I am a BArch major going on to my master's and my two cents is if you take the right classes you can definitely become knowledgeable in these areas. Be innately curious!
Good to know. We have a coat closet on the front of the house we barely use. But during the winter, every time I open it, it's at least 20 F colder in there. Never even considered that it was a mold risk.
"Saddest" is an understatement. Sons and myself were dx with CIRS from mold toxicity. So much is happening so fast and needing new flooring NOW without having considered the health consequences. I'm enjoying the positive energy you bring to serious problems in homes.
Excellent video topic and reminders, as always. First one I'm watching with this shoot format of having you against a black background and the white board on the other half of the frame. It works exceptionally well! 👍
We ended up with the most energy efficient house in our wee town by sheer luck. I live in the Canadian Arctic where temperatures fluctuate 100C from coldest to hottest temperatures, so insulation is no joke. We were really fortunate that the previous owners changed all twelve of the large windows to custom quad-paned units. Even when the exterior temperature is around -60C, the glass on the inside never gets cold. I will be sad to say goodbye to our little house when we retire because Northerners value function over form; I can decorate to make it cute, but I can’t fix major structural deficits. Because the permafrost is just a few scant feet down, there are no foundations or buildings set right on the ground, but on jackposts or piles. Usually the floors are frigid, but in our house we have a heated crawl space below so the floors are always lovely! There were two strange or new things for me, though, with this house: 1. having a humidifier going during the winter. We came from Nova Scotia where DEhumidifiers were da riguere, so this was new. We usually go through about 7-8 litres of water every day in our humidifier; and 2. Central AC. I realize this is nothing new, but it was the very first time I have had central air in a house. Not only does it combat the heat when we are in the high 30’sC, but when we are in a heavy smoke from forest fires, the hepa filter eliminates any trace of it inside. As an asthmatic, that is a HUGE boon, especially when you live in a remote town with no road going to it except when the ice road is open each winter.
a properly insulated house shouldn’t have any effect on closet location. Maybe avoid water lines in exterior walls but beyond that if you have a concern the problem is poor insulation
I have walk in closet on exterior wall. When i designed my house I never considered moldy odors....and 30 years later It works fine. no odors, no mold. It's worth noting I did install baseboard heating elements along the exterior wall in the closet. Good video thanks for sharing your views .
Please go on more about why thermal bridging isn't as big a deal as we think. We've probably all seen the thermal imaging photos which clearly show thermal bridging. Actually, I've seen that in frost that has formed on siding: there is less frost where the studs are. Have you done a video on the ZIP system?
Hey Budro- I built our forever home with GP ForceField, which was invented by the same guys who invented ZIP, following similar ideas. You can see lots on that playlist about it, and in the second season of Home Diagnosis: homediagnosis.tv/season-2-episodes
Temperature is not the same as heat transfer rate. They are related exponentially to the temperature difference between surfaces. But conversely, heat transfer with smaller gradients is really slow. An infrared camera cannot actually tell you where most of the heat is being conducted to or from and how much. You can infer it from temperature differences, but it's not absolute.
Hi Corbett, I enjoyed your video - lots of good information. I was wondering what you would recommend doing to improve the durability of the wall assembly in the bathroom when you have no choice but to put the tub/shower against an exterior wall - or in a corner with two exterior walls? I know from watching other UA-cam videos that a common mistake some builders and most DIYers make when installing a tub on exterior walls is that they forget to install water resistant drywall or cement board below the tub deck. Yes, they do install cement board ABOVE the tub deck so they have some place to attach the tile but the stud bays below the tub deck are left open and that just allows moisture laden air to flow freely into the bays and condense on the inside surface of the exterior sheathing. So after installing water resistant drywall around the entire tub area (before you install the tub) would it be a good idea to build a second insulated wall up against the outer wall for an added moisture barrier? Essentially the sequence of layers would be: exterior sheathing, exterior wall studs with insulation, water resistant drywall as an air/moisture barrier, interior wall studs with insulation, smart membrane (?), cement board, tile, tub. Good idea, or overkill?
that was exactly my question. If it's known that there's insulation issues with tubs against exterior walls, are there no mitigation options?? Seemed unlikely to me. Great question!
Hello. Since I posted that question (and got no reply) I did a lot of additional research and found a video from Steve Baczek on this site and he said that one of his builders does build a second interior wall inside the exterior wall to isolate tubs and showers from the cold exterior. Basically he builds it like I described, but they don't bother with insulation within the second interior wall.@@marlaplunk2833
Running Warmboard into the closets keeps the closets from getting musty. Also closets on exterior wall should be around 25” in depth. Keep the clothes on hangers about 2 inches from the wall. The air gap keeps the clothes fresher.
@@branchandfoundry560 For some people, clothes coming out of a dryer can be slightly damp. The clothes get hung into a closet for final drying - to reduce the number of wrinkles. A closet needs to have "drying potential" just the same as a wall or ceiling assembly. Running warmboard (in-floor heat) into a closet - combined with a return air pathway allows warm air from the floor to rise then go to the whole return or to an exhaust fan with a dehumidistat. (I am talking about ERV technology with integrated HVAC controls rather than "stand-alone" non-integrated controls). Combine "clothes science" with "building science" and thinking about how to keep humidity in the healthy range. To answer the question - mustiness can come from damp clothes. Where there is moisture - you need to ventilate.
Dude, I just found your page by happenstance and I gotta say, wow, I have stumbled upon a whole new school of learning and I'm hooked immediately!! When you said Super Nerd alert ⚠️ I had to pause to go subscribe lol
Thermal bridging becomes vitally important as your structure gets less leaky. It is however often thought about in the wrong sequence. Don’t worry about a thermal bridge until you’ve completely controlled airflow.
What would you say is the minimum air sealing required to worry about thermal bridging? 1 air change per hour? Passive House's 0.6? Sub-passive-house cert?
