Exterior sound abatement/wall construction insulation questions
David Cary
7 years ago
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Comments (13)
Ron Natalie
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoMark Bischak, Architect
7 years agoRelated Discussions
insulating outside basement walls new construction
Comments (9)you don't need to insulate below the frost level I don't know your Code off-hand. That may be acceptable. But from the view of long-term cost efficiency and comfort, it makes more sense to insulate to the floor. And maybe even under the floor. I'm assuming the basement will be finished. Especially if you're planning to keep the basement above 50ÃÂF. in the winter. Without insulation, you stand a good chance of getting condensation on the concrete from air currents in the finished wall. Overkilling the wall with insulation for the first four feet (R 50+) then forgetting about the bottom two or three feet is rather odd. Insulating only the band, as you suggest, makes no sense and is likely not Code compliant. In any case, using exterior foam presents an insuperable problem on a masonry veneer home. Thermal bridging with masonry veneers negates the benefit of exterior insulation altogether. As well, unless the exterior insulation is meticulously protected before and after construction, it will be degraded. But, fatally to my mind, even if you get exterior insulation to work thermally, you've provided an interstate for termites. And, in Chicago, you've got them. I've been a licenced builder in Toronto for 20 years. After fiddling with different systems, now I insulate the basement on the interior with: 1" XPS followed by fg batts; or with cc spray foam to Code minimum or followed by fg, I have the key joist band area sprayed with cc or oc foam. Other acceptable alternatives include EPS (it has to be much thicker than XPS), isocyanurate boards or fg with Membrain vapour barrier. Here is a link that might be useful: Building Science Corp on basements...See MoreNew Home/wall construction and insulation assembly
Comments (3)I would take another look at SIP's- they're really easier than stick, IMO. Check out greenbuilding.com to get some very specific answers to your questions. The problem with stick construction is all the places that air can infiltrate. You can build a good tight house that way, but you need to be thorough in stopping air flow. Nowadays, they caulk wiring and plumbing penetrations, and of course any seams. One nice thing about sprayed-in foam is that it tends to seal everything up. Also, studs conduct heat, so you want to create a thermal break. One of the easiest ways to do this is apply foam over the outside of your sheathing. Firring strips are then applied to create a nailing surface for your exterior siding, and to create a drainage plane behind the siding. Even if no water ever penetrates your siding, condensation can build up....See Morehelp - lots of questions - insulating exterior walls
Comments (4)If foam, I'd prefer to use a closed cell foam instead of an open cell foam like icynene. You really can;t control a vapor barrier in this case, so I'd shy away from the open cell. Foam can be tricky, the easiest and safest, and were this my house, my choice would be to blow in cellulose. The cellulose does need to be dense-packed. Most people nkow that if you blow in insulation, it'll be fluffy and eventally settle to its natural density. DP'ing cells you blow it in to a density higher than it's natural density, that way it will not settle once it's in the framing bays. Cellulose is a great air infiltration barrier, it's a great sound attenuator, and it can hold moisture with it eventually drying to the inside or outside as humidity permits. the moisture part is an asset in old house remodels where the walls can't be opened to provide a traditional vapor barrier. Dense packing can be assured by doing simple framing bay volume calculations and then doing a cells bag count to be sure that the correct number of pounds of insulation are being blown into the volume of the framing bay. For new construction, I love foam. For remodeling, blown cells is usually the best alternative. The cells can be blown through holes ~3" diameter drilled and then plugged in the interior walls, or runs of siding can be removed onm the exterior and it can be blown in, then the siding replaced. Mongo...See MoreSound-Abatement Window
Comments (8)The width of the air gap can make a huge difference in the STC rating of a window. This is why storm windows are often used in noise abatement projects, often with only 3/16ths glass. This is also why there is often little to no detectable difference in a triple pane vs dual pane glass pack. Offset glazing is often used to boost STC ratings but laminated glass typically has a better effect. A STC rating of 34 would be an minimum idea target range.Atrium is not known for quality windows, I am not familiar with Silent guard though....See MoreDavid Cary
7 years agoworthy
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agochispa
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoDavid Cary
7 years agobluesanne
7 years agoMark Bischak, Architect
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoworthy
7 years agolast modified: 7 years agoDavid Cary
7 years agoopaone
7 years agoMark Bischak, Architect
7 years ago
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