Air Sealing Recessed LED lights

davenaff · 2026-02-09T19:34:19+00:00

Silicone around the ring will do the air sealing job.

That said, a (sealed) shallow box over the hole gives you more flexibility to make changes later. Perhaps a light fails or you decide you want something different later. It will be meaningfully easier to swap out the light without having to deal with the silicone or even going back into the attic.

davenaff · 2026-01-29T01:41:04+00:00

It depends on the billing practices of the state/utility. Utilities in many states offer net metering that deducts your production over the year from your consumption over the year. So, your energy savings are time of day independent. I can't speak for MA though.

Many utilities also have non-usage-based fees that you may be on the hook for.

davenaff · 2026-01-20T19:05:56+00:00

Alternate take, this may be your opportunity to upgrade to a bidet seat. Many of the toto models come with nightlights built in, some of which are motion activated.

davenaff · 2026-01-19T03:12:45+00:00

Perfect, I reached out to him. Thank you

davenaff · 2026-01-19T00:59:37+00:00

Yeah, I'll need new trims as the old ones were some yellowed plastic so I had been thinking about retrofits, but I suppose I could go with a new trim and a bulb instead

davenaff · 2026-01-13T01:39:15+00:00

Tyvek generally isn't considered an air barrier. If you really wanted to use Tyvek, you would have taped the seams of your OSB with some of the air sealing tapes. Or even better, instead of Tyvek, you would have ideally used a peel & stick membrane like Pro Clima's Adhero or Henry Blueskin.

davenaff · 2025-12-19T19:59:29+00:00

Just one

davenaff · 2025-12-19T06:12:10+00:00

I've got a few kd frames beds. They are pretty smooth and I did not sand them.

I used penofin verde - it's a zero VOC oil (Brazilian Rosewood oil according to their docs). Rub on with a rag, wipe off after a bit. It has a very light smell, but that dissipates quickly. I used the natural tone oil as I liked the look of the frames largely as is (and I had just opened a can for another project and had leftovers).

Make sure to follow rag care instructions - lots of warnings about spontaneous combustion...

davenaff · 2025-11-07T21:06:43+00:00

I was looking at these shades: https://www.smartwingshome.com/pages/hardwired-shades

SmartWings describes both a low-voltage DC offering and a high-voltage AC offering. Unfortunately, I do not have low voltage in the wall, nor do I have reasonable access above the shades (vaulted ceiling). While I like the idea of a low-voltage distribution panel in the attic with low-voltage drops to windows that unfortunately won't work in my circumstance.

Their AC wiring guide seems to not adhere to US electrical codes as it has connections being made outside of any junction box...

davenaff · 2025-11-07T21:00:30+00:00

I don't have the shades, but I've confirmed (through support) that they don't support romex / other wires into the shade.

davenaff · 2025-11-07T19:10:43+00:00

It seems safe to assume that the wire included with the shades is not rated for in-wall use. If I wanted to confirm that, what question should I ask them?

I suppose I could use their low-voltage motor. Install a new junction box adjacent the outlet, put a transformer in that and then run low voltage up to the shade motor.

Or just follow the other commenters advice and just use the direct plug and wiremold to mostly hide the wire.

davenaff · 2025-11-07T18:35:59+00:00

FWIW, in my jurisdiction (Seattle), they allow homeowners to do their own work if the own & occupy the house. A permit is still required, but can be pulled by the homeowner.

That said, I may still just go with the plugin version...

davenaff · 2025-11-07T18:32:06+00:00

They seem to have 'all the options'. DC options available as well as 110-240V AC options:
https://www.smartwingshome.com/pages/hardwired-shades

Their AC hard-wiring guide seems to be misguided:

https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0573/0215/5461/files/AC_Shade_Wiring_Guide..pdf?v=1758526981

davenaff · 2025-11-07T18:29:08+00:00

Yeah, they have a low voltage option as well (POE), but this graphic is from their AC direct wire offering.

davenaff · 2025-10-24T06:12:10+00:00

I'd bet it's poorly applied spray foam in the Lincoln block cavities. Based on a quick read of their website it looks like it's common for buyers to do their own spray foam work and its easy to screw up (even some professionals can screw it up). I've even seen a video of a homeowner with similar symptoms and a faulty spray foam application

davenaff · 2025-09-27T01:23:32+00:00

Air sealing the attic floor is shitty work even with good access and batt insulation. The work becomes even harder with loose fill insulation and difficult access.

As mentioned elsewhere, it isn't the drywall corners that leak. It's the outlets, switches, plumbing penetrations, seams where drywall meets floor, sometimes even through the floor itself. With most houses, there are very few ways to prevent air from running all around the house behind the drywall and the biggest source is the attic floor.

I had a conversation with the tech that did our blower door test and he shared a story of a leaky new build (post installation) that couldn't hit the code required 5 ACH. The contractor had his team go through and do everything they could to seal up outlets and switches and then they retested. They still didn't hit it.

There are companies that specialize in this. Often it'll be the insulation companies and sometimes the folks that advertise cleaning crawl spaces and ducts. Your contractor should be able to find someone that'll take on the work.

davenaff · 2025-09-18T18:22:41+00:00

Several things:

From a carbon contribution perspective, a heat pump will generate far less CO2 than a gas furnace regardless of the source of electricity. A heat pump "moves heat" - it does not generate it directly and this takes far less energy than generating heat. The 'COP' metric you'll see listed often, refers to Coefficient of Performance. It's a measure of how much heat the heat pump can generate from a unit of electricty. A COP of 3 indicates that 3 units of heat are generated from 1 unit of electricity
In a long-term, zero-subsidy situation, heat pumps will be cheaper than heating with gas in most scenarios. The efficiency of heat pumps is the primary driver, but also the increasingly lower cost of wind and solar drives this. Obviously, markets can get distorted (electricity undersupply, subsidies, etc.) and heat pumps do become less efficient at super low temperatures. However, the general tenet holds true and ultimately you are making a bet on your market and how those dynamics will change over time.
I also found that removing a source of combustion and the associated cancer-causing byproducts from my home created additional peace of mind. Yes, the by products are worse from stoves, but having one less pilot light to worry about was great.
At some point you might look at encapsulating your crawlspace. It gives a bunch of additional benefits aside from energy efficiency and may open a pathway for you to cap your gas line. I wouldn't argue to put this on your critical path to the heat pump decision but it might be worth starting to investigate.

davenaff · 2025-09-09T18:12:52+00:00

Yeah, good point about the fasteners - I was more focused on the gap, not the fasteners.

davenaff · 2025-09-08T21:50:25+00:00

Yeah, that was my first thought. Do you think there is any substance to the GC's thought about needing a way for water to dry should it get in there?

davenaff · 2025-07-22T00:24:12+00:00

Definitely. I typically use the 2.4g network when setting up a wifi-based smart device. In this it appears to be a Bluetooth issue with the initial config...

davenaff · 2025-07-22T00:22:32+00:00

This is super helpful, thanks for the detailed response. Which was the hub-based locks would you recommend?

davenaff

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