We are remodeling master bath in FL house--concrete block exterior and bath has three sides on exterior corner-- shower and tub are coming out--and adding larger 4x6 shower on wall where tub is now... contractor who will likely do the job (can't get anyone else to follow through) sent initial scope of work today-- doesn't mention adding any insulation to walls where shower and tub are coming out-- doesn't mention any weather stripping/insulation around window that is in current shower stall...we are taking out existing linen closet on that wall beside shower that is coming out--replacing with larger linen closet and some cabinets under the window--so new dry wall will be needed in some areas... I think this window which was changed out for original several years ago by other owners might be part of reason there is water damage behind tiles in shower... DO these concrete block homes have insulation--there is only a very shallow build out with flat firring stips behind the sheetrock now from what I understand-- if you can't do real insulation, should there be a vapor barrier? nothing like that was mentioned in the scope of work...although he will use a vinyl membrane in the shower stall...

I am not sure I understand what they are proposing. If it is what I think it is, it is incorrect and does nothing for you. From what you put, they are wanting to blow cellulose and also use fiberglass batts? This makes 0 sense and not even sure how or why they would do that. Also r26 is a dream. The most you can possibly hit with that combination is an r20. I am assuming you mean they will blow closed cell foam first and then use r13 batts. That would be roughly 2.5" of closed cell foam and then 3.5" of batts, which gets you close to that r26, and also makes sense with the price you listed. However Do I think you should do this? No, I do not. You are FAR better to install rigid insulation on the exterior of your studs and use air tight sheathing instead of closed cell spray foams. Closed cell will seal up the stud bays and make them air tight, but it does nothing for thermal bridging and does not seal up places such as top and bottom plates. Also, the r26 they claim is only cavity space insulation values, and not clear wall value. Due to framing and thermal bridigng, you can expect to reduce that number by 15-20% for your clear wall value. Adding exterior insulation keeps your r value the same for the cavity, but increases the areas where you have an r1, whcih is at every single stud, header and framing member in your wall. For zone 5, here is what I find is the go too wall assembly that will perform extremely well, is cost effective, and does not rely on spray foams to seal things up. Assuming they have not framed the walls, then I would recommend as such: use Huber ZIP exterior sheathing with taped joints. This will give you an exterior air and water tight barrier everywhere on your wall, and not just in the stud bays. They omit Tyvek. Install 1-1.5" of XPS foam sheathing over the sheathing to give your shelf a thermal break and an r5 to r7.5 boost. Your r1 studs now change to r8.5 (if using 1.5" XPS) and your stud bays now change from r19/20 to about r27. Your whole wall average increases as you can see since you have higher r over your studs than before. This also continues to create an air tight shell. At this point, you can fill your stud bays with whatever you want and it will perform much better. I would still recommend a blown cellulose or fiberglass, however going with batts would also work, just not quite as effective. Air sealing if far more important than higher r value. Focus on this, and then put money into boosting the r value. Keep in mind, the more r value and air sealing you add, you can start to reduce other costs such as your mechanical system. You install a smaller mechanical system, which means lower upfront cost there (helps to offset added exterior sheathing) but more importantly lower heating/cooling costs for the life of the home. As for the ceiling, it is just as important as the walls. these need air sealed as well. I find one of the best and easiest ways is to have them do an "attic seal" with open cell spray foam. All they do is spray all penetrations where they come through the drywall in the attic. They only need a couple inches, and not over the entire ceiling, just at the penetrations. This includes electrical, plumbing, framing, etc. If you have can lighting, wrap them in some fiberglass batts and spray around them to form a cocoon. Cans are extremely leaky, even so called "air tight cans". After this, then BLOW insulation in, do not use batts. And r38 is very low. Blowing in thicker insulation is pennies per inch typcailly. Bump it up to atleast r50, better yet go r60. Invest in GOOD windows with good u values. Shoot for u values of .30 and lower. Consider windows with higher SHGC values (.45 and higher) on south windows if you have good overhangs. These sorts of tweaks typically do not cost anything. Bumping of values mentioned about can shift your "rule of thumb" HVAC sizing (I will say, rule of thumbs are completely inaccurate and you need to have a manual J preformed for your equipment, espeically if you increase r values) from 1 ton of heating /1000 sqft to about 1500 sqft. This means you can decrease your equipment by 1 to 2 tons easily. My home, which similar square footage in a higher heating zone 6 only needs 24k btu for heating, which means it costs about $45 in Jan to heat 3800 sqft. It cost me $16 to cool my home this last month with high 80s and low 90s daily with a set point at 72. It does not have much higher r values than I recommended above. infact its very similar given the different zones. But it has been meticulously air sealed and then r30 in the walls and r60 in the roof with triple pane glass. You are building a million dollar home. I assume your finishes, both exterior and interior are high end and quite nice. You would be doing yourself a serious diservice by not putting more money into the shell of your home since after all, that is what protects you and yours, and also is the ONLY place you can see financial payback. Its your money, but these are my proven recommendations to your questions. I am confident my recommendations will cost roughly the same as what they are giving you as an upgrade for your foam. Also eheck with local utilties, they may ahve rebates for higher performing homes. Around here, if you build to Energy Star 3.0 you can get up to around $6k back in rebates. Worth looking into.

