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Before and after blower door number?

Ted Kidd 😂

Stephen Brown Sounds like a solid job. I am doing a similar project but have to take down the lath ceiling. It’s the two upstairs bedrooms in a 100+ year old house that had a leaky roof which is now repaired. But will be sucking out old blown in and discarding. Not sure what way we’re going to re-insulate. Getting a spray foam company in for 600sqft not very economical.

I just read you comments and thank you. My home was built in 2005 and I'm the 3rd owner. I love my home but whoever the builder was sure did cut corners. I've got 1200 sqft of living space and I need to redo my attic. I just did crawlspace encapsulation. I can actually feel the heat from the ceiling in our living room. So air sealing the attic is definitely next on my list.

Bravo!

Nice practical information is what most people need. This video is helpful and makes people think about the money they are wasting if their home is not energy efficient.

He said the series was going to be doing practical remodeling like a person with a practical budget might... then later in the video said he would be changing rooflines.

I concur. I love the new house builds but an existing home is another beast :) This video came at the perfect time for me... hope TX gets our cool front so I can go into the attic.

All well and good, but it will cost $$$$ for all the labor (or hours, hours, hours for you to do it) to suck out the old stuff, seal all the holes, install new stuff. An Ohio contracting firm routinely charges $20-30K for this work.

The worst insulation mistake is using blown fiberglass. The foam guns clog. If you have under-performing fiberglass in your attic, it can be corrected with a seal coating of cellulose insulation.

That would cost you ANOTHER $500-2500. AND be very disappointing!!!

Recovering_Californian I was expecting and hoping to see that too. What I really wanted to see was the ach number after remedies were applied. Airflow is a bigger problem than a hot appearing thermal bridge.

@@tommybaker4330 That iOS Flir is $299 on Amazon. I am surprised Matt does not already own one.

They have more of the remodel that needs to be done before they can show the after. Let’s hope he does the thermal camera and another blower test after that is done.

@@ecospider5 ya

What kind of foam are you using and what vacuum did you buy?

For that kind of money, you could almost have a pro do the work, and get better results.

Insulation vacuums are close to $10,000

Fiber glass can't go into your residential trash bro

​@@markr857If the pro is any good. I trust myself far more than some random jack wagon to do a good job.

Good work! But what did something like that cost? And what happened to energy bills?

@@michaelrdegroat I spent about $8500 for the whole process, but that included a new hvac system and duct work installed at the same time. I ended up getting $2800 worth of rebates from the electric company through a program they had going at the time. I actually financed it all through the electric company at 3% interest. Their software estimated all my efforts would save about $45 per month. So my bill didn't change much, but about $40 each month is paying the loan off from them.

Did you find someone to come vacuum the old out? How did you find someone for that?

@@brendonwillis5438 No, my old insulation was 35 year old fiberglass batt. I just climbed up in the attic and rolled it up as tight as I could and stuffed it into trash bags. I did the same thing in the crawl space.

Why would you need to add an additional fresh air return to a closed system?

That thermal camera basically paid for itself in one visit. Good for you, Sir!

That's crazy cool

That sounds like American building standards, you guys should stop turning matchstick box’s in to houses.

@@Kewonerdk there are things called code. building the entire house out of concrete would be extremely expensive.

Kewonerdk not thanks, i like to be able to add outlets and change the floor plan without hiring people to remove concrete walls

I think that’s why they stopped looking at the wall, fallowing the window, so quickly.

good point. I was wondering how the heck to know where to step after this thick insulation is on the floor.

Well worth the time and effort! Why did you use cellulose vs loose fill fiberglass? I’m in Michigan and need to do the same. House was built in 1976.

@@wjb111 cellulose because it was less itchy, also because when it settles, it makes the area more air tight. Fibergrlass if tehere are air leaks, works in essence like a car filter onnly. so the drafts are not eliminated while with cellulose that happens. Also, more fire resistance.

