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Inuslating exterior walls in Northern Virginia

2K views 1 reply 2 participants last post by  CanAmGuy 
#1 ·
I've got a cape cod in northern virginia and I'm redoing the insulation on the exterior walls. The existing insulation is kraft w/ about an inch to the drywall and offset from the siding about a half inch. I was hoping to replace the insulation w/ non faced insul and then put in the reflectix as stated in the reflectix instructions. http://www.reflectixinc.com/basepage.asp?Page=DIY+Wall+-+Exterior+(2+x+4)&pageIndex=561

My boss who does a lot on his house said the primary thing to do is stop airflow so he suggested using aluminum tape along the edges of the reflectix and wrap the tape around the studs to create an air seal. In doing this I'll have about 3/4" air gap between the drywall (I was planning on green board just for overkill) and the reflectix barrier. He said that the air inside here should be roughly the same temp as the inside provided the tape seals correctly and I shouldn't have to worry about condensation inside this gap. Also he said wrapping the aluminum tape around the studs is fine since the outer edges of the studs can breathe.

My questions are
A. Since the siding is offset from the stud walls should I not risk putting in the non-faced insulation and stick w/ kraft? There are some thin strips I can use to hold it in place but the kraft siding held it in place before. Since I can't place it directly on the boards holding the siding I don't want it to fall down and also want to make sure any air needed to breathe remains intact (I have no attic vents or soffits along the gutters, just at the roof peak so I assume this was used instead of vents). Reflectix specifically says not to use kraft insul for this type of application. I can try to put the styrafoam offsets inside to keep both airflow and hold the insul off of the siding board. Should I scrap the reflectix idea entirely because of this?
B. Was it a good idea in the first place?
C. if I nailed super tiny, virtually unnoticeable holes at the top and bottom of the drywall to keep the temps inside this gap consistent, is that overkill?
D. Is the airflow too low once I install the reflectix to even concern myself with taping up the sides to completely seal it off?
 
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#2 ·
Let's go back to the beginning. You are redoing the insulation, obviously to improve the efficiency of your house. Lets start with the construction of the exterior wall. Are they 2x4 or 2x6 studs (or some other size). you stated the siding is offset? Can you clarify what you mean by it's offset, or what exactly it is that is offset. Does the house have sheathing on the exterior side of the stud or is it shiplap boards? What thickness was the original insulation? Just trying to get a better idea of the wall construction so I can answer your question more accurately. On a side note, your attic ventilation sounds like it's practically nonexistant, which is bad.
 
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