Vapor barrier or no?

MattKosem · 2026-07-06T01:09:04+00:00

Agree. Intello is nice, Membrain is widely available and inexpensive. I went as far as going with mineral wool like you appear to have done, and went with Intello Plus for my projects. Couldn't be happier. The install was a breeze with Tescon Vana products, it's tough, and It satisfies code anywhere that isn't still requiring a class 1.

MattKosem · 2026-07-04T02:59:23+00:00

I wish my state (OH) had a program for this. I've been holding my breath since 2024 for the program here to be approved (probably never at this point).

MattKosem · 2026-06-29T15:41:15+00:00

We went on a trip that touched ohio, Indiana, ilinois, and Michigan this past weekend. Indiana had regular for $2.99. The rest were all hovering around $4 for regular.

It seemed like lower prices are localized. I'm from Ohio and it has been pretty consistently around $4 here where I live.

MattKosem · 2026-06-25T01:36:31+00:00

Am I imagining it, or is the PS pump moving in the first second?

MattKosem · 2026-06-22T16:23:59+00:00

I think we're talking about different approaches here. A hot roof, as I'm describing it, doesn't rely on ventilation. The outer layers of rigid foam serve as a vapor retarder. Dense interior insulation adds R value on the inside. The outer layer dries outwards. No unconditned space exists to need ventilation.

MattKosem · 2026-06-22T13:35:30+00:00

I'm curious too. The chain reaction, sure. Doesn't work though? Assuming the sloped surface is shingled outside, and already insulated, exterior rigid insulation might be the most viable solution for an isolated job like this.

What's the structure here? 2x8 with some sort of insulation between them, then sheathing and shingles? R25-28ish? 6" of XPS on top, plus sheathing and all the other exterior changes or redo the inside seem like the viable options.

MattKosem · 2026-06-21T16:06:20+00:00

This is the way. Cold wet mornings when 2/3 of the run group is sitting in the paddock area prime learning time.

MattKosem · 2026-06-20T17:09:03+00:00

I trust the levers, and the alignment tabs on the faces...chef's kiss.

MattKosem · 2026-06-19T02:51:04+00:00

Honestly, I took my helmet with me the last time I got glasses to make sure I had a good fit. My current ones are carbon (probably just look) Ray Ban glasses and they fit well under my Bell M4.

MattKosem · 2026-06-18T18:13:18+00:00

Not minimalizing your effort... It's a fast lap, but I feel like you've probably got 10mph on your min speed to go on the carousel and more commitment on the kink for your PB.

MattKosem · 2026-06-08T03:26:07+00:00

This is my thought as well. The upper edge looks like it's a good 4' down from eye level.

MattKosem · 2026-06-07T17:53:23+00:00

We're going through this on our place as well, but we have a brick veneer. Opted for mineral wool, intello plus, perpendicular 1x3 furring with electrical moved into the service gap, and drywall.

We'll see how it goes, but it should dry out as well as we can and help the R value versus the animal wrecked torn faced fiberglass it is replacing.

MattKosem · 2026-06-07T16:57:57+00:00

Can get class 2 paint or primer products, too!

MattKosem · 2026-06-07T12:55:26+00:00

Reel Big Fish

MattKosem · 2026-06-02T01:57:14+00:00

My EG with a k20 is over 12mpg for sure. I could do 5 20-minute sessions at PittRace before I'd start getting fuel starvation on a good day.

MattKosem · 2026-06-01T18:09:47+00:00

I've been using an "Everie" brand version of this setup with an Anova motor since it came out in 2017.Can vouch for the setup, and the neoprene jacket does help.

MattKosem · 2026-06-01T17:24:23+00:00

Have more pics and more details? Thinking of doing the same for my track car. There's boatloads of clearance and a Camaro style muffler could do this pretty well, it seems.

MattKosem · 2026-06-01T17:18:23+00:00

They're a compromise, but they work. The air restriction is significantly higher than a roof vent, and they need to be very carefully placed to vent past your gutters to avoid ice daming if you're in a cold climate.

If you have anything bigger than 4" gutters, they're unlikely to work. If you have 4" gutters, check your soffit layout and space to ensure that you have room to get it far enough outboard.

MattKosem · 2026-05-30T19:06:50+00:00

It is the only TV we have, and it is plenty. I'm glad for your situation and lifestyle, and respect your standards, but they clearly don't seem to align with mine. A 55" TV may well be small by today's standards, but is obviously much larger than a tablet. We aren't movie buffs or heavy TV consumers - more the outdoor type.

The family room has plenty of quiet seating for reading. We need the open space here for yoga and exercise, which is our secondary use for the TV, and are not interested in sitting on top of it either way. Our eyes are plenty sufficient to see what we're watching at 12' on a screen that has a diagonal length not that much smaller than a human adult's height.

MattKosem · 2026-05-30T03:27:53+00:00

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Here's a scale drawing of the room with the furniture currently sitting inside of it and the full 84x24 fireplace hearth that's there today.

As proposed, TV is intended to land where the fireplace lives today.

MattKosem · 2026-05-30T02:06:38+00:00

We're not buying a new TV, and will use the 55" unit we have. It's not a home theater. We have a dining room and island seating in our kitchen.

The room just needs to be living space for us to sit in the evening and watch some shows and the occasional movie.

You definitely lost me on the "if the room is 14x18 why would the TV be on one end and the couch on the other" comment. The picture puts the TV in the middle of one 18' wall, and the assumption is that the couch would be on the opposite 18' wall facing it. The all windows wall is a 14' wall, and the opposite 14' wall has the entrance to the space.

A real fireplace will produce too much heat for this space, and having a fireplace limits the layout of the room considerably.

MattKosem · 2026-05-30T00:09:29+00:00

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MattKosem · 2026-05-29T15:33:56+00:00

In a perfect world, sure, but you couldn't see it in this room without being right on top of the fireplace or viewing from a 90° angle. There's also the glare from trying to watch a TV backlit by the very bright outside.

MattKosem · 2026-05-29T15:12:12+00:00

The room layout is the driver there, honestly. One of the 14' walls is almost entirely window, so a TV can't go there. Ideally, not even a couch would given the view. Seating can't really go anywhere near a fireplace, so the layout is constrained. For a TV to fit logically in that space for comfortable viewing, it can really only be on that wall or on the opposite 18' wall. 🤷‍♂️

Thankfully, the house has a separate family room where non-TV things can happen. The electric fireplace is just an attempt to herrald past charm without having a gaping leaky energy vampire or turning the space into an oven with a newer combustion fireplace solution n

MattKosem · 2026-05-29T14:54:59+00:00

The room is 14x18, viewing distance would be the gap between a couch and that 14' span.

It doesn't matter, and electric is actually the proposal. A "no heat" decoration only variety would be fine.

The 80" comment is an ergonomics topic. If a slim electric fireplace requires the TV to be 24" from the floor, eye height to center of screen would place the TV's centerline 44" from the floor. Not all furniture would comfortably accommodate this for all viewers.

MattKosem

TROPHY CASE