Hi Matt and Don. Love this building sitcom. I live in Denmark and work as a constructing architect. We are moving more and more towards building in a way where houses can be taken apart and materials reused. This leaves not much room for spray foam. Also maybe Scott was more of a "salesman" than an actual expert.
Agree foam is basically banned by mortgage companies in the uk by refusing to lend on houses that have been foamed I ask and go a hard no on my new build idea
It is amazing the discrepancies i have heard from different installers, i feel the key here is to talk to builders in your area and ask who does the highest QUALITY of install That will be the most important when considering this option.
Rock wool insulation is used in lot of Euro countries. Non toxic, inert, extreme water resistance. Bugs hate it, rodents too. Comes in many forms. Won't burn. Easy to remove.
Even more important eu uk morgage companies hate spray foam and won’t lend on houses or roofs with spray foam insulation ok for garages and temp buildings but it’s a big no due to damp and rot problems in timber frames
@@mgena717 If plasmafication (plasma gasification) of garbage was more prevalent, the slag can be blown with air and made into rock wool at near zero energy cost.
@@FrancisKoczur I'm curious what you think the energy source for the plasma torch is and why you think that it would involve zero energy to generate plasma and create rock-wool from slag.
Matt, I'm sorry but your insulation guy means well however he has conflated and confused the benefits of air sealing and insulation and is delivering inaccurate info to you and your viewers. I'm an architect who specializes in building science and energy efficiency and I felt it was important to correct the statements said in the video. He is correct that air sealing is very important, however it is not a substitute for R-value and additional insulation. Air sealing prevents heat movement through convection and insulation prevents heat movement through conduction and radiation. Air movement past certain insulation materials can reduce their effective R-value since the heat is now being moved through convection in addition to conduction through the insulation. However, the main heat transfer mechanism in a building is conduction/radiation. 2 inches of only spray foam in a wall is NOT a substitute for higher R-values. This has been shown with actual energy modeling and testing in both computer simulations and real world testing. You have to pair an air barrier with high levels of insulation to be effective. He is also incorrect about the location of your air barrier. The VAPOR retarder needs to be on the warm side of the wall in the winter. The air barrier can be located and should be located at the sheathing layer as that can both be sealed easier and it is less likely to get punctured during the life of the building. Best practice is to install a vapor retarder that is also an air barrier on the inside face of the studs to reduce moisture laden air from entering the framing cavity and use your sheathing as an air barrier by sealing all the seams and penetrations. Allison Bailes from Energy Vanguard has a good article about this: www.energyvanguard.com/blog/where-should-the-air-barrier-be-located/ Instead of spray foam, a more cost effective method is installing exterior rigid insulation over your sheathing as that eliminates thermal bridging from your framing since wood has a low R-value and reduces the effective R-value of your wall. Building codes are moving to higher levels of air tightness and requiring exterior insulation because that has been proven to provide the best resistance to heat flow and better indoor comfort and air quality. Please go watch some of Matt Risinger's or Steve Baczek's videos here on RUclips about insulation and air sealing. They both have backgrounds in building science and have covered this topic really well.
I don't understand how so many people overlook the fact that no matter how much insulation you put in between the studs, the heat and cold will easily go through the studs. I always tell people to imagine pushing all the studs together in your house and there's no insulation at all over that entire area. Even in a small house, that adds up to at least a 20' x 8' space. Everyone is MUCH better off with exterior insulation, installed correctly, like you said.
@@treggmichelleliebler399 That's a great trick to get people to understand the actual area that the framing takes up. I'm going to borrow that for future use. I also work on commercial and multi-family buildings where we often have to use metal studs to comply with fire ratings. Metal studs are so thermally conductive that installing insulation in the stud bays actually HURTS the wall performance from a durability and condensation aspect as the insulation keeps the inside face of the sheathing colder and increasing the condensation risk. Because of this, I usually specify zero cavity insulation and only exterior insulation, which takes the money and labor saved normally put into installing cavity insulation and transfers it to offsetting some of the costs for the exterior insulation. If we need to meet a specific sound rating, I'll specify thinner batts in the cavity to provide sound absorption but allow for the heat to flow enough to keep the inside face of the exterior sheathing warm in the winter. This is climate specific and should be modeled and adjusted for based on the local climate the building is constructed in.
I had 3 inches of closed cell spray foam installed in my new shop/shed build last year, and I absolutely love it. It's nice and snug, and heating/cooling is a snap. I had never been in a home or shop that was insulated this way (to my knowledge,) and I have become a major fan of the stuff. Yes it's expensive, but in my opinion, it's worth every penny.
Saving on heating and A/C expenses is a must with this economy. My electric rate went up 37% this spring! And heating oil and natural gas will be sky high as well.
I'm assuming you have an engineer creating drawings and helping get permits. Your should ask them to explain these things. R value is NOT resistance to air flow, it's resistance to flow of heat through a material. They can explain the difference between conduction, convection, and radiation. U factor is a measure of a window's heat transfer properties for non-solar heat. I.e. neglecting radiatiative heat transfer. Radiation properties of a material can be broken down into reflection, refraction, and absorbtion. Plus emissivity (how much energy is radiated off of a surface, dependent on the temperature of that surface). That's where the "low-e" windows get their name. I'm sorry, but this guy is a good salesman for his product, but is not giving accurate information. -a concerned licensed professional engineer (not in your state)
R factor is an ineffective way to measure insulation and professionals have been arguing the ignorance of it since it was implemented. Not only is it ineffective, it gives a false sense of security because the definition is absurdly wrong!
Agreed and something everyone seems to leave out is the fact that heat is pressure. Pressure through fiberglass is easy. Rock wool is tougher, but through closed cell, like nosing in with a freight train!!!
@@SteveP-vm1uc Heat is pressure? Can't say I've ever stumbled upon that in engineering school, PE licensure, or my career. Are you using this as an analogy or is there some crazy level of physics that blurs the line between the two? In any practical application I'd have to disagree. Maybe I'm wrong!
@@denniscooper6328 As an analogy, but it's true. There are many ways to show it's worth as a term to explain the need for a far better sealing insulation. what happens to the gallon jug you removed from the fridge and emptied and set on the counter sealed up? It expands from pressure due to the inside air warming up. Put it back into the fridge and it shrinks back to normal. Pressure cookers work by heating up whatever is inside of it and that pressure pushing into whatever it is you are cooking. It forces that heat into the food much faster than if it were in an open pan. Now take the typical home with 1990's insulation. It's easy to prove air under even slight pressure can easily pass through fiberglass insulation. Now add heat to the air in the attic. My roof, for instance, is all hip. That means there is not much area for air to escape at the ridge vent. So my Florida homes attic heats up pretty fast and stays that way long past the time the sun goes down. With the suns heat penetrating the roof and that attic air expanding, it looks for the easiest exit. Most would think that would be the roofs ridge vent, but due to the volume of roof, it's in a constant bottleneck. So the overflow of heat that cannot get out going up, moves to the next escape place and the next. A lot of that is coming into the climate controlled space through wiring channels and plug and switches and the heat getting through the fiberglass in my attic allow hot air to reach the back side of my ceiling and wall drywall which also heats the interior.. If this same house had been build and insulated with a few inches of closed cell foam creating a full envelope, that heat would be far less and pressure would be far less and our comfort and wallets would be much happier. I could go on, but I think you get it.