Love learning and seeing how things can be done better. Hopefully one day I can take all the strategies and build my own. Do you have videos about taking older homes say without wall insulation and the best practice to improve them since air leakage can be super high? Do erv/hrvs still make sense? It would be cool to see you break down steps on improving this type of house since most of what I see can’t start from a clean slate.
Obsessed with the information I learn from this channel. Designing my own high performance home. My intentions are to have closets on exterior walls, but I plan on all of my exterior walls being highly insulated, and all of my closests having HVAC registers, and their closet doors having grilles/louvres in order to return back to HVAC. Would I still have that kind of moisture problem you mentioned at the beginning of the video? Thanks for your help. I should mention I live in hot/humid South Florida.
Thanks for fighting the good fight! A couple of questions: 1) Exhausting directly from the Shower and Powder room to a continuously running ERV seems to make good sense on some level. Should we assume that there is no conditioned supply in these locations, or does the conditioned supply air get pulled into the bathrooms? It seems that if there was supply in the Bathrooms it would run straight to the ERV exhaust potentially limiting their effectiveness in conditioning that space? If the ERV is running full time and the Conditioned supply is running as needed based on the thermostat location does this lead to less than ideal conditions in the bathrooms. I would love to see a video on the science of supply grille locations for an entire house. Last question, on an older not so well sealed home why would you not recommend an ERV (just the cost), it seems the less you need to pull air from cracks and crevices via negative pressure the better? Thanks!!!!
If I understood correctly, it is because the condensation that might happen will lead to mold, as the external wall might have a thermal bridge, which is a point in the building where it has weak insulation from the temperature outside. So the external wall will let in the air from outside and the difference in outside and inside temperatures will create condensation and if a closet is against the wall it'll mold.
Great videos, I watched a lot of your videos and looked through your video list, I may have missed some, but do you have videos on advice for ranch style homes on a basement? Thanks in advance!
Another quality video. I have argued with a couple people about thermal bridging and spray foam. The stud is such a small sliver over the 16 or 24" span.
Dude, if you’re getting condensation and mold growth on the inside of an exterior wall, then that wall is not properly insulated. I don’t see how this has any relevance to new construction. It might be useful to know for minor remodeling of older homes that might have little to no insulation in the walls. But if you’re building new, you should insulate and control vapor and air properly such that you can put closets/storage on exterior walls. It is a good point though about using them between rooms strategically for noise reduction. I also always thought it would be a good idea for kitchen corners to have that difficult to use space be used by the other room. For example, in the layout shown, that master closet could have a chest of drawers built into the wall that uses the space under the kitchen cabinet corner (or from the laundry room). Yes, you lose some kitchen storage space, but it’s awful storage space, and it becomes much more useful in the closet. You could even steal some space back from the closet (or laundry room) with a small nook to be able to recess the fridge a bit so it’s flush with the counter. This makes the space a little less flexible for changing around in the future, but it uses space much more efficiently. So depends on your preference I guess.
Some interesting info. I will be building a hempcrete home with living by the water and having moisture issues in the sometimes humid summers. It’s moisture regulating and very insulative, among other benefits. I don’t like a/c, preferring open windows/fresh air. I like curtains on closets and even cabinets, or leave open with no doors, or ventilation holes (can be stylish) for air flow, as it gets musty smelling in a regular home near the water without using a/c, no matter what. Ceiling fans etc help too. There’s various things like calcium chloride that can help absorb moisture.
thermal bridging for sure is something to think about in Canada! I moved into a new build in 2021, left a pillow leaning against an exterior wall for a few nights. when I wanted to pick it up it was frozen to the wall because it leaned right in front of a stud. imagine having a closet on an exterior wall. all the condensation that's collecting in there. you'd have an extreme mold problem.
Understand the issue but keeping “all” exterior facing wall space free & clear seems like an onerous restriction. Would additional insulation between the wall & the offending case-goods, tub, etc., help? …
YES, Mark, very good point- however, in real construction sometimes the staging gets screwed up, and the bathtub might get installed before the insulator arrives. Have seen this a number of times myself.
In addition to what he said, during construction, behind tubs and showers are big "tamper areas". The plumber needs to get behind there and fiddle with their pipes, or the electricians run wires down the chase that's behind most tubs and showers - plus a million more reasons for someone to be tearing apart the poly and digging through the insulation to cut and drill holes, fish wires etc. Often once theres a tub there, there's no way to get a stapler back there so all the nice insulating material just get shoved back in, if it even does get shoved back in.
In your example, would it make sense to add an exhaust port in the closet right near the entrance at the bottom of your house plan? To exhaust air to the ERV?
This is exactly what I'm looking to do on my home. I'm buying the high tech Cerv2 unit (I like the idea of never having to worry about a core to replace. In addition we had one installed on our small 2500 sqft office and it's been super educational by itself.) and there are some dead zones in exactly the areas discussed in the video. I'm actually glad they're there though because it's going to be much easier now to toss a duct into those areas as a reno because they're more out of sight. Just gotta make sure to seal those penetrations.
I hoping to build my dream house. It will be constructed of SIP panels, which are meant to have high thermal performance. I was wondering if mould would be a problem here. All the windows are double-glazed with thermal break aluminium frames. As for the bath, I have heard that placing insulation under the tub in the building helps keep the water warm longer
Question. Idk if youll see this but. if its an area for Being underground, Are closets better on the inside or Outside? Or is it just the same keep on the inside?
My brother has a heated workshop that sees higher level of moisture due to parking a snowy vehicle in there and everything melting. More to the point you can find every stud and most screw holes behind the white-painted drywall because moisture condensation and then either dirt or mold as a result of said moisture. With 16" O.C. framing at least 10% of you wall is a framing with ~R-7 insulation verses the ~R-21 in the cavity.
Interesting question, and I'd imagine that if it's the only thing that's vapor impermeable in a well-insulated, well-airsealed new home, then it wouldn't make a lot of difference.
