How do I pass my insulation inspection? (1 Viewer)

[warrior_1515]

Long story drawn out...

Old house...Old bathroom...Ceiling went from 8' to 4'...Head hit ceiling while taking a leak.

Now I have torn off the old roof, constructed new walls and roof line and and have an 8' ceiling in all 4 corners of my bathroom.

Passed plumbing, framing, electrical (finally) and mechanical inspections.

Now the next task is to pass insulation inspection. I know that type of insulation I need for the ceiling and walls, and pretty confident I know how to install it.

Yes, I know each county is different, but there has to be some basic rules that will help me not look as stupid as I did with electrical.

Any help will be very appreciated.

Dave

 

[White Shark]

Pretty basic. Make sure you buy the correct R-Value. Traditionally you used R-11 for 2x4 walls, but the higher energy efficient requirement (around here at least) is the higher grade R-13. It insulates a bit better and it's still 3.5" thick.

You live in Oregon, so the norm is 2x6 for new construction, but you may have 2x4 to match the original framing. Make sure you buy the appropriate / approved R-Value Insulation as speced by the local Building Dept.

Buy batts if possible. They come in standardized lengths at around 93" to fit in the 92 1/4" stud bay without cutting. If you buy rolls, you will be cutting them to fit. Make sure that you buy 15" width for standard 16" studs on center, or the 23" for the 24" on center studs.

Place the vapor barrier on the inside face with the exposed insulation towards the outside. Don't force the insulation in as it requires the loft to properly insulate.

Do not put insulation in electrical boxes as it will cause a fire. Yes, I've seen guys do this to "prevent drafts".

When cutting insulation, lay it on the deck, put a straight edge across the material to be cut, compress it as much as possible, and use a sharp utility knife. It will cut clean after a pass or two. If you don't compress the material, you will have a slashed up mess. Use a piece of scrap plywood under your cuts if the flooring is good, as you might slice up the deck otherwise.

I usually wear gloves, a long sleeve shirt, safety glasses, and a 3M respirator when installing insulation. Overkill? Maybe, but I'm a safety guy.

Insulation is pretty basic stuff. Just buy the right R-Value, the right width, and don't open a bag in a confined space. I knew a guy who got himself pinned into a corner when he cut the bag, the insulation expanded, and he was pinned against the wall in the corner of the hallway. Open the first bag in an open space and you'll see what I mean.

Insulation inspections are typically much easier than anything structural or mechanical. I like to take pictures before insulating in case I ever need to source electrical or plumbing lines in the future. Save the pics in a file cabinet. They might come in handy. Good luck.

 

[warrior_1515]

Thanks,

I'll keep you informed

 

[White Shark]

Place the vapor barrier on the inside face with the exposed insulation towards the outside.

This means that you should be able to see the vapor barrier when you are inside the room. The raw insulation goes towards the outside of the structure. You should staple the vapor barrier to the stud faces inside the room.

 

[warrior_1515]

Thanks for the info.

My construction is 2x4 walls and they are calling for R-15 walls and R-49 ceiling.

I'll find out on Monday if I can get the insulation locally or if I need to order it.

Couple pics...

edit: thats my dad playing "barkers beauties". Also, I know that it looks like the only thing missing is an old camero lying dead without any wheels in my backyard, but this is actually a nice house being made into something nicer.

 

[3_puppies]

how about corbond? spray in urethane? I believe

 

[White Shark]

R-15? Wow. That will be spendy to order and I don't know anyone who stocks that stuff around here, but you might be able to source some locally.

 

[Jetboy]

I just passed my insulation inspection about a month ago, but in norther utah. They really only wanted to see that there was insulation in the walls. Make sure to tape the seams if you have any. In Utah the paper on the insulation meets the vapor barrier requirement if it is tapped where there are seams or tears. It's pretty dry here though so it might not be good enough in OR. The inspecter was in my home for less than 5min.

Here they only require r11, but I went with r13 because it was on sale cheaper than r11. I also insulated all of my interior walls which divide rooms and the basement lid. It was well worth the extra $ because it's so much quieter. Doesn't look like an issue for your home though.

good luck

 

[warrior_1515]

Thanks guys for all the help.

How spendy is spendy? Seems like all I am saying right now is "put it on my tab" every time i leave the house.

 

[warrior_1515]

Passed inspection for the wall insulation.

R-15 ran me just under $100 from home depot. Believe it or not they were the only ones who would sell me R-15.

Thanks for everyones help.

 

[sisukid1975]

Long story drawn out...

Old house...Old bathroom...Ceiling went from 8' to 4'...Head hit ceiling while taking a leak.

Now I have torn off the old roof, constructed new walls and roof line and and have an 8' ceiling in all 4 corners of my bathroom.

Passed plumbing, framing, electrical (finally) and mechanical inspections.

Now the next task is to pass insulation inspection. I know that type of insulation I need for the ceiling and walls, and pretty confident I know how to install it.

Yes, I know each county is different, but there has to be some basic rules that will help me not look as stupid as I did with electrical.

Any help will be very appreciated.

Dave

Depends on the local economy.

If you live in CA or some other place with a higher cost of living it's probably higher. But here in Beloit, casually leaving a $100 bill on the table next to the inspection checklist then excusing yourself and walking out of the room for a minute will usually cover it.

 

[albee]

You can stack insulation to get a higher R-value ie. R30 + R15 = R45. If you want to save a few bucks the buy unfaced and staple 6 mil poly inside the bathroom before the sheetrock. I only use unfaced insulation to save money. BTW the vaper barrier always goes on the warm side of the wall, so if you lived in Florida the vaper barrier would go on the outside.

 

[Jomama]

The blown certainteed type (non-celulous) is so much nicer to deal with, and it fills in all the little hard to fill spots... I know its a synth like fiberglass, but it feels like cotton, and lacks the the glass thats in fiberglass...... If you did the prep (stretch netting across the studs) I bet it would not be that expensive to have the hopper truck stop by and fill the small area your rebuilding... One of my college jobs was insulating homes in Logan Ut... The blown stuff just has a much better end product.. Better relative R-values, no gaps, nothing..

 

[45Kevin]

Blown or loose insulation in the walls will settle eventually, leaving an uninsulated voit at the top of the wall. Just look at how much your blown ceiling insulation has settled.

 

[dnaatwork]

How spendy is spendy? Seems like all I am saying right now is "put it on my tab" every time i leave the house.

few years have passed by, decided to add to this post. i'm about to finish 2400 sq ft of insulation, after home fire and an extensive remodel (destroy the wet)

I decided to stick to the old building format as much as I could, since the techniques used in the past still meet code and did not see any indications of mold in the walls from the previous years.

We choose R21 instead of R19, unfaced. It was easier to find.

This project ended costing 12 bags of 2x4 batts, $60 each or if you're smart... or ~$50 each if you purchase the pallets from HD.
The vapor retarder is required here in utah, so add $100 bucks for two roles of 6mil poly, tape and staples.

The only concern I face is that new building codes require more fire blocking and fire drafting...