When you do a dimensional analysis, the unit for R is 1/time. Comparing 1R to 10R, it takes 10 times longer for a given amount of heat to go through 10R material than 1R material. The heat will go through the insulation, but it just takes longer for the higher R number. The R-value of wood is about 1.4/inch.
Watching this from Australia Matt and as a subscriber follow all your videos and especially this build. This video was so interesting and to have someone explaining how the foam works and the benefits of each type is great. His knowledge is so obvious and flow of conversation without 'um' and 'ahs' make it so easy to follow.
Good stuff! Just had our basement box sils spray foamed, huge improvement in the basement of this 1800s Michigan farm house…less mice too I’ve noticed!
Very interesting... I do like how the CCF fills and expands in all the nooks and crannies..., although one can forget about snaking an electrical wire at a later time in a wall that's been foamed.... And I'm concerned that if there was ever a home fire, that the foam would be extremely toxic, which I didn't hear your insulation contractor talk about.But then again, why would he..lol In my past experience with fiberglass insulation, I've seen many contractors fail to properly fit the fiberglass tightly in the gaps and do a very poor /sloppy job installing the vapor barrier, and some use a subpar thickness of way less than the 4 mil.. all of which has given fiberglass insulation of bad rap of not performing well.... Which is sad, because it can insulate extremely well when it's properly installed, especially the vapor barrier, which I feel is critically important.. Anywho, always glad to see the progress you're making, it's looking so good..
Air sealing is great but houses must breath and vent. In the 80's they built many "super insulated" houses in Minnesota that were way to tight the house rotted from the inside out. It started with the widow sills rotting this was a common problem. We ran blower door test on some houses that were so air tight the families were getting terribly sick from VOCs (Formaldehyde) being released from the new carpet and furniture. Much of this was rectified with the installation of de-humidistats switches and ventilation fans. BE SAFE!
@@bobbray9666 My comment was about my experience what happened in the 80's and what we did to address the issue in the 80's. I did not mention or address the installation of HRV or ERV in my comment.
For a new build or remodel I like 1-2" of closed cell and the rest of the fill ROCK WOOL..... The closed cell does the perfect sealing and the Rock Wool not only brings the R value way up, but also is fire resistant, shrink resistant and kills outside noise. It is far better than fiberglass and insurance companies love it!!!
I think you need minimum two inches closed cell for air barrier. Spray Jones on youtube says adding insulation on top of that is detrimental because it will trap air between the closed cell and the insulation and you could get condensation.
@@zefallafez Spray Jones is incorrect. You can't trap air between closed cell and an air permeable insulation like fiberglass, cellulose, or mineral wool bats. Also trapped air is not what causes condensation. A cold surface below the dewpoint is what causes condensation. As long as you have sufficient insulation for your climate zone that keeps the interior surface above the dew point temperature, you won't be at risk for condensation.
This is going to be a heck of a wonderful home. So you have the heatwave there too I see. I thought we were have the massive heat wave here. Good stuff Matt.
Mice intrusion with plastic water pipes and the mice like to gnaw on pipes creating water leaks in walls. The spay foam insulation pretty well negates mice intrusion.
In the UK, spray foam is a huge no no... your house becomes unsellable as none of the banks or building societies will lend money on a property where the condition of structural timber / building fabric is hidden. Apparently, they insist it is all removed to show there is no rot, infestations, stress cracking etc. Sounds crazy at first... but imagine what could be hidden behind a layer of foam in say a 500 year old slate tile / timber roof void!
Great video and nice content about insulation. Really loved the close though, it made me laugh. Your clearing having a good time working with each other. I have worked places where you never heard someone laugh and those have been sad places to work.
The "R" value is NOT a measure of resistance to airflow. It is a measure of resistance to HEAT flow. The unit is inverse time, measuring the time it takes a certain amount of heat (British Thermal Unit BTU) to pass through the material.
At your house is looking really good I know foam really keeps your house warmer and you pass they got some pest control stuff that is red and fire block too so if you ask that guy that bunch of questions like that he would have told you that but just checking with you you guys it looks good keep up the good work you and Donovan God bless you both
This video couldn’t have come at a better time. We’re getting ready to put an addition on our house and I was curious about the insulation options. This was more than informative!
We have case in the Netherlands where a house is declared "unlivable" and it's past inhabitants are struggling with chronic health issues due to spray foam insulation. Personally I wouldn't have it applied from the inside.
Matthew, yes, spray foam is a good product, but this was the most one-sided, muddled discussion of the topic I've encountered. Your insulation contractor, Scott, was correct about some things and wrong about others. Sure, closed cell foam (CSF) is both an air/vapor barrier and an insulator. I have used it in several projects in my current home. But Scott listed the No. 1 value of CSF as adding structural integrity to the home. While it’s true that CSF does stiffen up wall/floor/ceiling assemblies considerably, that is not a goal of CSF, nor it’s intended purpose. It is merely an incidental benefit. CSF is intended as an insulation product. It just so happens that it also acts as an air/vapor barrier. A side benefit. And it just so happens that it also stiffens up construction assemblies. Again, a side benefit. Scott also claims it isn’t possible for rodents to burrow through it, which is entirely false. I can (and have) take my finger and dig a hole through CSF. The chewing power of rodents is quite impressive, and far more effective than the human finger. Mice, rats, squirrels and other rodents can chew through wood, which is far harder than CSF. Last, the environmental impact of the blowing agents and chemicals used in the manufacture and installation of CSF are SIGNIFICANT contributors to global warming. Read Fine Homebuilding Issue 280 - Dec 2018/Jan 2019 for more. Scott is a businessman profiting from the sale of a product, so necessarily he is a cheerleader for CSF. As I’ve said, I have used CSF on my projects, so I feel there is a place for CSF in modern construction. Few, if any, building products are completely free of drawbacks and negative environmental impacts. Our goal should be to educate ourselves and minimize the harm we do. This video was a sales pitch for CSF, not an informed discussion on the topic of CSF. You owe it to yourself and your viewers to better educate yourself (and therefore, them too) on topics that you cover, especially when they are as controversial as CSF. (BTW, I am enjoying this series. Keep up the good work.)