@@wjb111 I used celulose due to not being itchy. Also more fire resistance according to tests, and also because when it settles, cellulose had more air leakage stoppage (although I did seal all gaps i could find) while fiberglass, any air leaks just lets the air go through.. Well worth the effort. Highest heating bill was around 40-45 USD in winter time - Jan peak. Also we did insulate the basement with 2" foam boards along with the skirt joist of the house and that also helped slightly although the ROI wasn't as good.

A side by side of before and after screen shots would really drive home the benefits.

Sweet! Blower door as Batman and infrared as Robin! This is so important as a first step to figure out what to do to your home.

Was let down not to see it as well. 😤

Yeah why no before and after ? Did they check it and not get the results they wanted to show us?

So no one here gets that this house is a demonstration house Matt is in the process of rebuilding and it has not been completed yet! Stop complaining already just enjoy the education and journey.😃✌️

Cost?

Jo Ellen Broetzmann how long did it take for the investment to pay itself off each time? And what climate do/did you live in?

@@fosterlewis7360 a lot of people are claiming ~40% savings on their heating/cooling bills, so if you take into account your bill, find 40% of it, and then divide the $3000 project cost by that, then that's about the number of bill cycles it would take to pay itself off. It will vary widely by price of gas/electricity in different areas of the country, as well as by how leaky each individual house is My bill is approximately $400/quarter, so $1600 per year. If I saved 40% from this project, I'd be saving 160/quarter, or $640/year. By the end of the fourth year, I'd be in profit :) The profit is more than just money, though. My energy comes from finite and harmful resources at the moment, so doing my bit to save it is an often undiscussed benefit.

Too much bad advice.

Larry Maloney like what?

@@Alex-vt6og, whenever his mouth moves it's bad advice. I'm not a fan of loose blown fiberglass, but there's no reason to remove what's in this attic. The leakage Matt & his buddy are orgasmic about are the result of either installing ceiling fixtures after insulating and not replacing the insulation pushed aside after installing the fixtures, or too little insulation - blown fiberglass is poor at sealing air infiltration. However, a good layer of cellulose insulation on top of the fiberglass will correct the deficiencies, including fiberglass's tendency to lose as much as half its R-value in cold weather. All that "foam sealing" is a waste of money. He's "sealing" top plates that are already sealed with joint compound and when R-49 cellulose is installed heat loss and air leakage is reduced cost-effectively. All Matt is doing is hustling for can foam. Even more importantly, manufacturing foam is very harmful to the planet. Nothing is gained; just harm to our environment. The foam gun will plug after the first usage. What Matt is orgasmic about is seen daily and corrected by insulation contractors. Matt talks the talk but he lacks an understanding of root problems and selects inferior techniques and materials. And it's not "paper insulation," It's cellulose, fire-retardant and insect resistant. It's called "paper" by those who sell competing products. Matt Risinger is jerking the viewers around. Do you have a specific question about insulation?

Larry Maloney I was curious on the correct way I can insulate my nw Iowa basement that has never had water in it specifically walls and rim joist, without causing myself a mold issue

