Insulating an exterior bedroom wall that never had insulation

SpartanEpoxies
Shop deals on ebay
Advertise with us
House Repair Talk

Help Support House Repair Talk:

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, and others.
I didn't say that no vapor barrier was required.

In a 2x4 stucco and drywall const., the paper back of the drywall is the vapor barrier and is conceptually the same filament composition as the kraft facing of kraft faced insulation.

The stucco is composed of plaster sand mixed with red label cement and a little lime, which makes it water resistant, and is troweled into 1"/20 galv. stucco netting over 8ga. asphalt impregnated building paper and banjo wire nailed to the studs.

The building paper acts as a waterproofing and funnels any moisture that may find it's way through the stucco via cracks, to the ground or weepscreed.

The temperature of the dead air in the stud bay is affected by both interior and exterior influences and because there is no openings, there is no air exchange, therefore no dynamic moisture content swings.
 
You will notice a mild change, however the greatest effect, in your climate zone, comes from attic venting and insulation, and dual glazed windows.

While you may have what you think is sufficient attic insulation, R-19, adding R-30 unfaced batts will have a dramatic affect on your cooling expense.
 
Last edited:
Well I'm about 75% done and already feel a change, draft feeling is gone. I did, however, find some large voids below the old baseboard. It appeared back in the day the used 1x6 or something as a subfloor and there was good size gaps by the top plate! I shot some Good Stuff expanding foam in there as well as around the top plate where it met the floor. Also, my old galvanized line that was in the wall and exits for the front spikot had a huge void around it, more foam.
 
In case you ever want to upgrade the plumbing, it would be a good idea to change what you can when it exposed.
Or run new that can be accessed later and you just abandon the old.
 
You are on a post and beam raised foundation and during that era they used 1x6 diagonal floor sheeting and what you are referring to as a top plate, is actually the bottom plate of the wall, also known as the sil plate.
 
nealtw said:
In case you ever want to upgrade the plumbing, it would be a good idea to change what you can when it exposed.
Or run new that can be accessed later and you just abandon the old.
Click to expand...

Funny you mention that because I planned on doing that first! My son has been complaining about how cold it's been and I don't blame him. We used to have that room for master bedroom before we added on so my wife and I know how cold it can get in the winter and how hot it was in the summer it was on the list of things to do now I got to tackle the galvanize waterlines there are some copper under the house but a majority of it going to the water heater is galvanized. Yeah, i'm not sure what they were thinking when they ran the galvanized in the wall and then exit it back out for the water Spicket I guess it was for looks? I will abandon it in the wall when I do the copper.😀
 
If you have a wood floor, never mind what I said about the pipe, you would just bring the new out below the floor.
That would be the original the copper is an upgrade.
 
Last edited:
Your potable water was originally all galv. and that which is no copper was a repair.
 
I have another post regarding the copper water line switch out...Would it more difficult to build back to the riser/service in front of the house? I'm mainly concerned of the tie in to the plastic below ground, it appears to be a glued 90 with a female thread where it attaches to the galvenized. I'm wondering if I can do it in phases. I want to see what's in that old pipe�� Want to get rid of the old gate valve and put a ball valve in.
 
Your connection has to be behind the meter, so if the meter is at the house:confused:. The connection would be better asked of Frodo in plumbing with a photo.
 
nealtw said:
Your connection has to be behind the meter, so if the meter is at the house:confused:. The connection would be better asked of Frodo in plumbing with a photo.
Click to expand...

Yeah, the meter is appx 15 ft from the house, it appears to be Pvc from meter to riser then transitions to galvenized about a foot underground. Comes up galvenized and has about 40 ft of galvanized horizontally in crawlspace, elbows and another 15 ft or so towards slab laundry room where it's copper. Galv takeoff towards first bathroom but transitions to copper near bathroom.
 
maxdad118 said:
Yeah, the meter is appx 15 ft from the house, it appears to be Pvc from meter to riser then transitions to galvenized about a foot underground. Comes up galvenized and has about 40 ft of galvanized horizontally in crawlspace, elbows and another 15 ft or so towards slab laundry room where it's copper. Galv takeoff towards first bathroom but transitions to copper near bathroom.
Click to expand...

Hopefully you don't have tree roots like the video. people should think before planting.
 
maxdad118 said:
I'm mainly concerned of the tie in to the plastic below ground, it appears to be a glued 90 with a female thread where it attaches to the galvenized.
Click to expand...

The plastic fitting should be male and thred into the galv., because over tightening male metal into plastic female, will cause the plastic to split and fail.

maxdad118 said:
I'm wondering if I can do it in phases. I want to see what's in that old pipe�� Want to get rid of the old gate valve and put a ball valve in.
Click to expand...

There are some precaution to follow if you anticipate any lengthy time lapses between phases and that's the use of a dielectric fitting when connecting copper to galv., the most common of which is a 6" brass nipple.

In connecting your service riser to the ball valve, change the threaded coupling to a glued coupling and extend the riser to the ball valve.
 
I have told this story before but we bought and old house and I spent several days on plumbing and gave up. I cut the line where it comes in the house and did the whole house with PEX in a day and a half. That was the first time I ever worked with it and didn’t have one leak.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest posts

Back
Top