You just quoted from articles that are 3/4 years old. The science has changed. Remember, back in those days, people were getting their homes insulated, and then had to pay to have it removed, because it was making them deadly sick.
My comment in not intended to be argumentive however, seriously... global warming! Once folks started to wise up they changed it to Climate Change. This world heats up and cools down and that's how it will always be. We're still getting over night temps in the 50's here in north east PA. I came up in the 60's. I remember the haze, smog, over large cities like NY and LA. Then they started with (smog) control in automobiles leading up to current catalytic converters in all domestic vehicles sold in the U.S. and that went away. If all the crap about climate change were true that (smog) would be back. Lastly, yeah I'm one of them, the Lord Almighty made this world and he's going to destroy it one day. In reality man only destroys himself. Think about it!
Well stated, i feel that only those of us who truly care about the future will understand this conversation. I too will use csf and rockwool. It all depends on the project. "Sales pitch" 👍
Scott is excellent in explaining the spray foam process. It was nice listening to him walk us thru the pro's and con's of insulation products and telling it in a way that made since.
Except he doesn’t know what R-value is, which is a rather fundamental property of insulation. He also seems confused about heat loss via radiation and conduction. Most importantly, he doesn’t mention how difficult it would be to carry out any work after spray-foam insulation has been installed. It would be an absolute nightmare to run any plumbing or electrical services through that stuff, or to trace any faults in those services.
The air sealing is where this product gains the advantage. Stop the drafts and air leaks. When my addition was built the wind could howl between the sill plate and block even with a foam gasket. Once the sill was sprayed; air tight and warm.
I agree, it looks best with 2 pieces in the corner. Did you consider ripping a piece of trim, in half and using it? Just a thought. Looks good either way.
way to bring out the 'experts' on insulation properties and construction techniques, no wonder people are confussed (sic) when presented with the insulation decision - I have no dog in the fight
My garage is "insulated" with rigid foam and fiberglass... And yet in the winter it tends to be colder inside of my garage than it is outside! I'd love to have it spray foamed, but I'll probably wait until I get to my next house. Because I need to have more land.
I read if you are trying to buy a home with spray foam that banks are not giving mortgages because of the EXTRA work that a company would have to do IF the insurance company was covering a claim. LIke a roof with spray foam would be a PITA to change plywood if its covered with spray foam .
The thing that po's me, I receive a statement from AEP/PSO that my usage is down 22% from previous year, but my bill only goes down 5%. No matter what you do to save money and energy, the electric company is going to continue to raise rates that offset any "investment" you make.
Inflation is keeping energy costs high... The scam in my area is all the companies pushing for solar to "save" $$$ on your bill. What they don't advertise is the monthly cost to pay for the solar more than cancels out any costs saved and more likely ends up costing you more money! Also, it takes a long time to pay off the solar costs before you get to actually save any money... And your cells only have a life span of about 10 years before you have to replace them. Meaning, you will always be paying for the additional cost of solar for little to no benefit!
We're going to be re-doing our front room and my plan is to pull the drywall so I can re-insulate and run some TV/computer cables behind the walls. I'm pretty sure the insulation in there is not the best. I'm in CA where the climate is much nicer - none of that white stuff all over during winter - but have thought about spray foam just because it's better than the pink fiberglass and will seal the room better.
@@RandomTorok Keeping cool is harder than warm. Our winters have become a lot warmer - I used to wear a heavy coat and now on the coldest days I'm in a fleece.
R value is not the resistance to airflow 🤦♂️. R value is the resistance to heat transfer. A window or a brick wall has a terrible R value yet will provide a good air seal. Sealing out draughts is very important too but it's nothing to do with R value. Having windows will always result in worse insulation performance than a insulated stud wall even if the windows are hermetically sealed. I'm sorry but the suggestion that fibreglass with a stapled plastic vapour barrier can't perform as well as sprayfoam with the same R value is complete marketing woo woo. The biggest concern with small gaps in a plastic vapour barrier would be condensation where there is a tiny amount of air transfer, leading to mould growing in the wall, not a massive reduction in insulative performance. Unless you have huge gaping holes it's not a problem.
Agreed, but I think the point the installer was making was that R value is becoming a measure of air flow as well. Risinger does a better job of differentiating them than this guy does, but I don't doubt his expertise.
Classic foam salesman. I used to work for the nation’s largest insulation installer as a building scientist. ALL insulating systems, fglass, rockwool. Cellulose, various foams, etc all perform equally well as insulators. The key is that they must be properly installed to reach their peak performance. Fglass and any other batt-type products are notoriously difficult to install properly for a myriad of reasons; therefore, they rarely insulate as well as expanding foams. Just because it’s spray foam doesn’t mean the gunner in any good and I have seen many foam jobs that weren’t worth a flip. It’s all in the install quality. With that being said I prefer spray foams and rock wool.
100% agree with this and the replies. I was a building analyst for a very well regarded home performance contractor. This guy might be an ok tradesman, but he is not a good educator.
Good salesman, but he's not an engineer. Take his spiel with a heavy grain of salt. Closed cell is an amazing air barrier, though. Based on code in Zone 5 (Colorado, Minnesota) you can use R-20 of closed cell directly on the underside of your roof decking. No need for an attic space. That's what I did in my garage. As others have said, you can do exterior rigid foam insulation (like Polyisocyanurate) that is extremely well taped at every single seam which is also an air barrier. TL;DR having an air barrier is tremendously helpful, but it is NOT a replacement for sufficient R-value. The two should be used together. Closed cell spray foam happens to also have the highest R value per inch (exceeding R-6 per inch) so it happens to be good for both R-value insulation and air barrier as it is impermeable to moisture and air. (open cell is NOT impermeable!)
The Twin Cities is in zone 6 and northern MN is zone 7. That's from every heat zone map I've seen. And yes, R-value is the resistance of heat transfer not airflow. This guy needs to study up.
I can't help think about future renovators dealing with all this plastic blown into every space. I get the air flow argument, but removing this will be nearly impossible and incredibly destructive to the environment
As others have pointed out, the contractor is talking complete and utter BS regarding the meaning of R-value. It is a measurement of the conductive movement of heat through a two-dimensional barrier system *not* airflow. This is a straight up sales pitch for his most expensive product, not factual info. The trouble with filling wall cavities with closed-cell foam is that it doesn't do anything to reduce thermal bridging from studs which is an issue in Zone 5 winters. A wall assembly built with fibreglass or rock wool batts in the stud bays, 2-3 inch rigid EPS on the exterior side of the sheathing and an 1 inch rain screen air gap bedind your siding is a much higher performance system for a comparable or lesser cost.
Anyone that has had the pleasure of trying to remove this foam can attest to how effective it is at insulating and bonding to the surface it was sprayed on to! As far as sound barrier goes I dont think you can get a better way of quieting down a space!