@@Alex-vt6og, "never" is a long time, unless you bought your home recently. Wintertime ground temperature is generally below freezing and your frost depth is roughly three feet. Deep down the ground can be much warmer so it's not like insulating walls & attics above ground. I'm not a fan of fiberglass but properly installed it will perform well for basement walls because the delta T is low. It's critical the mud seal be caulked (vacuum or scrape clean first.) And then the next critical step is insulating the rim joists sitting on the mud seal (the perimeter.) Fiberglass loses half its thermal resistance in cold weather so a better choice for above-ground rim joists is spray foam or cellulose. The cellulose is much cheaper but it's tedious cutting & stapling webbing to fit along the perimeter walls and between the joists. I suggest a full eight-inch cavity. If you foam it, the spray has a tendency to separate over time. A technique I perfected is to cut a two-inch foam board an inch shorter than each opening. Then hold each in place against the rim joist and fill the surrounding cavity with expanding foam. The result is a nice seal - no air infiltration. You might go two layers of 2-inch foam board, or add depth with cellulose or even fiberglass (acceptable because the R-10 foam is air-tight.) Once the rim joists are sealed fiberglass between studs(offset from touching walls) can complete the walls. The higher level fiberglass is a "weak" spot but much better than what you have now. I'm an insulating fool, a perfectionist, so my favorite way to insulate basement walls, wet or dry is using cellulose, believe it, or not. Before framing the exterior walls to create a five-inch (or so) cavity to hold the cellulose, I first attach ten-foot visqueen to the concrete wall by stapling to the mud seal. The bottom of the visqueen lays on the floor extended for the last two feet. I frame the furring wall and set it in place an inch from the concrete attached to the joists. In a wet basement, I use treated lumber for the bottom plate and even then shim it an inch off the floor. I then wrap those extra two feet of visqueen around the bottom plate so it covers the bottom two feet of the wall studs making a dry pocket for the cellulose, After wiring, I caulk any holes and install the drywall using sheetrock normally used for shower surrounds. The resultant cavities between studs can be dense-packed with cellulose from the bottom plate all the way past the top plate, including the rim joists all at one without all the foaming or other extra work. I do some contract work that has a lower standard. For that, we buy four-foot-wide rolls of 3-inch fiberglass and attach it with pins to the upper four feet of the wall. I don't think much of the practice but some builders meet minimal standards rather than maxing out as I prefer. If you aren't comfortable with cellulose the walls can be filled with fiberglass batting. I personally shy away from foam because in most house fires using foam, the fumes kill before the fire does. As I specked, My insulated basement walls will tighten the house immensely and reduce moist air from leaking in, reducing mold. However, normal living can add buckets of moisture to inside air - from bathing, cooking, clothes washing and everyday living, so, if the above-ground walls or attic, is insulated with fiberglass, moist air can leak in (or out) and the moisture will dro out in the cooler wall. You can correct attic fiberglass by topping with cellulose. You might run a dehumidifier to dry out. And make sure bathroom vents are attached to take moist air outside. Remember, one of several causes of moisture leakage is fiberglass insulation. It simply does not stop air-infiltration. For that reason, code requires using the wrap to help the leaky fiberglass. Dense pack cellulose does not need plastic wrap to help it avoid air leakage, however, beware, the local code may require wrap, anyway. I've retrofitted old homes for many years, few have wrap. The cellulose is such an effective air barrier, the house doesn't know the difference. Why waste money on foam? Educate yourself and save money. Good luck with your project.

The quote to remove the insulation and airseal added about 5k to my quote, how feasible is it to get up there with a Hilti gun and just move aside the existing 5inches of insulation bay by by myself?

@@reedharris2519 Bad idea. Rent a vacuum, buy the bags and suck it out yourself. It's not rocket science. Your bid has a 30% pain in the ass fee built in.

@@reedharris2519 Its easy, just time consuming, follow where the walls are, wires exits, etc.. and airseal. Also, the insulation will be dirty where there are drafts.

@@reedharris2519, just sweep over each fixture to expose. (Wear a face mask & Tyvek suit.) Joint compound and caulk are inexpensive for closing visible holes. R-49 to R-60 cellulose will correct the air leakage and thermal loss not stopped by cheap builder's fiberglass.

@@reedharris2519, 5K? You must be on someone's sucker list. Wear rubber/leather gloves, Tyvec suite, and sweep/rake, push the nasty 'glass aside. Then cover the exposed suspected leaks with cellulose insulation. In fact, cover the anemic blown fiberglass with cellulose to correct its thermal and air-sealing deficiencies. Or, give your money away needlessly if you'll feel better.

How is this?. the underside of the roof.. I am 'contemplating' this .. but think i should put in insulation board under the roof rafters - to keep the airflow up on the roof deck itself. .. however putting that 'board' up .. will take a lot of work.

@@lawrenceeldridge1155 you usually spray the roof of an attic that has no incoming air. The idea is to make it a conditioned space. Not heated or cooled but not allowing huge temperature changes. Not heated or cooled but more stable and similar in temp to the interior of the living space. Spray foam is a vapor barrier as well.