If you insulate properly (continuously on the exterior of the building), air seal properly (continuously around conditioned space), and ventilate properly (via ERV), you can design any way you choose because these concerns won't exist.
Aella's audience has a fair number of pretty strange people, you might get some weird comments, don't worry about it. No particular need to engage with any of it, might even make sense to just take an internet break for a day or two. Or if you felt like going completely the other way, you could make a sudden career change into some kind of "attractiveness coaching" snake oil to capitalise on it :)
Thoughts on mini splits for primary HVAC? Obviously they aren’t capable of working with an ERV but do they bring in enough filtered air on their own to mitigate mold problems?
Or is there a thought to eliminating the ERV, running a whole house dehumidifier/air purifier? I have an ERV but I still run an air purifier inside. I think a lot of people will start running them in the upcoming years when we start seeing more mold/mycotoxin sickness diagnosis’s.
thats good info on closets. here we have whats called "northland closets", which is simply the door replaced with a curtain. thats to help dry out the closet. not sure how well it works, i prefer to dry out the whole house.
In the home we now own the closet in the master bedroom is on an exterior wall with no door or curtain. It is open to the room. It's a long and narrow room with a jog which is where the "closet" is
It seems like a lot of this can be solved with a better exterior envelope... I myself plan to build with at LEAST 2x6 studs, 2" of spray foam, and a faced batt made for a 2x4 wall behind that, if not bumping the former and latter up to 2x8 and a 2x6 batt, respectively. And that's beside the fact that I also intend to build perfect wall/monopoly framed and with Zip-R sheathing, then do that aerosolized caulk treatment to get well below a passive house cert, too.
I would like to build a precast concrete house. I need someone that understands building science and passive house ideas for clean, healthy home. Any ideas for Northern Colorado?
I have a question, is it possible to build underground garage on top of normal garage in the same place/area, for an example: Garage < Ground floor garage -------- < Ceiling/floor Underground < Underground garage Garage
One of Steve Baczek’s houses had its normal garage with concrete planks as the floor, with a basement workshop below. You could do similarly, except just have another garage below.
@@HomePerformance This is an addition. I'm installing the HRV/ERV in the house during construction for house ventilation and improved air quality. I know some people suggest omitting the bath fan and simply using the HRV. I've never lived with a HRV, so I'm hesitant. I thought I would include a bath fan in the bathrooms for quicker moisture removal during showers. Curious if you think that is a good or bad strategy.
ERVs are kind of a pain on cost, maintenance and ducting, so I only recommend them for homes that are airtight enough to prohibit the use of bath fans. You can get fresh air dilution from a simpler system like this: ua-cam.com/video/bfd69xRbQxM/v-deo.html
Corbett you’ve got 2 very excited crawlspace tunnel rats that I personally can vouch that would LOVE to be in charge of going into the crawl and changing filters and scooting around on the creepers. And one more tunnel rat in training. I’m not as worried about you getting hit by a bus, I’m more worried about Big Plasma coming after you lol.
I don’t understand the closet thing. In my mind a closet full of clothes on an exterior wall added to thenR value of the wall because now I have a whole layer of clothes on top of the wall between me and the outdoor elements. How does it cause issues?
@@HomePerformance actually it can be that warm air doesn't get behind the clothes. Moisture going through the clothes cooling down below dew point and then hitting a surface. Same problem with multi layered insulation. Can be fixed by having moving air behind the clothes.
Technically for condensation you need moisture in air and cold surface to pull it out- the air getting cooler would up the RH, but not enough to condense usually. Brushing warm air on a cold surface will warm it, also hindering condensation.
@@HomePerformance usually might be the word here. it depends on the indoor humidity, temps outside and how well insulated/air sealed the wall is. BSFC has some posts on the effect with ceiling insulation in cold climates. but fully enough, downunder, most of our mold issues are in the "winterless" part of the country.
Right now, I have 1 main/house A/C filter and 2 air purifiers going constantly 24/7. Damn mosquito spray truck spray! AND some strange stench emanating from my walls 😢 ...so, I'm feeling the multiple filters thing too 😭
when i look at home layouts what surprises me the most is how much space is wasted on unnecessary hallways. yon need some hallway around the bedrooms and bathrooms, you dont need an entry hallway, or a LR, DR, or kitchen hallway. open floorplan saves you at least 20% of your space.
I was thought that you don't position your toilet far from the door because it is the most used in the bathroom! So I do disagree with the position of your toilet
Seems to me, if the exterior walls have enough insulation, it should be fine to have the closets and bathtubs up against them. I hate open floor plans. The cooking odors seem to soak into the living room and maybe even its furniture. A kitchen with walls keeps the odors out of the living room so much better.
Bad Design: 1. Kitchen should always have a (large) window….~50% of time is spent on kitchen. Better to put the garage behind the laundry room….and have the kitchen have a view to the front yard and see who’s coming…while you are cooking. 2. You just wasted precious “edge” space for the laundry room… 3. The lower left bedroom ‘s bathroom is windowless. Bathroom must have windows…. 4. If you are going to have a room of this size… the dining room should be walled or at least one partial wall. 5. Assuming the bottom is the entry door…where is the porch? If you poach is on the right side, it is in a aware position with the garage. If the porch is on the left side…it will block the study window-side.. Overall Grade C+.
when I think of building a home I want closets, and lots of them. 1 closet (large) for each bedroom; a coat closet at the front door, a broom closet, a bathroom linen closet, a closet for actual linens (sheets, blankets, pillows, etc.); and 2 not technically closets-a mudroom and a large pantry. And if you show me a plan where you walk in the front door and the kitchen is staring you in the face I will slap you bald.
Manual for the house. Umm yah. Normal homes are lucky to get the lawn mowed. Ask them to change the ac filters ohh boy. Not only a manual for the owners, it's important for the next technicians coming into the home.