He was great!!! I can normally listen to someone pedantically waxing poetic about some facts for 1.2 seconds. He was actually interesting, not pedantic at all, super well informed and passionate about the subject. That's for this, Matthew.
Closed cell also derates to a lower R-value in very cold temps. We're building a new home in MN with Zip-R12 sheathing and 2x4 wall construction. Debating whether to use mineral wool in the stud bays or closed cell. Closed cell would guarantee no air infiltration and it also strengthens the wall assemble for shear. Mineral wool is cheaper with an R-value of 15 @ 3.5" thick vs closed cell at around 18 @ 3" thick but mineral wool has a better STC (sound absorption value) of around 51 in a finished 2x4 wall vs. 39 for closed cell. What to do?
@@zekezeke3484 Not sure how well 3.5" mineral wool would compress when trying to attaching drywall. Both R-value and STC ratings would also be diminished under that much compression.
Go with the mineral wool. You are already doing a great job with the R-12 Zip-R sheathing that is providing an air barrier and eliminating thermal bridging from your studs. Best practice is to have 30% of your insulation value as exterior insulation and 70% as the cavity insulation. This will reduce potential for condensation on your interior surface of the zip-R sheathing since it is air and vapor barrier. You honestly should have went for 2x6 studs instead of 2x4 for the better overall R-value. But that's a moot point now. The mineral wool is better for your health, indoor air quality, your wallet, and helps with fire resistance and STC ratings. Spray foam should be avoided as much as possible if we want to live in healthy buildings that can be easily renovated or deconstructed down the road. The increase in shear resistance can easily be achieved in other ways that are proven from an engineering standpoint, like increased nailing patterns or additional strapping. Spray foam is not a code approved method for resisting shear and that should tell you a lot. It can shrink and pull away from framing and is a sensitive chemical process to apply in the field.
@@BenWolkWeiss Thanks. I'm going to personally apply the Zip tape and Zip liquid flash to make sure the walls are sealed from air infiltration, unless the framers say they've done this many times before and know what they're doing. With that, mineral wool will save me a lot vs. closed foam and should be better for sound transfer. With the Zip r-12 + R-15 mineral wool, I think a R-27 wall assembly is good enough and better than code. I originally decided to go with 2x4 construction because I wanted great exterior insulation and didn't want to deal with all the jamb extensions for doors and windows that a 8-9/16" wall would need. I ordered all for normal 2x6 construction and still will have a better than code R-value.
@@BenWolkWeiss I've seen the 30% exterior insulation and 70% interior. I've also read that this rule was created decades ago when people started building double walls with some sort of vapor barrier between the stud walls. People who seem to know a lot more than me about this say this rule isn't relevant for single wall construction with continuous air tight exterior insulation if it is 2"+ in my zone 6. Less thick in other zones.
Incredible knowledge and experience. Thanks Matt for having this gentleman explain it so well. Australia needs someone to spell this out. Fibreglass bats which only will end up in another land fill are the rage and curse of our country.
This guy is wrong. R-value is not the resistance to air flow, it’s the thermal resistance to conductive heat flow. Conductive heat flow still occurs even if the surface is completely sealed to air flow.
My ocd just can't get past the fact that it's sprayed on all of the cables and fixtures. I also don't like that it's made from oil. End result is it is the best air barrier, however I have seen other tests where in most cases it is hardly better than fiberglass when installed properly. But the big one is later on when structures get renovated this is going to be a huge cost to the owner when doing renovations. Overall I am torn weather it is really better.
I agree, he's a country bumpkin trying to speak intelligently, but muddling the data, language, and facts. He's in the business of selling the product, that much is clear.
I love the fact that in the opening shot the spray foam contractor is rubbing his hands together - like he's greedily ready to take your money !!!! lol - just kidding - Spray foam is not cheap, but if it's in the budget, it's a far better way to go in most applications. I think we all appreciate the quality you are putting into your home. Keep the good stuff coming !!! love the videos.
Spraying foam like it's still 1996. Love you Matt, but this is a huge no. Production, application and disposal has huge environmental impact that don't really justify the benefit. Rock wool works incredibly well if applied correctly to cover all the beans, not just the space in between. This guy is a salesman, another comment left an in depth discussion about it so I'm not gonna repeat.
Remember when Matt used to make videos about woodworking in his shop. The good ole days.
Hi Matt and Don. Love this building sitcom. I live in Denmark and work as a constructing architect. We are moving more and more towards building in a way where houses can be taken apart and materials reused. This leaves not much room for spray foam. Also maybe Scott was more of a "salesman" than an actual expert.
Agree foam is basically banned by mortgage companies in the uk by refusing to lend on houses that have been foamed I ask and go a hard no on my new build idea
It is amazing the discrepancies i have heard from different installers, i feel the key here is to talk to builders in your area and ask who does the highest QUALITY of install That will be the most important when considering this option.
Rock wool insulation is used in lot of Euro countries. Non toxic, inert, extreme water resistance. Bugs hate it, rodents too. Comes in many forms. Won't burn. Easy to remove.
Even more important eu uk morgage companies hate spray foam and won’t lend on houses or roofs with spray foam insulation ok for garages and temp buildings but it’s a big no due to damp and rot problems in timber frames
Rock wool is awesome stuff. Wish I’d known about it earlier. Matt’s home is coming along nicely.
Biggest downside to rock wool is the energy it takes to make it.
@@mgena717 If plasmafication (plasma gasification) of garbage was more prevalent, the slag can be blown with air and made into rock wool at near zero energy cost.
@@FrancisKoczur I'm curious what you think the energy source for the plasma torch is and why you think that it would involve zero energy to generate plasma and create rock-wool from slag.
Matt, I'm sorry but your insulation guy means well however he has conflated and confused the benefits of air sealing and insulation and is delivering inaccurate info to you and your viewers. I'm an architect who specializes in building science and energy efficiency and I felt it was important to correct the statements said in the video.
He is correct that air sealing is very important, however it is not a substitute for R-value and additional insulation. Air sealing prevents heat movement through convection and insulation prevents heat movement through conduction and radiation. Air movement past certain insulation materials can reduce their effective R-value since the heat is now being moved through convection in addition to conduction through the insulation. However, the main heat transfer mechanism in a building is conduction/radiation. 2 inches of only spray foam in a wall is NOT a substitute for higher R-values. This has been shown with actual energy modeling and testing in both computer simulations and real world testing. You have to pair an air barrier with high levels of insulation to be effective.
