Recent content by mejhaha

A second for LP Smartside panels - similar look but the primed surface makes it much easier to paint initially and maintain.

Additional considerations are the weight of the blown-in and if you have soffit vents. If your joists are on 24” centers and you blow a whole bunch of insulation this may be an issue. If you have soffit vents you will need to figure out a way to keep the airflow unobstructed. Just some thoughts.

I did a frame off 1973 fj40 resto with jackstands and eventually wheel castors. I have a 4 post with one bridge jack and it does everything I need it to do. Unfortunately the fj40 doesn’t fit UNDER the lift anymore….

Regarding your soffit vents - think about your ceiling insulation at this point - if you are going to blow in cellulose after the ceiling is in (easy to DIY and effective) you will need to provision to not allow the cellulose to go into this vent space which usually means some sort of baffle. I...

Also second the rainscreen with battens running vertical - battens normally can be any material, do not have to be pressure treated. Cor-A-Vent makes a great product for the bottom of the rainscreen; to let air and water move but keeps everything else out. Is reasonably priced and easy to work...

Another vote for PEX A - I have used both crimp and clamp B fittings, and borrowed a PEX A manual expander before buying the Dewalt expander which is slightly more affordable than Milwaukee as a "tool only" buy. Life is much easier with the dewalt tool and PEX A for any plumbing projects. IMHO...

I also vote for encapsulated space. I am also in Va and had standing water from ductwork condensation dripping onto the existing vapor barrier as well as mold. I did a lot of research on this; some of the highlights were studies done by Oak Ridge lab and a huge study by Advanced Energy in...

Agree with larger eves, raised heel trusses and at a minimum hurricane ties. Headlok or Simpson timber screws are also a good recommendation. I did both screws and ties. When I recently priced trusses there was no cost differences for non raised heel vs raised heel. This also makes it easier...

I agree with the above - I just finished an addition to my garage - 14 foot 2x6 studs, 10' square door with hi-lift rails with plans for a 4 post. Mine is 10 ft deeper than yours, and even with hi lift rails I can tell I am going to have to make sure the lift is pretty far forward if I have a...

Sorry for the echo, but I also agree 200 amps is a bit much for what you describe. I used MHF to my detached garage but the plan is to add on living space above at some point so I didn’t want to run everything again. I had an electrician give me a quote, and when I thought it was ridiculous I...

First time I had something somewhat useful to say I guess!

Getting back to OP’s questions; air sealing is very DIY. I would get a foam gun, not the self-dispensing kind. Between that, some Polyiso and XPS you can do a lot to stop the flow of air. I am a little confused about your wall situation - I know your sheathing is short of your plates, but...