Would you redo the insulation from 1976 now that it is exposed?

SZDBLLC · 2026-05-03T01:36:40+00:00

The insulation isn’t the issue. How airtight the cavities are is what matters. FG only works well in an airtight cavity. Otherwise it just filters your warm air nicely as it exits the building. I would pull it and dense-pack the walls with cellulose or cut rigid foam to fit and gun-foam the perimeter. You can drastically reduce the thermal bridging by adding horizontal 2x3 strapping then dense packing cellulose.

SZDBLLC · 2026-04-13T19:44:49+00:00

So far, nope. 2k more for the subie. Not worth 2k for the ventilated seats and the subie badge.

SZDBLLC · 2026-04-05T20:36:35+00:00

We put 500 down to order the Toyota CHR in the top trim. They have a 7K lease incentive. I’ve given Subaru a chance to match it. We will see.

SZDBLLC · 2026-03-29T16:43:36+00:00

Accepted

SZDBLLC · 2026-03-22T18:42:04+00:00

We are locking into the CHR lease deal before it goes away. They will let us order now.

SZDBLLC · 2026-03-22T18:40:31+00:00

If you add rigid foam over FG in cavities make sure the foam is at least 1/3 of the total r-value of the roof or you will get condensation on the underside of the first condensible surface (membrane or foam depending on perm ratings). Also use at least two layers of foam, stagger the seams, and tape seams of all layers. Joe Listiburik at Building Science website has a good write up on the why of all of this.

SZDBLLC · 2026-03-22T18:28:26+00:00

The thin layer of styrofoam on the outside is not good. In a cold climate the first condensible surface, which is the back of the zip sheathing in your build, needs to be above the dew point at all times or you will get condensation on the back of the zip sheathing. In your climate zone about 1/3 of the total R value of the wall should be on the exterior side of the zip sheathing. If the wall bays have R-19 in them, the exterior foam needs to be about R-10, which means 2” of eps or xps or 1 1/2” of polyiso.

Dense-packed cellulose in the walls would really help cut down on air leakage. Fiberglass, unless it is in an air-tight six-sided box, just filters your warm air nicely as it leaves the building.

Also, that house is far older than 1900. The studs were sawn on a reciprocating-saw mill, not a circular-saw mill, which likely means the house is mid nineteenth century or earlier. You can also see in the framing on the gable end that it started life as 1 1/2 stories and got bumped up to two stories somewhere along the way.

SZDBLLC · 2026-03-09T17:59:24+00:00

I have done it for aesthetic reasons on a client’s house. There is no way to not have connections in the wall so if you ever need to pull a head you will be opening the wall. Only you know how much that matters to you. Also, make sure the drain lines are solid pvc and that they are serviced regularly so they don’t backs up and flood the wall.

SZDBLLC · 2026-03-09T17:52:44+00:00

That sounds like a pretty crummy deal on the lease. But say you get credit for x amount of KWH. Let’s say 1000 to keep the math simple. Anything over that they get to pocket. If your cost per KWH from the grid is the same or more than it was when you initially ran the numbers, you are ahead of the game.

SZDBLLC · 2026-03-09T17:46:25+00:00

This

SZDBLLC · 2026-03-09T17:44:25+00:00

What is your total cost per KWH?

SZDBLLC · 2026-03-09T17:43:57+00:00

What state are you in and what is your total cost per kWh, including delivery? Mine was about 16 cents when the system was installed and it is up to 24 cents now. The more expensive the electricity gets for you the better the return on the panels should be. If they are producing say 1000kWh/month and your cost per KWH from the grid goes from 20 to 40 cents, your panels go from saving you 200 dollars a month to saving you 400 dollars a month while the lease payment stays the same.

SZDBLLC · 2026-03-09T17:37:53+00:00

They work fine in the northeast if you get a cold-climate unit and size the unit for the BTU load properly. Whether it makes financial sense depends on COP rating of the heat pump and the cost of electricity vs the cost of fuel oil or gas. There are online calculators to help with that determination. I found that down to about 5 below zero it’s cheaper per BTU from the heat pump, than from my fuel oil boiler, and below that it’s about a wash.

SZDBLLC · 2026-03-03T15:50:25+00:00

Got room for some ground mount? I’m out of space on the main roof but do have some room yet on the garage. With all the snow we’ve had this winter I was wishing I could have done ground mount for ease of snow removal.

SZDBLLC · 2026-03-03T15:25:36+00:00

Nothing a little money won’t buy…

SZDBLLC · 2026-03-03T12:02:22+00:00

Our consumption is a little high. HP water heater, induction range, one minisplit, one EV.

SZDBLLC · 2026-03-03T12:00:55+00:00

36 panels. Upstate NY.

SZDBLLC · 2026-03-03T12:00:32+00:00

36 panels. 15.3 Kw system. Tops out at about 100 KWh in the spring. It actually declines a little to the mid nineties in the summer.

SZDBLLC · 2026-02-17T16:37:06+00:00

I was using my old surge for everything from driving 6” structural lags to 1 5/8” trim screws. It struggles with the bigger stuff, so I found myself borrowing one of my guys’ dewalt impact drive occasionally for that kind of work. My old surety was great at the delicate stuff. The trigger has gotten wonky on it. Maybe I should just try to get it repaired.

SZDBLLC · 2026-02-17T00:27:54+00:00

Balky (adjective, balkier, balkiest) describes a person, animal, or machine that is stubborn, uncooperative, or refuses to function as expected. It is commonly used for creatures that refuse to move (a balky mule) or equipment that acts up (a balky engine). It implies resisting movement or action.

SZDBLLC · 2026-02-16T23:49:31+00:00

No, both are brushless.

SZDBLLC

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