He is also incorrect about the location of your air barrier. The VAPOR retarder needs to be on the warm side of the wall in the winter. The air barrier can be located and should be located at the sheathing layer as that can both be sealed easier and it is less likely to get punctured during the life of the building. Best practice is to install a vapor retarder that is also an air barrier on the inside face of the studs to reduce moisture laden air from entering the framing cavity and use your sheathing as an air barrier by sealing all the seams and penetrations. Allison Bailes from Energy Vanguard has a good article about this: www.energyvanguard.com/blog/where-should-the-air-barrier-be-located/
Instead of spray foam, a more cost effective method is installing exterior rigid insulation over your sheathing as that eliminates thermal bridging from your framing since wood has a low R-value and reduces the effective R-value of your wall. Building codes are moving to higher levels of air tightness and requiring exterior insulation because that has been proven to provide the best resistance to heat flow and better indoor comfort and air quality.
Please go watch some of Matt Risinger's or Steve Baczek's videos here on RUclips about insulation and air sealing. They both have backgrounds in building science and have covered this topic really well.
I don't understand how so many people overlook the fact that no matter how much insulation you put in between the studs, the heat and cold will easily go through the studs. I always tell people to imagine pushing all the studs together in your house and there's no insulation at all over that entire area. Even in a small house, that adds up to at least a 20' x 8' space.
Everyone is MUCH better off with exterior insulation, installed correctly, like you said.
@@treggmichelleliebler399 That's a great trick to get people to understand the actual area that the framing takes up. I'm going to borrow that for future use.
I also work on commercial and multi-family buildings where we often have to use metal studs to comply with fire ratings. Metal studs are so thermally conductive that installing insulation in the stud bays actually HURTS the wall performance from a durability and condensation aspect as the insulation keeps the inside face of the sheathing colder and increasing the condensation risk. Because of this, I usually specify zero cavity insulation and only exterior insulation, which takes the money and labor saved normally put into installing cavity insulation and transfers it to offsetting some of the costs for the exterior insulation. If we need to meet a specific sound rating, I'll specify thinner batts in the cavity to provide sound absorption but allow for the heat to flow enough to keep the inside face of the exterior sheathing warm in the winter. This is climate specific and should be modeled and adjusted for based on the local climate the building is constructed in.
I had 3 inches of closed cell spray foam installed in my new shop/shed build last year, and I absolutely love it. It's nice and snug, and heating/cooling is a snap. I had never been in a home or shop that was insulated this way (to my knowledge,) and I have become a major fan of the stuff. Yes it's expensive, but in my opinion, it's worth every penny.
Saving on heating and A/C expenses is a must with this economy. My electric rate went up 37% this spring! And heating oil and natural gas will be sky high as well.
Scott was very knowledgeable and informative on foam and the importance of air barriers--glad he had the time for such a complete overview.
I'm assuming you have an engineer creating drawings and helping get permits. Your should ask them to explain these things. R value is NOT resistance to air flow, it's resistance to flow of heat through a material. They can explain the difference between conduction, convection, and radiation. U factor is a measure of a window's heat transfer properties for non-solar heat. I.e. neglecting radiatiative heat transfer. Radiation properties of a material can be broken down into reflection, refraction, and absorbtion. Plus emissivity (how much energy is radiated off of a surface, dependent on the temperature of that surface). That's where the "low-e" windows get their name.
I'm sorry, but this guy is a good salesman for his product, but is not giving accurate information. -a concerned licensed professional engineer (not in your state)
R factor is an ineffective way to measure insulation and professionals have been arguing the ignorance of it since it was implemented. Not only is it ineffective, it gives a false sense of security because the definition is absurdly wrong!
Agreed and something everyone seems to leave out is the fact that heat is pressure. Pressure through fiberglass is easy. Rock wool is tougher, but through closed cell, like nosing in with a freight train!!!
@@SteveP-vm1uc Heat is pressure? Can't say I've ever stumbled upon that in engineering school, PE licensure, or my career. Are you using this as an analogy or is there some crazy level of physics that blurs the line between the two? In any practical application I'd have to disagree. Maybe I'm wrong!
@@denniscooper6328 As an analogy, but it's true. There are many ways to show it's worth as a term to explain the need for a far better sealing insulation.
what happens to the gallon jug you removed from the fridge and emptied and set on the counter sealed up? It expands from pressure due to the inside air warming up. Put it back into the fridge and it shrinks back to normal. Pressure cookers work by heating up whatever is inside of it and that pressure pushing into whatever it is you are cooking. It forces that heat into the food much faster than if it were in an open pan.
Now take the typical home with 1990's insulation. It's easy to prove air under even slight pressure can easily pass through fiberglass insulation. Now add heat to the air in the attic. My roof, for instance, is all hip. That means there is not much area for air to escape at the ridge vent. So my Florida homes attic heats up pretty fast and stays that way long past the time the sun goes down. With the suns heat penetrating the roof and that attic air expanding, it looks for the easiest exit. Most would think that would be the roofs ridge vent, but due to the volume of roof, it's in a constant bottleneck. So the overflow of heat that cannot get out going up, moves to the next escape place and the next. A lot of that is coming into the climate controlled space through wiring channels and plug and switches and the heat getting through the fiberglass in my attic allow hot air to reach the back side of my ceiling and wall drywall which also heats the interior.. If this same house had been build and insulated with a few inches of closed cell foam creating a full envelope, that heat would be far less and pressure would be far less and our comfort and wallets would be much happier. I could go on, but I think you get it.
Really awesome to see this project progressing and with such good humour. A real joy to watch
When you do a dimensional analysis, the unit for R is 1/time. Comparing 1R to 10R, it takes 10 times longer for a given amount of heat to go through 10R material than 1R material. The heat will go through the insulation, but it just takes longer for the higher R number. The R-value of wood is about 1.4/inch.
Watching this from Australia Matt and as a subscriber follow all your videos and especially this build. This video was so interesting and to have someone explaining how the foam works and the benefits of each type is great. His knowledge is so obvious and flow of conversation without 'um' and 'ahs' make it so easy to follow.
Good stuff! Just had our basement box sils spray foamed, huge improvement in the basement of this 1800s Michigan farm house…less mice too I’ve noticed!
Interesting comments about the value of foam vs fiberglass. Thanks.
Very interesting... I do like how the CCF fills and expands in all the nooks and crannies..., although one can forget about snaking an electrical wire at a later time in a wall that's been foamed.... And I'm concerned that if there was ever a home fire, that the foam would be extremely toxic, which I didn't hear your insulation contractor talk about.But then again, why would he..lol
In my past experience with fiberglass insulation, I've seen many contractors fail to properly fit the fiberglass tightly in the gaps and do a very poor /sloppy job installing the vapor barrier, and some use a subpar thickness of way less than the 4 mil.. all of which has given fiberglass insulation of bad rap of not performing well.... Which is sad, because it can insulate extremely well when it's properly installed, especially the vapor barrier, which I feel is critically important..
Anywho, always glad to see the progress you're making, it's looking so good..