@@lawrenceeldridge1155 it really depends on your attic space. Joe Lstibrek says that a vented attic space is better with air sealing and attic floor insulation than an incapsulated attic. But having your HVAC in that attic space makes it better to keep it incapsulated. Because of his furnace in his attic, he has to make the best of a bad situation and seal his ductwork as best he can.

I can imagine, being an attic insulator myself #sinnisjInsulator. Emptied my fair chair of emptying attics.

Tell them to come to my house next

wtf man is she on welfare? tired of paying so everyone gets it done free and I'm the sucker having to pay for myself AND others.

eyeonfish Yes , I have a metal roof and I had to spray under side to stop the noise from rain I use closed cell

Do you use natural gas for heating and hot water?

The Truth no, everything is electric

Now you are perfectly setup for a tiny grid tie solar instal. $70 a mont for a couple years then free for life. Unless your living between 10 trees of course.

Ecospider5 I’m surrounded by trees

Which climate zones does this apply to? Winters in the lower Midwest usually don't get snow accumulation for more than a couple weeks anymore. Is a ceiling vapor barrier only a building practice for the far north? Your comment from a year ago is the first I've heard of it.

yep my 1929 home leaks insane and it was moved in 1954 175miles through the bush so things are tweeked as well. guna have to move my insulation around little by little as getting contractor is next to impossible to come up where i am these days

@@adrianstoness3903 Do what ever you can to seal up the house. It will make it much more comfortable temperature wise and it will save money on fuel. Try to address the worst offender first and work your way to the least offender. Once you begin to notice the improvement you will be hooked and will want to do more.

Kenz300 x only electric heat here. Yea I need to seal it up trying to figure that out rains cold in the basement when the furnace is on. House sits on 8x8 skids ontop of the foundation length wise

Who would of thought...

He tore the house down.

Damn all that work and they botched the baffles. I'd be pissed. I hate hiring contractors because even with a good company I never know if the guys working that day are new or give a rip. If I'm paying that much to suck out and blow in new insulation I don't want to have to be supervising them too. Sheesh wth.

I’m with you on the rockwool. I don’t fully understand what you are suggesting about insulating between the ridges. Can you explain to me the purpose and function of this? Does this keep the roof cold in winter and hot in summer while keeping the attic temperate? I am looking to reinsulate my 1950 home. I want to remove the blown in cellulite in the attic and replace it with rockwool. My attic is low with a vent on each end.

J A Miller - it does help with cold roof in winter and blocks some of the heat transfer to the attic from the roof during summer. You have to do it correctly so there is good airflow and you don’t overheat your roof and some shingles perform better than others at higher temps.

Get the duct work AeroSealed!

He skis the bunny 👯 hill

Pretty sure he’s gonna needs pants too.

David Makes sense! Thanks for helping me!

I dunno. Visions of naked Matt snow skiing with only a sweater in the first two minutes.

Oh god, he was also given a "free suckout"

True. The difference between blue and orange can just be a few degrees.

1.8 is pretty good. Do you have a whole house fan on a 24 hr timer? Like in the laundry room? Also was that 1.8 on final, after all the windows were un masked?

Hi no whole house fan, yes that number is on the final windows are all sealed.

@@stefanoferri1485 I have heard Matt say that anything under 1.5 ACH needs make up air. I was also just talking to my HERS rater the other day and he said anything under 2.0 - 2.5 needs make up air. It would probably be best to put either your laundry fan or a bathroom fan on a timer to kick on throughout the day.

I'm not a pro, but when we remodeled our house we rented a big box blower (free when you buy X bundles of insulation) and did the attic. To fill the exterior walls, we located the studs, and used a 3" hole saw to remove a plug in the drywall near the ceiling between each stud. Then we used the insulation blower to fill the cavities. Some needed a little more convincing with a fish tape to fill, but all in all it went well. Worst issue was communicating to the person running the blower to shut it off between holes. You either need to empty the room of all content, or cover and tape it off. High pressure insulation blowback isn't pleasant, whether or not your mask is sealed properly. Keep the drywall plugs intact, and it's quite easy to tape and mud them back into place, and a coat of paint was happening anyway. Maybe the pros have a better way of dealing with it, but it worked for us.