Placing a closet against an exterior wall is not an issue if the walls are properly insulated to energy code requirements. Maybe you're discussing old homes without proper insulation? Maybe give the disclaimer that you are talking about improperly insulated homes. Or spaces that are built into exterior walls, which isn't typically how these spaces are built (the tiny home example you gave is not how single family homes are built). Ive been an architectural designer for 18 years and would never design a closet built into an exterior wall, they are always on the surface of the wall. Plumbing, yes an issue on an exterior wall. Otherwise, not an issue. I'm also sitting currently in my Colorado home with very low temps outside and our exterior walls are not an issue.
I'm curious why you seem to be so dead set on ducted systems. A non-ducted heat pump system is more efficient, quicker to install, have fewer design considerations, doesn't require consumable filter replacements, better moves air within a room, and when paired with an ERV, provides better all around air circulation. I get that it's the system you chose for your home, and perhaps what you're most familiar with, but it strikes me as odd that someone so invested into building science seems to have a huge blind spot towards what is technically a better system.
With all respect i disagree with everything and not all architects are good. reason why we have bad new construction home today. 1. Thermal bringing is real but if you correctly moisture barrier your exterior walls this is not an issue. Reason why we have weep holes. 2. Bathroom vents should never be above shower. Should be near the center 1ft in front of toilet. You don’t want poo poo air particles to go through your shower curtains. 3. Shower and baths should always be adjacent to exterior walls in the event of water leak to minimize moisture damage to the house. Better to leak out than in.
from what i hear, architecture school won’t teach students important stuff like this, so very grateful for these tips
Unfortunately true.
I am a BArch major going on to my master's and my two cents is if you take the right classes you can definitely become knowledgeable in these areas. Be innately curious!
@ thank you! will keep this in mind when i start architecture school
I like the idea of closets along interior walls since it helps sound insulation
Good point
Good to know. We have a coat closet on the front of the house we barely use. But during the winter, every time I open it, it's at least 20 F colder in there.
Never even considered that it was a mold risk.
"Saddest" is an understatement. Sons and myself were dx with CIRS from mold toxicity. So much is happening so fast and needing new flooring NOW without having considered the health consequences. I'm enjoying the positive energy you bring to serious problems in homes.
So sorry to hear- it gets better when you get away from the toxins. Hang in there.
Excellent video topic and reminders, as always. First one I'm watching with this shoot format of having you against a black background and the white board on the other half of the frame. It works exceptionally well! 👍
Hey thanks- nothing fancy but i’m glad it worked for you
We ended up with the most energy efficient house in our wee town by sheer luck. I live in the Canadian Arctic where temperatures fluctuate 100C from coldest to hottest temperatures, so insulation is no joke. We were really fortunate that the previous owners changed all twelve of the large windows to custom quad-paned units. Even when the exterior temperature is around -60C, the glass on the inside never gets cold. I will be sad to say goodbye to our little house when we retire because Northerners value function over form; I can decorate to make it cute, but I can’t fix major structural deficits. Because the permafrost is just a few scant feet down, there are no foundations or buildings set right on the ground, but on jackposts or piles. Usually the floors are frigid, but in our house we have a heated crawl space below so the floors are always lovely! There were two strange or new things for me, though, with this house:
1. having a humidifier going during the winter. We came from Nova Scotia where DEhumidifiers were da riguere, so this was new. We usually go through about 7-8 litres of water every day in our humidifier; and
2. Central AC. I realize this is nothing new, but it was the very first time I have had central air in a house. Not only does it combat the heat when we are in the high 30’sC, but when we are in a heavy smoke from forest fires, the hepa filter eliminates any trace of it inside. As an asthmatic, that is a HUGE boon, especially when you live in a remote town with no road going to it except when the ice road is open each winter.
Thank you for sharing
a properly insulated house shouldn’t have any effect on closet location. Maybe avoid water lines in exterior walls but beyond that if you have a concern the problem is poor insulation
Here from aella
😂😂😂 same
Was she designing a shower room lol
Me too lol
Me too 😅
diagram unclear, where do the fluffers come in?
We ended up getting plantation louvered doors for our closets. Love them.
Great advice! Well done Corbett
High praise from the YT king of high performance! Thanks for watching Matt
I have walk in closet on exterior wall. When i designed my house I never considered moldy odors....and 30 years later It works fine. no odors, no mold. It's worth noting I did install baseboard heating elements along the exterior wall in the closet. Good video thanks for sharing your views .
Please go on more about why thermal bridging isn't as big a deal as we think. We've probably all seen the thermal imaging photos which clearly show thermal bridging. Actually, I've seen that in frost that has formed on siding: there is less frost where the studs are. Have you done a video on the ZIP system?
Hey Budro- I built our forever home with GP ForceField, which was invented by the same guys who invented ZIP, following similar ideas. You can see lots on that playlist about it, and in the second season of Home Diagnosis:
homediagnosis.tv/season-2-episodes
Temperature is not the same as heat transfer rate. They are related exponentially to the temperature difference between surfaces. But conversely, heat transfer with smaller gradients is really slow.
An infrared camera cannot actually tell you where most of the heat is being conducted to or from and how much. You can infer it from temperature differences, but it's not absolute.
@@KaiserTom Excellent points you make!
Hi Corbett, I enjoyed your video - lots of good information. I was wondering what you would recommend doing to improve the durability of the wall assembly in the bathroom when you have no choice but to put the tub/shower against an exterior wall - or in a corner with two exterior walls?
I know from watching other UA-cam videos that a common mistake some builders and most DIYers make when installing a tub on exterior walls is that they forget to install water resistant drywall or cement board below the tub deck. Yes, they do install cement board ABOVE the tub deck so they have some place to attach the tile but the stud bays below the tub deck are left open and that just allows moisture laden air to flow freely into the bays and condense on the inside surface of the exterior sheathing.