Air sealing is great but houses must breath and vent. In the 80's they built many "super insulated" houses in Minnesota that were way to tight the house rotted from the inside out. It started with the widow sills rotting this was a common problem. We ran blower door test on some houses that were so air tight the families were getting terribly sick from VOCs (Formaldehyde) being released from the new carpet and furniture. Much of this was rectified with the installation of de-humidistats switches and ventilation fans. BE SAFE!
HRV is needed. ERV is warmer climates.
@@bobbray9666 I do not believe the HRV or ERV systems existed until after 1998.
@@gonefishing2012 So what? You can install them in older houses. I installed a HRV in a home built in the 80's in MN.
@@bobbray9666 My comment was about my experience what happened in the 80's and what we did to address the issue in the 80's. I did not mention or address the installation of HRV or ERV in my comment.
Interesting interview I enjoyed listening to the explanations
Great video! The interview voice-over the installation process was great. Lots of helpful info.
For a new build or remodel I like 1-2" of closed cell and the rest of the fill ROCK WOOL..... The closed cell does the perfect sealing and the Rock Wool not only brings the R value way up, but also is fire resistant, shrink resistant and kills outside noise. It is far better than fiberglass and insurance companies love it!!!
I think you need minimum two inches closed cell for air barrier. Spray Jones on youtube says adding insulation on top of that is detrimental because it will trap air between the closed cell and the insulation and you could get condensation.
@@zefallafez Spray Jones is incorrect. You can't trap air between closed cell and an air permeable insulation like fiberglass, cellulose, or mineral wool bats. Also trapped air is not what causes condensation. A cold surface below the dewpoint is what causes condensation. As long as you have sufficient insulation for your climate zone that keeps the interior surface above the dew point temperature, you won't be at risk for condensation.
ahh new use for a horse curry , scraping foam off boards
Nice call on the spray foam insulation. I do think you will be happier with it and for how much more it seals the house I think it is worth it.
Lots of great info! Spray foam is the best! Awesome video Matt!
Very good lesson on insulation. Even Holmes on Homes didnt do a better one.
No. It was nearly all bullshit.
This is going to be a heck of a wonderful home. So you have the heatwave there too I see. I thought we were have the massive heat wave here. Good stuff Matt.
great information.he did a great job
Mice intrusion with plastic water pipes and the mice like to gnaw on pipes creating water leaks in walls. The spay foam insulation pretty well negates mice intrusion.
In the UK, spray foam is a huge no no... your house becomes unsellable as none of the banks or building societies will lend money on a property where the condition of structural timber / building fabric is hidden. Apparently, they insist it is all removed to show there is no rot, infestations, stress cracking etc. Sounds crazy at first... but imagine what could be hidden behind a layer of foam in say a 500 year old slate tile / timber roof void!
I can see the case if the foam encases the structure but because it is not has no merit for their argument!
Thank you once again for the fun you bring while passing on great information
Great information, spray foam has evolved well.
Thank's Matt very informative always wondered what the difference was can't wait for the next one
That was interesting and he brought up some things I had not thought about.
Great video and nice content about insulation. Really loved the close though, it made me laugh. Your clearing having a good time working with each other. I have worked places where you never heard someone laugh and those have been sad places to work.
The "R" value is NOT a measure of resistance to airflow. It is a measure of resistance to HEAT flow. The unit is inverse time, measuring the time it takes a certain amount of heat (British Thermal Unit BTU) to pass through the material.
Wow that guy was very informative. Very interesting.
At your house is looking really good I know foam really keeps your house warmer and you pass they got some pest control stuff that is red and fire block too so if you ask that guy that bunch of questions like that he would have told you that but just checking with you you guys it looks good keep up the good work you and Donovan God bless you both
Great job Matt.
Your guy is more salesman than contractor. Disappointed by his misinformation. Still love the series.
Would have gone with "Owens Pink Itch"
Incredibly informative. Great stuff!
This video couldn’t have come at a better time. We’re getting ready to put an addition on our house and I was curious about the insulation options. This was more than informative!
Please do more research than just watching this video. There's a ton more to insulation/air sealing/indoor air quality than was covered here.
We have case in the Netherlands where a house is declared "unlivable" and it's past inhabitants are struggling with chronic health issues due to spray foam insulation. Personally I wouldn't have it applied from the inside.
Just got my lesson in insulation!
Very interesting.
Great to know, I live in Arizona and I would like to keep the house cool not hot
Matthew, yes, spray foam is a good product, but this was the most one-sided, muddled discussion of the topic I've encountered. Your insulation contractor, Scott, was correct about some things and wrong about others. Sure, closed cell foam (CSF) is both an air/vapor barrier and an insulator. I have used it in several projects in my current home. But Scott listed the No. 1 value of CSF as adding structural integrity to the home. While it’s true that CSF does stiffen up wall/floor/ceiling assemblies considerably, that is not a goal of CSF, nor it’s intended purpose. It is merely an incidental benefit.
CSF is intended as an insulation product. It just so happens that it also acts as an air/vapor barrier. A side benefit. And it just so happens that it also stiffens up construction assemblies. Again, a side benefit.
Scott also claims it isn’t possible for rodents to burrow through it, which is entirely false. I can (and have) take my finger and dig a hole through CSF. The chewing power of rodents is quite impressive, and far more effective than the human finger. Mice, rats, squirrels and other rodents can chew through wood, which is far harder than CSF.
Last, the environmental impact of the blowing agents and chemicals used in the manufacture and installation of CSF are SIGNIFICANT contributors to global warming. Read Fine Homebuilding Issue 280 - Dec 2018/Jan 2019 for more.
Scott is a businessman profiting from the sale of a product, so necessarily he is a cheerleader for CSF. As I’ve said, I have used CSF on my projects, so I feel there is a place for CSF in modern construction. Few, if any, building products are completely free of drawbacks and negative environmental impacts. Our goal should be to educate ourselves and minimize the harm we do. This video was a sales pitch for CSF, not an informed discussion on the topic of CSF. You owe it to yourself and your viewers to better educate yourself (and therefore, them too) on topics that you cover, especially when they are as controversial as CSF.
(BTW, I am enjoying this series. Keep up the good work.)
You just quoted from articles that are 3/4 years old. The science has changed. Remember, back in those days, people were getting their homes insulated, and then had to pay to have it removed, because it was making them deadly sick.
My comment in not intended to be argumentive however, seriously... global warming! Once folks started to wise up they changed it to Climate Change. This world heats up and cools down and that's how it will always be. We're still getting over night temps in the 50's here in north east PA. I came up in the 60's. I remember the haze, smog, over large cities like NY and LA. Then they started with (smog) control in automobiles leading up to current catalytic converters in all domestic vehicles sold in the U.S. and that went away. If all the crap about climate change were true that (smog) would be back. Lastly, yeah I'm one of them, the Lord Almighty made this world and he's going to destroy it one day. In reality man only destroys himself. Think about it!