Hey Tara, The foam is a complete envelope of the perimeters of the house eliminating the need to insulate ceilings that are normally done in a typical batts or sprayed cellulose application. If you wanted to insulate those areas to help deaden sound, that will make things considerably quiter, but if you are going for sound deadining, that gets more involved such as when you have a home theatre room and are going for complete sound control.I remember as a kid a friends house where all walls and ceilings were insulated,(fiberglass batts in those days),and the house was extemely quiet. Being in alabama, i dont believe you will have the condensation issues that i mentioned as it is generally a problem in icy,freezing conditions that are lasting for days on end.You might run it by your foam installer for peace of mind, but even though your neck of the woods gets chilly in the winter at times, i think you have no worries.In your area, the foams biggest benefit will be to keep your house cooler in the hot summers as well as lower heating bills in the winter.There are differences of opinion about costs payback and how fast you will get a return, but i look at it this way: You will enjoy a very comfortable house throughout the year and are doing your part to have an energy efficient home.We were considering foam for our build, but was mislead by the only company servicing our area about venting (required), and in some cases where they sprayed homes in our area,the county made the homeowners rip it out and vent. This would have been a very costly ordeal for our build and was for those particular homeowners as the foam cannot be re-used. Enjoy your comfortable and efficient home!Best of luck with the rest of your project.

Perhaps you are in a region so dry that moisture entering through crawlspace vents is not an issue. An unvented crawl space is adequately described in the 2012 IRC if that is the applicable building code. But the space is only sealed from outside air and the earth and must have inside conditioned air supplied to it or an exhaust from it. You are correct, insulation should be at the perimeter walls rather than in the floor above. R408.3 Unvented crawl space. Ventilation openings in under-floor spaces specified in Sections R408.1 and R408.2 shall not be required where: 1. Exposed earth is covered with a continuous Class I vapor retarder. Joints of the vapor retarder shall overlap by 6 inches (152 mm) and shall be sealed or taped. The edges of the vapor retarder shall extend at least 6 inches (152 mm) up the stem wall and shall be attached and sealed to the stem wall or insulation; and 2. One of the following is provided for the under-floor space: - 2.1. Continuously operated mechanical exhaust ventilation at a rate equal to 1 cubic foot per minute (0.47 L/s) for each 50 square feet (4.7m2) of crawlspace floor area, including an air pathway to the common area (such as a duct or transfer grille), and perimeter walls insulated in accordance with Section N1103.2.1 of this code; - 2.2. Conditioned air supply sized to deliver at a rate equal to 1 cubic foot per minute (0.47 L/s) for each 50 square feet (4.7 m2) of under-floor area, including a return air pathway to the common area (such as a duct or transfer grille), and perimeter walls insulated in accordance with Section N1102.2 of this code; - 2.3. Plenum in existing structures complying with Section M1601.5, if under-floor space is used as a plenum.