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Message
re: Foam Insulation Cost
Posted on 5/29/15 at 3:15 pm to Chad504boy
Posted on 5/29/15 at 3:15 pm to Chad504boy
A friend of mine built a huge house and all he put in the attic was radiant barrier at first. His energy bill was cheap for the size home he has. He only later added cellulose between the joist for noise reduction.
I am a firm believer in it.
I am a firm believer in it.
0
Posted on 5/29/15 at 3:19 pm to Chad504boy
quote:
have a huge hot arse attic. Is radiant barrier worth spending the cheese on?
My parents put it in the last house they had in Houston and I remember my mom telling me she saw a noticeable difference in the electric bill and that the a/C didn't run near as much to keep the house cool, 3800 sf with two large room cathedral ceilings
Posted on 5/29/15 at 3:19 pm to jordan21210
quote:
jordan21210
Did you air seal before you put that extra insulation in?
I air sealed my attic and added about 18" of blown-in cellulose. I'm in a condo as well. Whether you share attic space with your neighbor is pretty irrelevant if you air sealed to prevent YOUR cool air from escaping.
Posted on 5/29/15 at 8:49 pm to stout
Good to know Stout. I think most companies around here do all open cell in the attic and walls. So since I will be going with foam in the walls, I think I will use OSB for sheathing instead of 1/2 styrofoam.
Posted on 5/29/15 at 8:51 pm to daviddsims
quote:
I think I will use OSB for sheathing instead of 1/2 styrofoam.
You have no choice. They changed that code a long time ago. It's all OSB. No more just wrapping the corners.
Posted on 5/29/15 at 9:02 pm to Lee Chatelain
Posted on 5/29/15 at 9:04 pm to stout
Apparently not in North Louisiana. Most homes are still wrapped with OSB in the corners and styrofoam all the rest of the way.
Posted on 5/29/15 at 9:14 pm to daviddsims
Gotcha. Yea it all varies by the wind zone map. The further South you are the more things change and in some areas you also have to do the wall clips and strappings.
Side note: Years ago when I was selling Real Estate I had a house I showed a couple and they liked it. The subdivision it was in split two Parishes and the FHA rules in that Parish required double pane windows (the houses were older so they were all single pane) due to the temperatures getting cooler the further North you go. The people couldn't buy that house but they literally bought one 8 houses down in the other Parish and were approved no problem.
My point is that the lines they set for that sort of stuff is pretty much a guessing game.
Side note: Years ago when I was selling Real Estate I had a house I showed a couple and they liked it. The subdivision it was in split two Parishes and the FHA rules in that Parish required double pane windows (the houses were older so they were all single pane) due to the temperatures getting cooler the further North you go. The people couldn't buy that house but they literally bought one 8 houses down in the other Parish and were approved no problem.
My point is that the lines they set for that sort of stuff is pretty much a guessing game.
This post was edited on 5/29/15 at 9:15 pm
Posted on 5/29/15 at 9:19 pm to stout
If you were building a house here in North LA what would you use, OSB or styrofoam for sheathing? The few builders I have talked to all use styrofoam and said it cost them more than OSB.
Posted on 5/29/15 at 9:21 pm to daviddsims
OSB without a doubt. It will make for a stronger home. People forget that brick is just a veneer and does nothing to add any structural support.
Posted on 5/29/15 at 9:26 pm to stout
Good to know Stout. It is nice to get advice from someone that doesn't have a vested interest in the project. It is so hard to know when someone is telling the truth in construction or just doing it to make more money.
Posted on 5/29/15 at 9:28 pm to daviddsims
quote:
It is so hard to know when someone is telling the truth in construction or just doing it to make more money.
Yea I hear you. Hopefully, you find someone that genuinely wants to build you a good home and can still make some money doing it. Both can be accomplished and it doesn't have to be one or the other despite what some contractors think.
Posted on 5/29/15 at 9:43 pm to Champagne
Is there a ballpark per square ft cost for installing radiant barrier on existing construction attic?
Posted on 5/29/15 at 9:56 pm to stout
Stout knows what he is talking about. Foam is great for new construction where you can caulk all seams and any place you could lose cooling, but too much of a pain in the arse for an existing home.
Posted on 5/29/15 at 9:59 pm to Paluka
quote:
Did you air seal before you put that extra insulation in? I air sealed my attic and added about 18" of blown-in cellulose. I'm in a condo as well. Whether you share attic space with your neighbor is pretty irrelevant if you air sealed to prevent YOUR cool air from escaping.
I did not...and I know that is part of the problem and knew it was when I did the foam. It's not a long term home for me, and it's an older building so didn't feel like spending the time/money to seal it up. We added the insulation and replaced the entire AC system (the one we replaced was easily 25 years old)...it certainly helped, but it still gets toasty upstairs during the summer. My townhome faces the setting sun in the afternoons, so it's like an oven.
Posted on 5/29/15 at 10:03 pm to stout
Is he saying that they would just put styrofoam over the studs and OSB on the corners?
I guess brick on the outside.
What gives the damn thing any structural integrity? The Sheetrock?
I guess brick on the outside.
What gives the damn thing any structural integrity? The Sheetrock?
Posted on 5/29/15 at 10:08 pm to VetteGuy
quote:
Is he saying that they would just put styrofoam over the studs and OSB on the corners?
Yes. That's how it has been done for a long time. Like I said, it's changed down here since Katrina and Rita.
quote:
What gives the damn thing any structural integrity? The Sheetrock?
The studs and the OSB on the corners but it's not nearly as strong as OSB on the whole thing which is why it was changed in areas.
I remember when that foam was $5 a sheet and OSB was like $14+. You better believe every spec home here had it.
Posted on 5/29/15 at 10:08 pm to VetteGuy
That is exactly what they do in North LA. They use OSB in the corners and styrofoam for no more than 25 feet. It doesn't seem very strong but its also not like I see new homes falling over up here even during severe storms. I had two contractors tell me to go with styrofoam and one say OSB all the way.
Posted on 5/29/15 at 10:10 pm to stout
It seems like it has flipped now, OSB look about $7 a sheet and styrofoam about $12. Does that sound right Stout?
Posted on 5/29/15 at 10:12 pm to daviddsims
I haven't bought foam in a while so I am not sure but yea OSB is cheap right now.
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