Well stated, i feel that only those of us who truly care about the future will understand this conversation. I too will use csf and rockwool. It all depends on the project. "Sales pitch" 👍
Scott is excellent in explaining the spray foam process. It was nice listening to him walk us thru the pro's and con's of insulation products and telling it in a way that made since.
Except he doesn’t know what R-value is, which is a rather fundamental property of insulation. He also seems confused about heat loss via radiation and conduction. Most importantly, he doesn’t mention how difficult it would be to carry out any work after spray-foam insulation has been installed. It would be an absolute nightmare to run any plumbing or electrical services through that stuff, or to trace any faults in those services.
And cellulose in the attic helps your house burn down.
The air sealing is where this product gains the advantage. Stop the drafts and air leaks. When my addition was built the wind could howl between the sill plate and block even with a foam gasket. Once the sill was sprayed; air tight and warm.
Wonder what the R value of those windows are?
I agree, it looks best with 2 pieces in the corner. Did you consider ripping a piece of trim, in half and using it? Just a thought. Looks good either way.
Very informative. Thank you, Matt'
Awesome stuff Matt! 😃👍🏻👊🏻
way to bring out the 'experts' on insulation properties and construction techniques, no wonder people are confussed (sic) when presented with the insulation decision - I have no dog in the fight
My garage is "insulated" with rigid foam and fiberglass... And yet in the winter it tends to be colder inside of my garage than it is outside! I'd love to have it spray foamed, but I'll probably wait until I get to my next house. Because I need to have more land.
I read if you are trying to buy a home with spray foam that banks are not giving mortgages because of the EXTRA work that a company would have to do IF the insurance company was covering a claim. LIke a roof with spray foam would be a PITA to change plywood if its covered with spray foam .
a lot of good information...that helps me re-enforce my trust of closed cell.
Closed cell to stop heat, open cell to stop noise! Gonna use both in my new home.
Though the guy really meant "damping", not moisturizing.
This is the best video I've seen on insulation and spray foam on youtube. Excellent contractor and great editing/video.
Looks Great!!
8:15 -ish: Very cool! What is the flammability of the spray foam, please?
What are you going to do about the out-gassing of formaldehyde?
Reflective insulation only has one effective side.
The thing that po's me, I receive a statement from AEP/PSO that my usage is down 22% from previous year, but my bill only goes down 5%. No matter what you do to save money and energy, the electric company is going to continue to raise rates that offset any "investment" you make.
Inflation is keeping energy costs high... The scam in my area is all the companies pushing for solar to "save" $$$ on your bill. What they don't advertise is the monthly cost to pay for the solar more than cancels out any costs saved and more likely ends up costing you more money! Also, it takes a long time to pay off the solar costs before you get to actually save any money... And your cells only have a life span of about 10 years before you have to replace them. Meaning, you will always be paying for the additional cost of solar for little to no benefit!
We're going to be re-doing our front room and my plan is to pull the drywall so I can re-insulate and run some TV/computer cables behind the walls. I'm pretty sure the insulation in there is not the best. I'm in CA where the climate is much nicer - none of that white stuff all over during winter - but have thought about spray foam just because it's better than the pink fiberglass and will seal the room better.
Insulation isn't just to keep the house warm, it also helps to keep the house cool in the warmer months or in your case all year round.
@@RandomTorok Keeping cool is harder than warm. Our winters have become a lot warmer - I used to wear a heavy coat and now on the coldest days I'm in a fleece.
R value is not the resistance to airflow 🤦♂️. R value is the resistance to heat transfer. A window or a brick wall has a terrible R value yet will provide a good air seal. Sealing out draughts is very important too but it's nothing to do with R value. Having windows will always result in worse insulation performance than a insulated stud wall even if the windows are hermetically sealed. I'm sorry but the suggestion that fibreglass with a stapled plastic vapour barrier can't perform as well as sprayfoam with the same R value is complete marketing woo woo. The biggest concern with small gaps in a plastic vapour barrier would be condensation where there is a tiny amount of air transfer, leading to mould growing in the wall, not a massive reduction in insulative performance. Unless you have huge gaping holes it's not a problem.
TMM well said
Agreed, but I think the point the installer was making was that R value is becoming a measure of air flow as well. Risinger does a better job of differentiating them than this guy does, but I don't doubt his expertise.
Classic foam salesman. I used to work for the nation’s largest insulation installer as a building scientist. ALL insulating systems, fglass, rockwool. Cellulose, various foams, etc all perform equally well as insulators. The key is that they must be properly installed to reach their peak performance. Fglass and any other batt-type products are notoriously difficult to install properly for a myriad of reasons; therefore, they rarely insulate as well as expanding foams. Just because it’s spray foam doesn’t mean the gunner in any good and I have seen many foam jobs that weren’t worth a flip. It’s all in the install quality. With that being said I prefer spray foams and rock wool.
100% agree with this and the replies. I was a building analyst for a very well regarded home performance contractor. This guy might be an ok tradesman, but he is not a good educator.
They are not so much notoriously difficult to install correctly as they are notoriously easy to install incorrectly ;)
Seeing the ripped house wrap installed in previous episode, probably not much.
Good salesman, but he's not an engineer. Take his spiel with a heavy grain of salt.
Closed cell is an amazing air barrier, though.
Based on code in Zone 5 (Colorado, Minnesota) you can use R-20 of closed cell directly on the underside of your roof decking. No need for an attic space. That's what I did in my garage.
As others have said, you can do exterior rigid foam insulation (like Polyisocyanurate) that is extremely well taped at every single seam which is also an air barrier.
TL;DR having an air barrier is tremendously helpful, but it is NOT a replacement for sufficient R-value. The two should be used together.
Closed cell spray foam happens to also have the highest R value per inch (exceeding R-6 per inch) so it happens to be good for both R-value insulation and air barrier as it is impermeable to moisture and air. (open cell is NOT impermeable!)
The spray foam is like insulating the area between your rips. Not the same as putting on a coat
Getting close to 400k
The Twin Cities is in zone 6 and northern MN is zone 7. That's from every heat zone map I've seen. And yes, R-value is the resistance of heat transfer not airflow. This guy needs to study up.
How flammable is the spray foam? What toxic gases are released when it burns?
I can't help think about future renovators dealing with all this plastic blown into every space. I get the air flow argument, but removing this will be nearly impossible and incredibly destructive to the environment
Just what i was thinking, doesn’t look biodegradable, what about replacing fan units or running new wires/copper
@@Youbruss1 You're right. Massive hassle. Most people installing it aren't thinking about the next guy, even if it's likely to be themselves!
