Wall assembly / Discussions

...walls and 2x12 rafters.  Our plan is to use closed cell in the walls and ceiling - which will have a copper standing seam roof.  Code requires a Tyvek type outer wrap, but we want to consider adding 1/2" or 1" polystyrene to the inside to prevent bridging.  Sheet is then applied to the polystyrene.     I do like closed...

...wall, 2-3in eps/roxul based on price, strapping, new siding. Is it worth densepacking the walls before doing the WRB? The kraft paper falling apart or separating from the insulation is no great concern, and you could blow in cellulose without causing any problems, but there is an easier and cheaper way. First check out...

...wall assembly, but if anything, that may actually show a 'success' of the spray foam rather than a failure. The wood studs will transfer far more heat than the Spray Polyurethane Foam (SPUF), so what you are seeing could actually be an indication of how important it is to include seamless insulation in a wall assembly....

...walls that grade slopes down from top of the wall (100%underground ) to bottom of the wall (100% above ground) when it gets to walkout side .  I am in climate zone 3A.  I already have stud walls framed with 1.5”-2.5” gap between back of studs and CMU wall. I was planing on the following assembly :  CMU Wall (cinder bl...

...wall video that you advise to use a vapour retarder paint along with an outside air barrier.  Can you do this for the ceiling as well, thereby taking out that possible weak spot where the vapour barrier joins in with your walls? Vapour barrier paint (or Vapor barrier paint in the U.S. ) is more of a solution for walls ...

...wall assembly.   If you are planning ICF and Passive house, I would suggest having a look at ThermalWall, a rigid insulation panel designed to attach to ICF blocks (above or below grade) that can help you meet performance targets. I'm not sure if it has achieved PH certification yet as a product, but it was conceived s...

...wall system we would point you towards, but rather give you some tips on how to determine that yourself. The building science basics video on this page is a good starting place to see how we came to settle on a wall design for a demo house we built in 2015 – LEED Platinum Wall Design Building Science Video This is not ...

The house will be subject to strong winds and rain, and a high level of humidity (often 100%). We have now installed a air heating floor (Legallet), the roof is steel, the windows are from Polytech, and the sidding will be yakisugi. The question we have is about the layers of inside and outside insulation (the best pro...

...wall assemblies they are familiar with, that they like to build, and that offer them the least hassle and best profit. That’s just business, so go in with your eyes open. There are a couple of pages we have that I think would be valuable for you can look over -   How to choose a wall system for home construction Tips f...

...wall it won’t be as solid and able to hold weight the same as the load bearing portion of the wall. Other questions – how big is the awning you are thinking of installing? Is this just to cover a window for shading or are you talking about a large awning that would require installing a ledger board on the wall to creat...

...walls  you show an exterior wall with 10" plate & sill and two rows of 2x4 studs. This looks fantastic, but the idea of vapour-permeable membranes on both sides makes me nervous in combination with cellulose. In Ottawa, temp can drop to -25 in winter and reach +30 or more with high humidity in summer. Lots of heat,...

...wall and permeating into the wall assembly. If you saw the building science video about it where we used it at the Edelweiss House, we had an entirely separate air barrier in that wall assembly, a peel and stick membrane on the exterior sheathing (seen below).  The confusion over managing air and vapour movement com...