So after installing water resistant drywall around the entire tub area (before you install the tub) would it be a good idea to build a second insulated wall up against the outer wall for an added moisture barrier? Essentially the sequence of layers would be: exterior sheathing, exterior wall studs with insulation, water resistant drywall as an air/moisture barrier, interior wall studs with insulation, smart membrane (?), cement board, tile, tub.
Good idea, or overkill?
that was exactly my question. If it's known that there's insulation issues with tubs against exterior walls, are there no mitigation options?? Seemed unlikely to me. Great question!
Hello. Since I posted that question (and got no reply) I did a lot of additional research and found a video from Steve Baczek on this site and he said that one of his builders does build a second interior wall inside the exterior wall to isolate tubs and showers from the cold exterior. Basically he builds it like I described, but they don't bother with insulation within the second interior wall.@@marlaplunk2833
Running Warmboard into the closets keeps the closets from getting musty. Also closets on exterior wall should be around 25” in depth. Keep the clothes on hangers about 2 inches from the wall. The air gap keeps the clothes fresher.
Curious how warm floors affect mustiness. Always looking to learn. Please talk through this a bit. Thank you!
@@branchandfoundry560 For some people, clothes coming out of a dryer can be slightly damp. The clothes get hung into a closet for final drying - to reduce the number of wrinkles. A closet needs to have "drying potential" just the same as a wall or ceiling assembly. Running warmboard (in-floor heat) into a closet - combined with a return air pathway allows warm air from the floor to rise then go to the whole return or to an exhaust fan with a dehumidistat. (I am talking about ERV technology with integrated HVAC controls rather than "stand-alone" non-integrated controls). Combine "clothes science" with "building science" and thinking about how to keep humidity in the healthy range. To answer the question - mustiness can come from damp clothes. Where there is moisture - you need to ventilate.
@@BirchwoodBill Ah, ok. Thank you!
Dude, I just found your page by happenstance and I gotta say, wow, I have stumbled upon a whole new school of learning and I'm hooked immediately!! When you said Super Nerd alert ⚠️ I had to pause to go subscribe lol
HELL YEAH BOYYYY
Thanks for the great points about high performance homes! It can get quite confusing for homeowners.
Thermal bridging becomes vitally important as your structure gets less leaky. It is however often thought about in the wrong sequence. Don’t worry about a thermal bridge until you’ve completely controlled airflow.
What would you say is the minimum air sealing required to worry about thermal bridging? 1 air change per hour? Passive House's 0.6? Sub-passive-house cert?
Your point about closets applies where it gets really cold. I live where it freezes for a few hours, on three days a year.
Love learning and seeing how things can be done better. Hopefully one day I can take all the strategies and build my own. Do you have videos about taking older homes say without wall insulation and the best practice to improve them since air leakage can be super high? Do erv/hrvs still make sense? It would be cool to see you break down steps on improving this type of house since most of what I see can’t start from a clean slate.
Thanks Gabriel- more coming on older homes soon
Obsessed with the information I learn from this channel. Designing my own high performance home. My intentions are to have closets on exterior walls, but I plan on all of my exterior walls being highly insulated, and all of my closests having HVAC registers, and their closet doors having grilles/louvres in order to return back to HVAC. Would I still have that kind of moisture problem you mentioned at the beginning of the video? Thanks for your help. I should mention I live in hot/humid South Florida.
Nice, Papa- be careful about cooling your closets, yes- overcooling them can cause issues too. And thanks for the high praise!
A lot of these exterior wall restrictions could be eliminated with the use of more exterior insulation and tighter construction.
Truth
Tighter construction is how he got condensation in the first place
@@AFS-ht7bgIf it is not tight is cold
Thanks for fighting the good fight! A couple of questions:
1) Exhausting directly from the Shower and Powder room to a continuously running ERV seems to make good sense on some level. Should we assume that there is no conditioned supply in these locations, or does the conditioned supply air get pulled into the bathrooms? It seems that if there was supply in the Bathrooms it would run straight to the ERV exhaust potentially limiting their effectiveness in conditioning that space? If the ERV is running full time and the Conditioned supply is running as needed based on the thermostat location does this lead to less than ideal conditions in the bathrooms. I would love to see a video on the science of supply grille locations for an entire house. Last question, on an older not so well sealed home why would you not recommend an ERV (just the cost), it seems the less you need to pull air from cracks and crevices via negative pressure the better? Thanks!!!!
ideally in a bathroom you would have a floor vent between the sink and door or a ceiling vent above the door
Pardon my lack of knowledge, can you explain further why it is not good to have the closet on the external wall? Can you explain please? thanks you
If I understood correctly, it is because the condensation that might happen will lead to mold, as the external wall might have a thermal bridge, which is a point in the building where it has weak insulation from the temperature outside. So the external wall will let in the air from outside and the difference in outside and inside temperatures will create condensation and if a closet is against the wall it'll mold.
I'm a builder I've never seen a mold problem in my area with closets on the outside walls we do however have low humidity similar to Arizona levels.
Mostly a problem in cold weather, so indoor humidity is the worry. If you add enough clothes and boxes, you could reach dewpoint almost anywhere.
Great videos, I watched a lot of your videos and looked through your video list, I may have missed some, but do you have videos on advice for ranch style homes on a basement? Thanks in advance!
Thanks Phil- here’s what you need I think:
ua-cam.com/play/PLsc2-5fAgMq5lgu0U_wVocxzUPoSq_JKM.html&si=bciVcMCE99EwG-z5
Awesome thanks!!!
Another quality video.
I have argued with a couple people about thermal bridging and spray foam.
The stud is such a small sliver over the 16 or 24" span.
Well, it IS complicated, but we also DO hear about it way too much
Dude, if you’re getting condensation and mold growth on the inside of an exterior wall, then that wall is not properly insulated. I don’t see how this has any relevance to new construction.
