r/Insulation

The framing is 2x3s placed an inch away from the foundation wall, I think they did a good job, but there's still a decent gap until the drywall.

I was thinking of buying 3.5x16 batt insulation, Ripping it to half thickness and placing it in the cavities before we close up the walls.

Worth doing?

Edit: there is R15 rigid insulation installed on the outside of the foundation walls.

It’s a 1880s timber framed house with brick reinforcement between the studs. Immediately beyond the brick is original wooden siding, which is covered by a layer of aluminum siding. Would insulation boards cut to fit the irregular shaped opening be a best course of action? It’s all going to be closed back up with drywall between the floors and remaining plaster.

This is inside the building I work in. Does this look like asbestos insulation ?

I am adding rockwool to an attic / second floor of a century home with firing strips in place. I tried removing the strips, but they were not budging (for context, I am a not very strong 110 lb f), so I am cutting the batts in half and using butt joints.

My question is if this looks adequate. Most rafter spacing is 16 on center, but some are shorter and some just slightly wider.

You can see small gaps on the right of each insulation run. Curious if those gaps or my butt joints look fine or if I need to try to fill.

Also, I am going to finish the baffle runs to the top. Just wanting to switch gears for a bit.

I recently decided to take down the wood paneling in my closet and upgrade my closet system. Lo and behold, I found unfinished drywall behind tge wood paneling. Instead of taping and mudding ALL of the joints from 1x4 drywall.

But my question for you guys: (I live in Zone 7a) Should I take down this fiberglass insulation on the 2 exterior walls and put rockwool or foamboard? It is a 2x4 framed wall.

On the one hand, a really well insulated closet while I am not gutting the entire room may not be very beneficial. But on the other hand, I have access now.

Thoughts and Advice?

Not certain if I need to remove the discolored batts due to surface discoloration (mildew?).

Thinking I may be able to just peel-off the discolored 1" or so - if it is mildew and not mold.

This discoloration is only in 1/4 of the attic - where the decking is discolored as well.

I'm looking to remediate then add more ventilation.

Trying to understand if I have zero insulation in this space. This is from the 2nd floor walk-out attic.There is a cavity between two bedrooms (one on the first floor, one above it). Appears to be no insulation between the ceiling/floor, but wanted to understand if there may be more going on that meets the eye (for example insulation within these floor boards). I know it's impossible to tell in the picture but wondering what best practices may be, is this something that needs addressed

The first photo is a zoom in on the cavity space. Looks smaller in the picture but it runs about 10 feet. This runs also about 10 trusses wide so probably total cavity space around ~12x12 area

2nd pic is to show where the gap exists between the two floors

https://imgur.com/a/JZo9obQ I’m insulating and finishing a 12x24 wooden shed in North Florida, and I’m trying to figure out the best way to handle the roof/ceiling before I close everything up with drywall. I’m very new to this stuff, so I’d really appreciate advice from people who’ve done similar builds in hot/humid climates.

Shed Details

• 12x24 wooden shed
• LP SmartSide siding
• Metal sheet roof
• Full-length ridge vent
• No soffit/intake vents currently

My Current Plan

I want the shed to be fully insulated and climate controlled using:

• Portable/window AC
• Large dehumidifier

Before insulating, I plan to:

• Caulk/seal all cracks and gaps
• Seal framing joints
• Seal around windows and doors
• Basically make it as bug-proof and weather-tight as possible

For the walls:

• Rockwool insulation
• Kraft/paper facing toward the interior
• Drywall + paint

For the ceiling/roof:

• R-19 Rockwool between rafters
• Possibly foam board before drywall
• Then drywall everything

(From what I understand, the ceiling drywall should go up first so the wall sheets help support it.)

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Main Questions

1. Moisture / Condensation

Will this setup be enough to prevent moisture buildup inside the wall and roof cavities once everything is sealed and drywalled?

I’ve read that LP SmartSide is somewhat vapor permeable and can still let moisture escape outward. If the interior is air conditioned and dehumidified, is that generally enough?

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2. Roof Insulation / Heat Reflection

Would adding foam board between the Rockwool and drywall noticeably help with Florida heat coming through the roof?

If so:

• What thickness/type would you recommend?
• Is foil-faced foam board worth doing?

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3. Ridge Vent Without Soffits

This is the part I’m most confused about.

The shed has a ridge vent, but no soffit intake vents. So where is the airflow actually supposed to come from?

I included pictures with colored lines:

• Red triangle area = small attic peak area above the ceiling

Would that upper triangle vent passively through the ridge vent on its own?

Or do I need to add:

• Soffit vents?
• Gable vents?
• Some other intake system?

Mainly trying to avoid trapping hot humid air or creating mold/condensation problems later.

Sorry if these are beginner questions — I’m trying to do this correctly the first time instead of regretting it later. Thanks for any advice!

We bought a house and gutted it. 1956, original Anderson windows. We just can’t afford to re-do the windows at this time, so we did the insulation (closed cell spray foam) in the walls but didn’t fill the gaps around the windows because I don’t want to struggle to remove them later.

So I cut small strips of fiber glass and shoved it in paper side to the outside. Since the spray foam acts as a vapor barrier I figured that might help around the windows?

Is this the right thing to do? I could just use air conditioner style window foam or those tubes, but I already own the fiber glass from a previous house job I never got to.

The ceiling will be blown in cellulose. And I’ve already cut the soffit holes for adding proper baffles for air flow in the attic.

Wanted to check to see before we keep going if there’s something we should be wary of or anything. Some close up photos included. Looks like there was a previous vapor barrier of just clear plastic maybe? We didn’t do the demo work so all I know is there was ZERO insulation before and just open walls.

I live in PNW. I recently bought a house. My attic is insulated with this material. Looks wood based. Burns if I take a lighter to it, but it won't hold a flame for long, but will burn for a few seconds before it goes out. What is it? House was built 1955.

Temps are rising here in TX and noticed a little more heat in the upstairs bathrooms. Is this normal and if not what I can do to lower these temps?

Can I put Rigid Foam Insulation Board
over this rockwool? (See specific product below)

Looking to add more R value. So it would be over the studs and then drywall over the foam board. My understanding is that if I do the foam board over the rockwool, I would seal it with tape and a vapour barrier would not be required. Thanks for any tips.

This product: https://www.homedepot.ca/product/owens-corning-foamular-ngx-codebord-xps-rigid-foam-insulation-board-1-inch-x-48-inch-x-96-inch-r-5-so-edge/1000155125?TTID=MA\_EN\_B

What are people’s thoughts on putting mineral wool insulation in the stud bays before putting drywall up? The existing setup was a wood veneer nailed directly to the studs . There is approximately 4.5” space from face of stud to concrete. I’m thinking of stapling insulation to front of stud to allow for 1.5” of air space between insulation and concrete to promote some drying of any moisture that condenses. I understand the right way is to remove the studs and place closed cell foam, however, I’m trying to be practical here. Interested in what people think, responses in internet range from this is the worst thing you could do to it’s going to be ok :D

Helpful to add this is a 1980 build, so no foam insulation nor vapor barrier on outside of stem wall.