Didn't you see the videos before, the spray foam removal wasn't that bad.
Thanks very informative
As others have pointed out, the contractor is talking complete and utter BS regarding the meaning of R-value. It is a measurement of the conductive movement of heat through a two-dimensional barrier system *not* airflow. This is a straight up sales pitch for his most expensive product, not factual info.
The trouble with filling wall cavities with closed-cell foam is that it doesn't do anything to reduce thermal bridging from studs which is an issue in Zone 5 winters. A wall assembly built with fibreglass or rock wool batts in the stud bays, 2-3 inch rigid EPS on the exterior side of the sheathing and an 1 inch rain screen air gap bedind your siding is a much higher performance system for a comparable or lesser cost.
I like this guy.
Anyone that has had the pleasure of trying to remove this foam can attest to how effective it is at insulating and bonding to the surface it was sprayed on to! As far as sound barrier goes I dont think you can get a better way of quieting down a space!
Don't let Donovan go towards the light.
He was great!!! I can normally listen to someone pedantically waxing poetic about some facts for 1.2 seconds. He was actually interesting, not pedantic at all, super well informed and passionate about the subject. That's for this, Matthew.
Nope. He knows nothing about the topic or is a good liar....
R value is a materials resistance to conductive heat transfer, nothing to do with air flow.
An excellent education on the benefits of spray foam vs fiberglass insulation. This guy stays insanely busy I'm sure. Great video Matt! 🙏🏽
I hope you didn’t have to pay for the insulation! Scott turned it into a lengthy commercial!… you should get payed for loaning him the platform…
Brilliant
Closed cell also derates to a lower R-value in very cold temps. We're building a new home in MN with Zip-R12 sheathing and 2x4 wall construction. Debating whether to use mineral wool in the stud bays or closed cell. Closed cell would guarantee no air infiltration and it also strengthens the wall assemble for shear. Mineral wool is cheaper with an R-value of 15 @ 3.5" thick vs closed cell at around 18 @ 3" thick but mineral wool has a better STC (sound absorption value) of around 51 in a finished 2x4 wall vs. 39 for closed cell. What to do?
What about an inch of closed cell and then mineral wool for the rest, is that an option? Best of both?
@@zekezeke3484 Not sure how well 3.5" mineral wool would compress when trying to attaching drywall. Both R-value and STC ratings would also be diminished under that much compression.
Go with the mineral wool. You are already doing a great job with the R-12 Zip-R sheathing that is providing an air barrier and eliminating thermal bridging from your studs. Best practice is to have 30% of your insulation value as exterior insulation and 70% as the cavity insulation. This will reduce potential for condensation on your interior surface of the zip-R sheathing since it is air and vapor barrier. You honestly should have went for 2x6 studs instead of 2x4 for the better overall R-value. But that's a moot point now. The mineral wool is better for your health, indoor air quality, your wallet, and helps with fire resistance and STC ratings.
Spray foam should be avoided as much as possible if we want to live in healthy buildings that can be easily renovated or deconstructed down the road. The increase in shear resistance can easily be achieved in other ways that are proven from an engineering standpoint, like increased nailing patterns or additional strapping. Spray foam is not a code approved method for resisting shear and that should tell you a lot. It can shrink and pull away from framing and is a sensitive chemical process to apply in the field.
@@BenWolkWeiss Thanks. I'm going to personally apply the Zip tape and Zip liquid flash to make sure the walls are sealed from air infiltration, unless the framers say they've done this many times before and know what they're doing. With that, mineral wool will save me a lot vs. closed foam and should be better for sound transfer. With the Zip r-12 + R-15 mineral wool, I think a R-27 wall assembly is good enough and better than code.
I originally decided to go with 2x4 construction because I wanted great exterior insulation and didn't want to deal with all the jamb extensions for doors and windows that a 8-9/16" wall would need. I ordered all for normal 2x6 construction and still will have a better than code R-value.
@@BenWolkWeiss I've seen the 30% exterior insulation and 70% interior. I've also read that this rule was created decades ago when people started building double walls with some sort of vapor barrier between the stud walls. People who seem to know a lot more than me about this say this rule isn't relevant for single wall construction with continuous air tight exterior insulation if it is 2"+ in my zone 6. Less thick in other zones.
what about off gasses from the foam?
Incredible knowledge and experience. Thanks Matt for having this gentleman explain it so well. Australia needs someone to spell this out. Fibreglass bats which only will end up in another land fill are the rage and curse of our country.
This kind of foam I expected to be used around the windows an doors, insulating and at the same time setting them permanently..
What is a gardener snake?
8:36 Do they know about shrinkage?
This guy is wrong. R-value is not the resistance to air flow, it’s the thermal resistance to conductive heat flow. Conductive heat flow still occurs even if the surface is completely sealed to air flow.
20:20 -ish Instead of "The goggles, they do NOTHING!" we have "The aluminum bubble wrap, it does EVERYthing!"
Great. Here, after lunch....rr
I turned the sound down, couldn't listen to him.......
Did you spray foam around your new windows by the fire place? I thought I saw pink insulation?
We just left that as is.
My ocd just can't get past the fact that it's sprayed on all of the cables and fixtures. I also don't like that it's made from oil. End result is it is the best air barrier, however I have seen other tests where in most cases it is hardly better than fiberglass when installed properly. But the big one is later on when structures get renovated this is going to be a huge cost to the owner when doing renovations. Overall I am torn weather it is really better.
This dude has no clue about heat transfer or R value. It has nothing to do with resistance to air flow, it's a resistance to heat transfer.
I agree, he's a country bumpkin trying to speak intelligently, but muddling the data, language, and facts. He's in the business of selling the product, that much is clear.
I was just about to comment that. He is totally wrong about it.
I love the fact that in the opening shot the spray foam contractor is rubbing his hands together - like he's greedily ready to take your money !!!! lol - just kidding - Spray foam is not cheap, but if it's in the budget, it's a far better way to go in most applications. I think we all appreciate the quality you are putting into your home. Keep the good stuff coming !!! love the videos.
you are both Loony Tunes
Did his guys just spray foam over fibreglass in the eaves?!
11:30 yep 🤦
This topic is like getting 5/5 Drs to agree on what’s the best way to fight Covid!
how well does it work in hot climates like Los Angeles zone 10b
as long as it does the job,,,your in a cold state,,you do no that,,haa
As my father always said: "Insulation doesn't cost, it saves!"
Spraying foam like it's still 1996. Love you Matt, but this is a huge no. Production, application and disposal has huge environmental impact that don't really justify the benefit. Rock wool works incredibly well if applied correctly to cover all the beans, not just the space in between. This guy is a salesman, another comment left an in depth discussion about it so I'm not gonna repeat.
This guy is a spray foam salesman, not a building science expert.