It might be useful to know for minor remodeling of older homes that might have little to no insulation in the walls. But if you’re building new, you should insulate and control vapor and air properly such that you can put closets/storage on exterior walls. It is a good point though about using them between rooms strategically for noise reduction.
I also always thought it would be a good idea for kitchen corners to have that difficult to use space be used by the other room. For example, in the layout shown, that master closet could have a chest of drawers built into the wall that uses the space under the kitchen cabinet corner (or from the laundry room). Yes, you lose some kitchen storage space, but it’s awful storage space, and it becomes much more useful in the closet. You could even steal some space back from the closet (or laundry room) with a small nook to be able to recess the fridge a bit so it’s flush with the counter. This makes the space a little less flexible for changing around in the future, but it uses space much more efficiently. So depends on your preference I guess.
Like your ideas on space usage.
Great topic. I'd love to see more videos about design that's bigger than assemblies.
Comin atcha buddy
do you have a series or a playlist that guides new folks on their dream home building adventure? Please and thank you.
Some interesting info. I will be building a hempcrete home with living by the water and having moisture issues in the sometimes humid summers. It’s moisture regulating and very insulative, among other benefits. I don’t like a/c, preferring open windows/fresh air. I like curtains on closets and even cabinets, or leave open with no doors, or ventilation holes (can be stylish) for air flow, as it gets musty smelling in a regular home near the water without using a/c, no matter what. Ceiling fans etc help too. There’s various things like calcium chloride that can help absorb moisture.
Interesting- I’m rooting for you, though I bet your guests/fam members may wish for A/C eventually the way the climate’s going.
thermal bridging for sure is something to think about in Canada! I moved into a new build in 2021, left a pillow leaning against an exterior wall for a few nights. when I wanted to pick it up it was frozen to the wall because it leaned right in front of a stud. imagine having a closet on an exterior wall. all the condensation that's collecting in there. you'd have an extreme mold problem.
this comment was just for the super nerds picking fights in the comments ;)
but overall a super helpful and informative video 👍
Understand the issue but keeping “all” exterior facing wall space free & clear seems like an onerous restriction. Would additional insulation between the wall & the offending case-goods, tub, etc., help? …
YES, Mark, very good point- however, in real construction sometimes the staging gets screwed up, and the bathtub might get installed before the insulator arrives. Have seen this a number of times myself.
In addition to what he said, during construction, behind tubs and showers are big "tamper areas". The plumber needs to get behind there and fiddle with their pipes, or the electricians run wires down the chase that's behind most tubs and showers - plus a million more reasons for someone to be tearing apart the poly and digging through the insulation to cut and drill holes, fish wires etc. Often once theres a tub there, there's no way to get a stapler back there so all the nice insulating material just get shoved back in, if it even does get shoved back in.
Excellent point Levi
In your example, would it make sense to add an exhaust port in the closet right near the entrance at the bottom of your house plan? To exhaust air to the ERV?
Interesting question Tony- if it doesn't get a conditioning duct, then yes
This is exactly what I'm looking to do on my home. I'm buying the high tech Cerv2 unit (I like the idea of never having to worry about a core to replace. In addition we had one installed on our small 2500 sqft office and it's been super educational by itself.) and there are some dead zones in exactly the areas discussed in the video. I'm actually glad they're there though because it's going to be much easier now to toss a duct into those areas as a reno because they're more out of sight. Just gotta make sure to seal those penetrations.
Ducts can go under the floor also, I just bought a house from 1962 that has a vaulted living room in the middle, vents in the floor
Typically vents have been in most homes I’ve ever been in, unless it’s electric or boiler baseboard heat. (Canada)
Is the outer wall condensation issue also true for 2 feet thick exterior stone walls?
I want to build high performance at a very tight budget, do you have resources for that?
Build very small.
I hoping to build my dream house. It will be constructed of SIP panels, which are meant to have high thermal performance. I was wondering if mould would be a problem here. All the windows are double-glazed with thermal break aluminium frames. As for the bath, I have heard that placing insulation under the tub in the building helps keep the water warm longer
The correct answer of course is ‘it depends’ but as long as you maintain reasonable temp, RH, and clean regularly you will be good.
love this guys personality
Question. Idk if youll see this but. if its an area for Being underground, Are closets better on the inside or Outside? Or is it just the same keep on the inside?
My brother has a heated workshop that sees higher level of moisture due to parking a snowy vehicle in there and everything melting. More to the point you can find every stud and most screw holes behind the white-painted drywall because moisture condensation and then either dirt or mold as a result of said moisture.
With 16" O.C. framing at least 10% of you wall is a framing with ~R-7 insulation verses the ~R-21 in the cavity.
If you’re going for a high performance home - would you not want to use radiant flooring instead of an HVAC?
Good question Beth- watch this:
HVAC Ducts Reality Check: Are Ductwork Systems Dumb or Essential?
ua-cam.com/video/5VPqFSITm0w/v-deo.html
Do the exterior wall and tub rules hold true in all climates? Say for instance Phoenix and Minneapolis?
None of my advice holds true for all families in all homes on the same street- just walking you through some things to consider that’s all.
are showers or other vapor impermeable finishes on exterior walls a condensation risk?
Interesting question, and I'd imagine that if it's the only thing that's vapor impermeable in a well-insulated, well-airsealed new home, then it wouldn't make a lot of difference.
@@HomePerformance i meant in terms of a cold surface if running AC
Oh. Condensation would be an issue on any surface below dewpoint, in that case, not just impermeable ones.
If you insulate properly (continuously on the exterior of the building), air seal properly (continuously around conditioned space), and ventilate properly (via ERV), you can design any way you choose because these concerns won't exist.
My guy is about to get a new audience lmao. He does have a good voice tho
Hey guys- what in the world is happening? Is Aella building a house? I didn’t know who she was until you all got here.
