on... You end up with a 1000 sq ft home at $5.5 to $700,000. At 20% down (140K) 7.5% interest you're at $4000/month. Throw in taxes and ins. and you're at $4,500.00 for a modest cookie cutter home.
Sorry for ranting a bit!
Good people are asking us to build better, safer, more energy efficient, comfortable homes. But what the point when literary millions of Americans starting out can not afford to buy one???
This is a conversation I want to hear more of. I tend to be in favor of doing everything we can to make things more eco-friendly and energy efficient, but there is a limit to everything.
If you build it right, rather than simply slapping a bunch of stuff together, it may cost more to construct but it should cost less to *own*; that's increased mortgage payment for upgrades, less the savings on your utility bills. Not to mention increased comfort, etc.
Yes I had a contractor put up the outside. And I did everything else. Geothermal heating and cooling. Infloor heat and chilled water fan coils. Super insulated all myself mostly by myself. I had 10,080 watts of solar installed. Because I didn't want to be climbing around on the roof. Took me almost 4 years. Never missed a day working on it. And working massive OT driving a forklift. To afford the materials. Still cost me around $380,000 to build. 3400sqft.
But thanks to inflation of the last couple of years. Now no matter how much I did myself. I wouldn't be able to afford it. Luckily I have ZERO bills. Or I wouldn't ever be able to think about retiring.
@@danmccoy6164 Sounds like a terrific plan. I did my last renovation that sold in September. Google "1012 Main Rd. Granville Ma" and you'll see my work. We sold the house to keep the remaining 105 acres for our retirement home. The problem is I just turned 69 yrs young and as much as the mind would like to build most of it my body is saying "fahgettabout it! And it's not that we don't have the money. I just refuse to part with it. My wife is egging me on to GC it.. Mama Mia!
Hello - how would one insulate a curved roof on a Quonset? Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated
Their website says buy at Lowe’s. Lowe’s says no longer available. Any source info?
Wasn't entirely clear how Halo's perforated surface can act as a water barrier, how the foam behind that perforation performs when wet and what the cons are of this system!
Hello Matt love your videos and education. Question I have as code change what does this mean for existing homes?
Here's my take on your question.
Grandfathered in. If you replace the siding you may have to upgrade to code but that's subjective to the building inspector. Some think it's grandfathered because that's how it was built before the code, some think it has to be brought up to code. It can be hit and miss wishy-washy with inspectors.
Also, adding "outsulation" on an existing house not set up for it will put the windows and doors too deep into the house and will act as a catch for water, (not good), so that has to be addressed also which can cost more and more and more.
My house has 8" of GPS foam plus r-23 BIBS IN the wall cavities. R-63 total.
Pretty sure that when I heard Joe talk about putting insulation between your ribs or wearing an outer coat, he meant putting insulation actually BETWEEN your individual ribs, under the skin, not under your shirt.
Wear your sweater, don’t eat it.
When saying certain areas on the west coast (LA, Arizona) which typically get low amounts of rain, look at Hurricane Otis. This is a new reality, and places that have never had such events should perhaps anticipate them. Regarding the metal t-track for let in bracing (around 24:40), I'm curious what the energy cost is. We know that Metal studs are terrible. This is not nearly as deep, but it has a significant surface area. Any idea what the the impact on r-value is?
Do i need a rain screen if i install vinyl siding?
Has the code changed the vapor retarder requirements? I understand what you are saying about insulation on the exterior. The exterior insulation allows the wall cavity to remain warm enough to be a higher temperature than the dew point.
The largest benefit is the airbarrier and then the extra insulation value
Slab on grade in far northern climate with very cold floors , what flooring can I put down
How much insulation is 6-8 inches of concrete equal cause I really like the precast walls
I looked on the map to see what code OH uses. To my surprise, I actually live in KY, just below MI. I wonder if the color is wrong too?
huge thing that needs to happen that builders/framers do not do is have Silgasket between sandwhiched studs/corners and California Corners. You need to stop air infiltration on the OUTSIDE of the stud, not the INSIDE.
Like double sil gaskets (concrete, gasket/sealant, OSB, gasket/Sealant, Wall Base.
