The other factor is the high humidity in the home.
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The insulation, which had been pulled back for inspection, was not making contact with the ceiling drywall and the attic ventilation baffle allowed cold air to get right under it. That allows the cold wind to come in right beneath the insulation, which again, isn’t resting right on top of the ceiling drywall. The ventilation baffle is open along the bottom and left side. The board across the top plate of that wall and the electrical wire prevented the insulation from making good contact with the air barrier (the ceiling drywall).Īlso, it’s close to a soffit vent, and it was windy when the frost formed. He pulled it back so he could see what was going underneath. The insulation wasn’t missing when he arrived. The photo below shows the attic right above where the frosty corner was. The owners took the frost photo, and Erik went to the house a week later to check things out. The building enclosure wasn’t doing its job.įirst, let’s look at the building enclosure problem.Frost on ceiling and walls Two things are going on here: The photo below gives a wider view, and you can see another frosty part to the left as well as water dripping down the walls. As you can tell from the photos here, the frosty parts of the walls and ceiling were below 32° F, well below the dew point for the indoor air. Here are the numbers that help describe what was happening:Īt those indoor conditions, the dew point was 46° F. When I shared the photo and asked how many people had seen something like this before, almost no one had.
#COLD WEATHER WALL DETAIL WINDOWS#
It’s not uncommon to see frost on windows in cold climates. As you can see, frost has formed on the walls and ceiling inside the house. For more information, visit makeitright.ca.Not long ago, Erik Henson an energy auditor with HD Engineering and Design in the Kansas City area, posted the photo below on LinkedIn. Watch Mike Holmes in his series, Holmes Makes It Right, on HGTV. If you haven’t been paying attention to this hidden heat thief, now is a good time to check and make it right. The fact is, your small, cramped crawl space could be having a larger impact on your home’s energy efficiency than you might initially think. As well, depending on your lot size, you may be able to expand an addition into your yard. There’s no cheap way to do it right.Īsk yourself this: Is there another area you can expand to increase your livable space? My son opted to add a second storey above his home. If you really want to do it, make sure you hire a pro, and expect a big bill. When done wrong, it can cause major structural issues that make the home unsafe. To increase the space, you’ll need to have the area beneath the home excavated, as well as underpinned.
#COLD WEATHER WALL DETAIL INSTALL#
You could also use batt insulation, but don’t forget that you will also need to install a vapour barrier on the warm side of the insulation to keep the moisture out.Įxpanding your crawl space into a full basement is a big job - and it absolutely has to be done right. To insulate the crawl space, I would use a closed cell, two-pound (907-gram) spray foam because it will act as both your vapour barrier and insulation.
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If you’re concerned about the extra cost it will take to heat that extra space, you’re making up for it in pure efficiency. Your HVAC specialist will be able to tell you. Before you commit to turning the space into a warm zone, you need to make sure your furnace is up to the task of heating that extra area. A heating duct and cold-air return will balance out the air exchange to and from the crawl space. You’ll need to close off the venting, insulate your foundation walls, and supply some heat to the space. One way to deal with a cold crawl space is to make it part of the warm side of your house. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.