Insulation / Discussions

...insulation contractor toured my 100-year old house near Toronto and told me that they wouldn't recommend installing any insulation in the basement because it could cause freeze-thaw damage to the foundation. Their stance was that these old houses like to "breathe" so it's better to avoid any changes because it's lasted...

...insulation to my house. My house qualifies for a state of Massachusetts program to add cellulose insulation to my attic, but I would need to add vents in the roof in order to meet the building codes.  But adding vents would entail cutting at least 4 holes in the roof, and it is not clear that would provide adequate ven...

...insulation,  I honestly have no idea what recycled plane insulation is, details please and we'd be happy to weigh in!

...insulation is an air barrier applied to the exterior then insulation then an exterior like painted wood or something engineered.  Should we use a foam insulation or could that lead to vapour issues?  Thanks!!

...insulation and plywood exterior.   Is there a method to do this that would not put the structure at risk from water penetration?   How much benefit would we get from just insulating attic area and crawl space?  We were going to install cold weather heat pumps and realize that an efficient building envelop is important ...

...insulation and air exchange is the primary concern in this project.  Keeping in mind that the vapour barrier is best served inside the wall as opposed to either side.... what woud be the best course of action going forward? I think you will be somewhat at the mercy of the building inspector, so you probably shouldn’t a...

...insulation would go up next, then strapping for the exterior sheath, board and batten.  I have read that the optimum scenario is to have one-third of the insulation inside the vapour retarder and two-thirds outside.  Would it make sense to put up one layer of insulation before wrapping with vapour barrier, and then two...

...insulation in any climate –  What is the right amount of insulation for an energy efficient green home? That page should help you figure the answers to you question, and were happy to help more, just fill in some blanks about your current heating bills and what you figure the cost of insulating your exterior walls woul...

I have a 40 year old cottage in the Kawarthas.  It has exterior grade Plywood.  The walls are insulated with traditional Fiberglass Pink.  I will be putting solid 3/4" wood siding over top of the exterior walls.  I plan on strapping the cottage with 1" x 2" and filling the gaps with 1" of Rigid Foam insulation.  In the...

...insulation on the exterior of walls is an excellent way to insulate an older home or a brand new home, and even meet Passive House standards. Here is a page on Larsen Truss installation - How to Build Double-Stud Larsen Truss Walls, Renovation & New Homes Is this for a new construction or renovation? And do you hav...

...insulation. I’m still looking at the Rockwool Comfort Board 80 option too. Would it work to use  a self adhering WRB, on the sheathing and then insulate with 8" of Rockwool Board or is there too much potential of condensation in the Rockwool in a house like mine? I found online pricing at Universe Corporation for the D...

...insulation in cases when you aren’t sure of conditions, because it is not harmed by moisture, and it doesn’t impede the movement of moisture either.  you can read more about thermal foil and rockwool on our choosing insulation guide page. But let’s go a bit deeper and find the best way for you, we just need a bit more ...

...insulation, moisture would migrate thought the wall in winter, be unable to leave due to the poly, and it would rot.  Here is a page on exterior house insulation that will explain, including how Larsen trusses and cellulose were used on a Passive House. How to insulate the exterior walls of old homes and not trap moist...

I have a new construction project where one floor is subgrade. It has a cement wall on three sides that the contractor insured me was prepared to be mold resistant. He put special draining paper on it and put gravel up against it but it already smells like mold. It is just framed. Is it possible to finish the project i...

How do you remove water droplets from under my crawl space vapor barrier?  Water is acculating on the dirt side of the vapor barrier. If I crawlspace has water droplets forming under the poly vapor barrier (on the dirt side) that means that it is doing its job. Without the poly that moisture would have evaporated into...

...insulation panels here –  Rigid insulation panels, how to choose the best ones for different applications You will read in that article a bit more about the ‘thermal drift’ as the R value and thermal protection is reduced during very cold weather. So depending on your exact location, that may or may not be a factor wor...

...insulation, NO poly vapor barrier & ½” gypsum drywall, sealed with drywall sealer and painted with vapor barrier paint.  What problems do you see with this detail?  Thank you Polyiso rigid board insulation is a great product, but it does have its limitations. It is more expensive than EPS rigid insulation, but it d...

...insulation in Durham Region area of Ontario, Canada?   You can find out more about hemp insulation at Ecohome for Canada or the US, And by going to the Hemp products directory on Ecohome, and hitting that Contact this company button and letting the supplier know the quantity you need (square foot total or quantity of b...