11:05 - Texas, The fact your water lines are on the outside and attic, not protected was factor 1. Factor 2. No one had the idea, or put out the emergency message to 1. turn water off. 2. drain the systems?
how fireproof is all this exterior insulation? we know foam lights up like a christmas tree
Heat ALWAYS flows from higher temperature to lower. Cold doesn't seep into a house through the window frame. Heat flows OUT through the frame.
Yes, technically your right but I've see the same thing Matt showed us in NE Oregon. I don't know the mechanism of it but we had frost in the corners of the rental house while I was up there on a construction contract.
I am guessing that your corner had such a great heat loss that the condition air couldn’t warm it enough to keep the outside cold air from bridging to the interior corner.
Open up a window in stand next to it on a very cold night. You’ll feel the cold air rushing in. But in actuality, the heat is going out so fast and being replaced by the cold air.
@@bobjoatmon1993 Yes, it's simply the case that the heat in those corners flowed out of the house, due to relatively poor insulation, bringing the temperature in the corners low enough that they condensed the moisture in the air in the house onto the corners and it froze.
Omit sheathing? I thought sheathing was the structural element reinforced stick build 2bu framing giving the building racking strength. Losing this then the old blocking and diagonal blocking would need to return, no?
Your Best/better/good chart is confusing!
Best is ext. sheathing (OSB) taped; then WRB of some sort or (?) ext insulation w/wo included WRB - ???
What about ICF type construction?
How is this Halo installation compared to Zip? Performance, Price?
Gosh, we don't use iso for exterior insolation in most parts of Canada. It loses its R value at low temps. It's great for inside however.
Pretty good video. There is a big problem with continuous insulation and it's the steel fastener which transmits the cold temperature directly into the warm space and forms condensation on the nail causing mold and other issues.
Matt I live in Ontario Canada and bought a new house that had R22 in the 2x6 studs and an R7 foam on the exterior. On days when it freezes at night and melts during the days I get water running down my vinyl siding. The water is coming out the little holes at the bottom of the siding. If I push on the siding it pours out. This siding is located on a front porch that has a 7 foot over hang. Do you know what could be causing this. There is Tyvek behind the foam.
The holes are wheap holes to let the water out its fine
Matt, what do you think of the ICE wall system by Greenstone building products out of Canada? Pros cons?
Been following you for years🎉
Funny how the numbering of a these climate zones goes in the opposite direction of the USDA Hardiness Planting zones. Also, are these new codes going to make ICF more popular?
My parents house is literally low humidity off the charts and my apts it legit 80%
Subtropical zones benefit from insulation as well - less AC usage.
Boy wood naked tstuds eliminate that need for exterior insulation as you can then insulate through the wall not just in-between the thermal bridges we call studs.
Please explain. In the build show, you and Steve Bayzrck just talked about heat travels one way. He stated we generate heat, use it and keep it as long as possible. So, with all that, wouldn't it make sense that every building be built to the same insulation efficiency? Whether I am keeping heat in or keeping it out it is affected equally by the insulation barrier regardless of flow direction. So, why do different regions get different minimum standards? The cost of heating or cooling a house shouldn't matter, I would think.
Deltas.
Delta T is the difference in Temp. Bigger the delta is the more $$$ to keep steady. Think the cost of running 2 exact hot tubs one at 70° and one at 105° on a zero degree day. The delta T of 70 is going to be way cheaper than the delta T of 105.
Your delta T is the key. It is common to have a 60 delta T in the winter for 12 hours with a minimum of delta T of 30.
Summer it is nearly never more than a delta T 30 and that is probably only for 3-4 hours.
I live in climate zone 6 tonight Oct 27 it is going to be 18° that makes a delta T of 42° for at least 3 hours with the overall high only being 50 so an overall of like Delta T of 30 ish for the day. Take July over night low was 60, high 95 so max delta T is 25 with the overall average probability maybe delta T of 10 ish with hours of near zero delta T.
I am not an HVAC guy but professionally I work with super cold temps (-452F ) and we way back in the day had to manually calculate delta T and the over heat loss and Watts of cooling needed...... So same exact principles. Also please forgive the grammar I've been playing hard today and have some serious arm pump and I'm on my phone. Hopefully this helps.