Recent content by fredcapo

I have a feeling this house will be standing several hundred years from now...

Yes/no part of the house is bounded by a modern insulated additions...two rooms were insulated when renovated (kitchen bath). As per rest of the house, two winters have actually been pretty comfortable with plaster walls, 1 inch sheathing and cedar clapboard.

I have been restoring a 1910ish Victorian style home in north jersey. The attic is a third floor walk up. This summer I removed the floorboards and had a crew remove the vermiculite that was under the floorboards, so I could install central AC ductwork. The attic rafters and sidewalls are now...

Neal, the house has soffit vents ( Aluminum grid under soffit ) though I don't feel much air or see light looking from attic. I plan to insulate from floor to the collar and across the collar tie. Will be knee walls and plan to leave some insulated and some insulated behind knee wall in rafter...

Neal, thanks. That is the next issue to solve. The roof is plywood that replaced the original shingle/shake roof. The plywood is nailed to a series of horizontal 1x2's, spaced appx 3 inches apart, that are nailed to the rafters. So the spaces are horizontal, parallel to the floor...so no air...

Thanks for the previous comments. I now have the attic floor removed, the vermiculite removed and the cavities encapsulated. I can now begin to install my ductwork in between the floor beam cavities. Since I will be installing insulation in the roof rafters above the attic, does it make sense...

Adding a separate unit for attic is a good and doable suggestion. So just to clarify...if the attic is insulated and roof deck is properly insulated and vented, to what extent do I need to additionally wrap/insulate the AC air handler ducts and chilled air supply ducts that will be on and under...

i intended to say that the attic space will be an insulated, integral space and appropriately vented. Will not necessarily be cooling it but the intent is to keep the peak summer tempos at a minimum.

Thanks. Noise, efficiency and condensation are all important issues, though would consider the last two primary. Getting the optimum installation in place, given the constraints of the existing structure, will be a challenge. But I will develop the idea of a conditioned attic space with vented...

Thanks for taking the time to reprint the sentence, but "call out" , "min." Doesn't have any meaning to me in the context. Thanks for the article on attic venting. Since I have a 10 foot or so peak in the attic I will leave a sizable channel for cool air flow, though will have to install peak...

Thanks, both, for the replies. I don't understand the last sentence of first reply...but let me look thru the links and will surely get back with some detailed questions. There is no old wiring in place, and the original roof decking was replaced with plywood several decades ago.

Hello. I have a 110 yo Victorian style home in north NJ with an unfinished attic (tall roof peaks about 10 feet above floor) with vermiculite under attic floorboards above second floor ceilings. I would like to make the attic into a 4 season living space. I also want to install the air handler...

Neal, I plan to start in a week or so. Seems like 99% of folks are removing bearing walls and I am doing opposite, but the wall will work well to partition the basement. My thought is to leave the original beam (2 2x8) for most of the length and build the permanent wall directly under it...

Neal, thanks. I needed the additional explanation. I understand and believe what you have presented is a good approach that will yield a permanent solution.

Neal, thanks. Yes as said earlier I like the idea of building the wall under the entire beam. I understand the concern about the slab and i will have to make a measurement somehow. For the bearing wall am thinking that I will use 6 inch lumber either 6x6 or 2x6s supporting the beam comprised...