@@HomePerformanceshe said she finds you hot on Twitter
Aella's audience has a fair number of pretty strange people, you might get some weird comments, don't worry about it. No particular need to engage with any of it, might even make sense to just take an internet break for a day or two.
Or if you felt like going completely the other way, you could make a sudden career change into some kind of "attractiveness coaching" snake oil to capitalise on it :)
@@HomePerformancewe’re not all weird. I like your stuff but would have never found you if she hadn’t found you and talked about it. Lol
Ok guys, welcome to the cult I guess
Thoughts on mini splits for primary HVAC? Obviously they aren’t capable of working with an ERV but do they bring in enough filtered air on their own to mitigate mold problems?
Or is there a thought to eliminating the ERV, running a whole house dehumidifier/air purifier? I have an ERV but I still run an air purifier inside. I think a lot of people will start running them in the upcoming years when we start seeing more mold/mycotoxin sickness diagnosis’s.
thats good info on closets.
here we have whats called "northland closets", which is simply the door replaced with a curtain. thats to help dry out the closet. not sure how well it works, i prefer to dry out the whole house.
Interesting workaround, Tweake
In the home we now own the closet in the master bedroom is on an exterior wall with no door or curtain. It is open to the room. It's a long and narrow room with a jog which is where the "closet" is
It seems like a lot of this can be solved with a better exterior envelope... I myself plan to build with at LEAST 2x6 studs, 2" of spray foam, and a faced batt made for a 2x4 wall behind that, if not bumping the former and latter up to 2x8 and a 2x6 batt, respectively. And that's beside the fact that I also intend to build perfect wall/monopoly framed and with Zip-R sheathing, then do that aerosolized caulk treatment to get well below a passive house cert, too.
I live in tropical area Indonesia. If my land is facing east where do you recommend i place my bedroom?
Too many factors at play to give a simple answer sorry
So does the stand alone bath tub needs a exhaust fan? I would think it would help with the moisture control.
Tubs don’t add nearly as much moisture to the air, so in my experience as long as there’s an exhaust somewhere in the room, you’re good.
@@HomePerformance Thank you for the reply!
How will create Architectural Residebtsil plan needed suitable space
I would like to build a precast concrete house. I need someone that understands building science and passive house ideas for clean, healthy home. Any ideas for Northern Colorado?
Yes, I have clients in Northern CO. You can book a consult at: buildingperformanceworkshop.com/video-consulting
I have a question, is it possible to build underground garage on top of normal garage in the same place/area, for an example:
Garage < Ground floor garage
-------- < Ceiling/floor
Underground < Underground garage
Garage
One of Steve Baczek’s houses had its normal garage with concrete planks as the floor, with a basement workshop below. You could do similarly, except just have another garage below.
Is there anything wrong with including both a traditional bath fan and HRV/ERV exhaust in a bathroom?
What is the goal, Evan?
@@HomePerformance This is an addition. I'm installing the HRV/ERV in the house during construction for house ventilation and improved air quality.
I know some people suggest omitting the bath fan and simply using the HRV. I've never lived with a HRV, so I'm hesitant. I thought I would include a bath fan in the bathrooms for quicker moisture removal during showers.
Curious if you think that is a good or bad strategy.
ERVs are kind of a pain on cost, maintenance and ducting, so I only recommend them for homes that are airtight enough to prohibit the use of bath fans. You can get fresh air dilution from a simpler system like this:
ua-cam.com/video/bfd69xRbQxM/v-deo.html
Thermal bridging is a handy innuendo now.
Love these Corbett 👍🏻🙏
Thanks Frankie buddy
Haven't u heard of EXTERIOR insulation????. Then location of closets and bathtub need not be considered or limiting
Good info. I would’ve thought the closets along outside walls would create better insulation by mimicking not insulation…
Corbett you’ve got 2 very excited crawlspace tunnel rats that I personally can vouch that would LOVE to be in charge of going into the crawl and changing filters and scooting around on the creepers. And one more tunnel rat in training. I’m not as worried about you getting hit by a bus, I’m more worried about Big Plasma coming after you lol.
Haha tunnel rats had a birthday party today. Maybe about time.
I don’t understand the closet thing. In my mind a closet full of clothes on an exterior wall added to thenR value of the wall because now I have a whole layer of clothes on top of the wall between me and the outdoor elements. How does it cause issues?
Warm moist air gets back behind those clothes and boxes and condenses on the cold drywall
@@HomePerformance actually it can be that warm air doesn't get behind the clothes. Moisture going through the clothes cooling down below dew point and then hitting a surface. Same problem with multi layered insulation. Can be fixed by having moving air behind the clothes.
Technically for condensation you need moisture in air and cold surface to pull it out- the air getting cooler would up the RH, but not enough to condense usually. Brushing warm air on a cold surface will warm it, also hindering condensation.
@@HomePerformance usually might be the word here. it depends on the indoor humidity, temps outside and how well insulated/air sealed the wall is.
BSFC has some posts on the effect with ceiling insulation in cold climates.
but fully enough, downunder, most of our mold issues are in the "winterless" part of the country.
Interesting T
IDK But how does this layout achieve privacy in the spaces that require it
So i have heard this thing if you have radiant heat in a home you don't really have to worry about indoor air quality. is this true?
No, because if that’s all you have then you have no filters or humidity control or fresh air
I am starting to remodel a 100 year old home and I would like to have a water proof bathroom. How do I get in touch with yall
BuildingPerformanceWorkshop.com
So a full closet up against an outside wall is a problem because it has too much insulation now? :-/
Too much insulation while also too much air leakage to the surface behind it
@@HomePerformance Makes sense, I’m struggling on the too much air leakage part. Thanks for keeping my mind active, always appreciate the knowledge.
Automatic "like," as always. Thank you!
You're the best!
I am a student who loves designing floor plan can you teach mi more
Yes, lots more videos, some $29 online courses, and hourly coaching with me personally available at:
buildingperformanceworkshop.com/
I had a closet in the middle of an uninsulated 60's house, it and the interior walls had the most mold.