LOL

The blower door score doesn't prove the building is insulated optimally. It only shows the degree of improvement. A competent insulation installer is required to maximize energy savings; not cheap IR cameras and expensive foam. These silly boys need to attend insulation school. Or, at least, stop talking!

@Straight Razor Daddy , thanks, I use expensive IR cameras and blower door testing (before & after,) but neither affect the quality of my work. I know what must be done to optimally retrofit a home's insulation. The work performed is the result of experience, skill, and a knowledge of thermodynamics. At best the IR camera is a sales tool - and the customer can gain confidence seeing the difference from before to afterward. The blower door tests are simply required to gain utility rebates for my customer. Neither results in a better job. I suppose if the contractor is unscrupulous, these devices keep him honest. I can teach techniques for quality insulation work. I cannot teach integrity. Either an employee wants to do a great job, or they just show up for the paycheck - those don't last long.

I think it is going to get ripped out as part of the demo, they were just doing that to show you what would be done if you weren't remodeling the whole thing.

Where I live (Australia) it isn't required to externally vent a bathroom fan (if it's normally venting into the ceiling space and you have a tiled roof (which has air gaps between the tiles)). I'm curious to know why it's necessary in your situation?

if it is just a flip, it's a cost decision. If you were living in it, you would probably condition the space, specially in Texas. On technical consideration against it (same as my flip): the house has ship lap sheathing. Soon that roof will need to be replaced along with the ship lap. You would want to re-roof, re-sheath the roof before foam coating those old boards. Just my opinion..

Yes. If you're not conditioning the attic you'll want to verify required foam thickness r value vs fluffy r value ratio on something like green building advisor. Id use exterior wall ratios for reference since a vented attic would be similar climate to the outdoors

Imagine the frost bite... like a hot dog in a freezer.

Under slab insulation? Basement walls? I think thY suits the anolgy

Was going to say the same thing!

Frozen dogs

😂😂😂

Probably have to pull fixtures and outlets and stuff

they didn't pay matt this time... so no

Heh. Came to the comments to ask this. As Risinger said, "we'll link to that website fer sure." 😂

Stupid sexy Flanders.

It feels like im wearing nothing at all. Nothing at all. NOTHING AT ALL.

I'm pretty sure he was just doing a small area of the foam and blow-in for the video recording purpose.

Bravo!

For insulation did you do blow in or batts or spray foam?

@@leekyciabrown3769 it was originally a combination of batt and blown in. I removed all of it. Vacuumed out everything so it clean. Used expanding foam to seal everything like around lights, where walls meet the sealing, etc. Then I filled in the spaces between joists with batts. Then I put another layer of batts running 90 degrees to the joists. Each batt layer was R24 (I think could have been R20.

@@systematic101 did you use a vapor barrier under the rockwool batts since rockwool is unfaced but moisture and heat resistant. I can't find any Info on that. So I'm now contemplating if I should use the cheaper pink paper faced batts first then perpendicular using rockwool but dont really want to do that unless i have to. And did u place any batts at the sides of the attic?

@@leekyciabrown3769 vapor barrier isn't useful since I air sealed everything. I placed only 2 layers and made sure they extend out over the exterior walls. I also placed these vent things that you staple to the underneath of the roof between the rafters that allow airflow from the soffit through the roof.

Metal flashing and high temp silicone should work. Then you can use a mineral wool bath around the pipe.

Same question, but would fireblock foam work right against it or do I still need to do the metal flashing?

They absolutely did. Good eye! (@30:16) That's why you need to do this yourself.

@@harleywood72 They didn't fix them either lol you will see when they blow in the insulation still upside down :(

Before I read this comment I sat there and watched that part a good 3-4 times thinking that looked odd... It still does allow for some air flow but definitely defeating the purpose of the baffles unless these specific ones are designed for it to be like this...?

@@Steviodaddio No, they are upside down.

Good catch - absolutely reversed. And like Mike saw, still reversed during the fill process. My opinion is that pros don't do a superior job, just normally are much faster vs. the home owner.

whaaat? did he tear it down? why