I bet there were so many other things going on at the top and bottom of that closet that I would make a whole video out of it!
this video seems to apply to US cardboard houses only
Mechanical code will usually dictate that powered venting in a bathroom be over the toilet.
I have never seen a rule like that, please find and share exact chap and section.
15 filters?! I’m complaining about 6. My old 1970s home had 1. Sort of miss that!
Right now, I have 1 main/house A/C filter and 2 air purifiers going constantly 24/7. Damn mosquito spray truck spray! AND some strange stench emanating from my walls 😢 ...so, I'm feeling the multiple filters thing too 😭
Having bedroom access doors in your living room doesn't seem quite thought out.
Thank you for this very informative video.
Im here to learn your body language and mimic your style. I need more women in my life brother.
0:50 My old childhood home: "Closets with windows."
Haha nice. I bet they were pretty uncomfy.
@HomePerformance Yeah in hindsight that house was slightly weird.
Can you make a video on why we shit in closets again?
Sorry, no expertise in that- try the shitcloset channel
@@HomePerformance funny but why is toilets enclosed in a room not with the sink or the shower anymore
@Darin08 oh that is called a crying room, very important sometimes
Who's here because Aella found him hot?
I think the best shape for house is just a rectangle
9 out of 10 building science experts would agree
Rectangles are too tempting for those "modern" liking architects! Gotta put at least an L shape in there, they hide when they see that.
Maybe a nice cylindrical turret or a cupola to make it spicy
Yes, the old American school house design.
The thermal bridging should be stopped on the outside the inside should be irrelevant.
when i look at home layouts what surprises me the most is how much space is wasted on unnecessary hallways. yon need some hallway around the bedrooms and bathrooms, you dont need an entry hallway, or a LR, DR, or kitchen hallway. open floorplan saves you at least 20% of your space.
I was thought that you don't position your toilet far from the door because it is the most used in the bathroom! So I do disagree with the position of your toilet
Seems to me, if the exterior walls have enough insulation, it should be fine to have the closets and bathtubs up against them.
I hate open floor plans. The cooking odors seem to soak into the living room and maybe even its furniture. A kitchen with walls keeps the odors out of the living room so much better.
Bad Design:
1. Kitchen should always have a (large) window….~50% of time is spent on kitchen.
Better to put the garage behind the laundry room….and have the kitchen have a view to the front yard and see who’s coming…while you are cooking.
2. You just wasted precious “edge” space for the laundry room…
3. The lower left bedroom ‘s bathroom is windowless. Bathroom must have windows….
4. If you are going to have a room of this size… the dining room should be walled or at least one partial wall.
5. Assuming the bottom is the entry door…where is the porch? If you poach is on the right side, it is in a aware position with the garage. If the porch is on the left side…it will block the study window-side..
Overall Grade C+.
Chaseway what?? We just put a draft hold in the bathroom and kitchen and call it a day
do not forget about the window
when I think of building a home I want closets, and lots of them. 1 closet (large) for each bedroom; a coat closet at the front door, a broom closet, a bathroom linen closet, a closet for actual linens (sheets, blankets, pillows, etc.); and 2 not technically closets-a mudroom and a large pantry. And if you show me a plan where you walk in the front door and the kitchen is staring you in the face I will slap you bald.
Aella wants to give you a freebie.
Rule of thumb never put anything but doors and windows on exterior walls, and minimize those when possible 👍
Nice
Function wins over form every time with me.
Manual for the house. Umm yah.
Normal homes are lucky to get the lawn mowed. Ask them to change the ac filters ohh boy.
Not only a manual for the owners, it's important for the next technicians coming into the home.
Oh boy, we have to teach the contractors about this too?!?
It all depends on which part of the world you live in.
Placing a closet against an exterior wall is not an issue if the walls are properly insulated to energy code requirements. Maybe you're discussing old homes without proper insulation? Maybe give the disclaimer that you are talking about improperly insulated homes. Or spaces that are built into exterior walls, which isn't typically how these spaces are built (the tiny home example you gave is not how single family homes are built). Ive been an architectural designer for 18 years and would never design a closet built into an exterior wall, they are always on the surface of the wall. Plumbing, yes an issue on an exterior wall. Otherwise, not an issue. I'm also sitting currently in my Colorado home with very low temps outside and our exterior walls are not an issue.
15!!!
Dehus, heat pumps, ERVs, HEPA air cleaners. Yes, they add up.
If you get hit by a bus, the sh1t is going to hit the fan literally! 😀
I do not like your layout, nor do I like your tips, but I do wish you well.
Not my layout, but thanks
The house is nice but fill me in on how I might mimic your body language and facial expressions.
I'm curious why you seem to be so dead set on ducted systems. A non-ducted heat pump system is more efficient, quicker to install, have fewer design considerations, doesn't require consumable filter replacements, better moves air within a room, and when paired with an ERV, provides better all around air circulation. I get that it's the system you chose for your home, and perhaps what you're most familiar with, but it strikes me as odd that someone so invested into building science seems to have a huge blind spot towards what is technically a better system.
Problems are designed into homes but how many problems are sued over?. I'm sure the architect would always win because you signed off your rights
With all respect i disagree with everything and not all architects are good. reason why we have bad new construction home today.
1. Thermal bringing is real but if you correctly moisture barrier your exterior walls this is not an issue. Reason why we have weep holes.
2. Bathroom vents should never be above shower. Should be near the center 1ft in front of toilet. You don’t want poo poo air particles to go through your shower curtains.
3. Shower and baths should always be adjacent to exterior walls in the event of water leak to minimize moisture damage to the house. Better to leak out than in.
Super nerd fight!
Am I the only one who thinks an hour-long bath is crazy?
Ask a woman sometime
Lost all credibility with the thermal bridging bit...
Good