So that posted video was you? Cool... Seems to work reasonably well, Certainly went on easy, no apparent clogging. I would definitely put on a 2nd coat in most places. Some of the cracks are big enough to me wishing it was a little thicker. I might would be tempted to hand caulk some of the larger cracks and then use your blackjack rig to do the rest. Now that you've hand a hand in it, don't you agree a little hand caulking might be in order?

How close to the actual window frame do you feel it is necessary? Maybe mask the window frame, or hand caulk the actual seem where the window frame meets the rough opening frame 2x6 (or instead spray in expanding foam to fill those gaps)?

Posted By kogashuko on 30 Jun 2013 08:44 PM
As for the odor, right now it smells like I put a bunch of caulk in the walls. I hope that goes away soon but I dont think it will linger.

As for the blower door test, if I air seal the whole thing I could in theory do it. Since the builder was contracted to do this portion unfinished he put exterior doors between the outside and between the addition and the existing house. The only thing that is connected is the attic. If I insulate the attic more in the existing house first I could close off the attachment and do a test or just wait until I finish the ceiling.

I have almost considered getting another one of these be liner guns since at $10 they dont break the bank. I could then take both guns, hose clamp them together, and put two 45 degree pipe connectors on the nozzle. Then instead of blowing thick paint I could blow part a and part b of foam. I am sure that would piss a few spray foam contractors off. In fact I expect, like when I was putting in my own ac, to get a phone call tomorrow from a contractor in the field telling me how illegal it is to do that. Followed up shortly by another call exclaiming that the money I am saving is suppose to be their profit!!!

Please update in a few days on the smell.  Sounds encouraging.

I'm not sure I'd go to the trouble for a blower test, unless you're compulsive.  It's a bit of set up time.

I guess it varies from state to state, I don't see how insulating and HVAC'ing your own home is illegal, as long as the load calcs have been perfomed, the equipment is up the BTU needs, the ducting layout is up to code and is well thought out.

I have a good friend who is going to design my ducting system and provide me with all the sheet metal punch list of needs and installation guidance and I plan on installing the ducting myself. I'll probaly install my heat pump and air handler myself too.

At some point I'll need a licensed HVAC contractor to check my system for leaks and charge my system with refridgerant.  I hope I can find one to do that.

Its not illegal trust me. I have to keep track of what will get people in bracelets and what will not so I found it funny when several HVAC contractors told me that. As far as doing the inspection, most reputable HVAC places will be happy to do a service call no matter who the installer. A local one came out and did one and topped off the refrigerant. They were very cool about it. Especially since they knew if something screwed up I would call them. It is kind of a gamble if I did it right then they wouldnt be called. If I didnt then they could make more money than if they had installed it. I called them a second time for as second unit. Since it was put in in the winter I called them back to check the charge in the spring and they put a tiny bit more refrigerant in. Since filling in heat mode is problematic sometimes they got two service calls out of it. I have not needed service on either until my contractor hit both refrigerant lines while working on the siding. One unit was cranked to a 45 deg angle and the other they claimed was leaking for a while. Funny how the one that was leaking for a while had been working for three years without an issue until that night.

I will let everyone know how this turns out. I almost want to spray a test piece of plywood and 2x4. I am betting that if I look further into those big gaps there is spray further inside. However, I think I am going to be safe and it it isnt sealed just top off with caulk. I also plan on finishing the double studd wall and building out the window boxes. So before I put insulation in I will be sealing those as well. I will keep everyone updated!!!

It looks easy enough, but I think you need to prove it is doing something more than just painting the cracks. If not a full size room, then a small test box. Would be interesting to compare this, caulk and gaskets (which I think is the best approach - wood can move a lot and caulk is limited in its ability to adhere and stretch).

.

I can tell by trying to pry this stuff off of things like the lid, the subfloor, some plastic, metal, and my arm that this stuff is much more flexible than mere caulk. It feels almost like rubber with chalk in it or a very flexible flat spray foam. Very odd. I dont know how else to describe it. IT is definitely not like any latex paint or water barrier I have ever dealt with.

Trying to get this stuff off my hands and arms in a nightmare. It seemed very pliable before it dried so I moved on to the tools like the spray gun. Once dried I learned that it has no problems moving with my skin and does not peel well. It has even removed some skin while coming off.

Please remove my name from the ones who get emails every time this gets posted!!! I have not signed up for that!!!

Yes you did How, I had nothing to do with it. There is a little box at the bottom of your screen that says subscribe. At some point you clicked it and after that the emails started appearing! In fact it stays checked and you could have put a check mark in there to get rid of it when you posted that crap...

I did not NOT click either box at the bottom or the top!!! Odd!!! Something is weird. Sometimes I get an email from GreenBuiding that is totally away from my field, in an area where I did not go.

Well start a new topic if you want to talk about it.

How,

If all else fails, unsubscribe and re-subscribe under a different name.

Update on the smell. It smelled much like latex paint but the smell was gone on tuesday. I went in there last night and smelled it briefly but it is gone today.

I got a very reasonable quote back from one of the spray foam installers. Trying to get my wife to go for.

Also, if I insulate under the roof deck with rigid foam and want to shoot cellulose behind it later, will the foam hold the weight of the cellulose blown in?

What kind of foam, how dense, how thick, rafter spacing, thickness of cellulose, how is it attached (glue would be best). Might be easier to do a quick test. Wet sprayed cellulose can support itself, at least once it has dried.

Rigid 3/4 inch foam 16inch on center. Thickness would be either 6 or 8 inches of thickness. Depending on if I decide to vent the roof.

My guess is that glued on XPS would be fine and with taped joints could also serve as an air barrier. But a quick test would be much more accurate.

Is there any really good fire protective coating for this stuff I can spray on. Thought of it being an air barrier is my main attraction to rigid foam. Essentially, I can install it in other places in the building envelope and get the same properties as spray foam but without the expense or the odors.

Update, the white stuff I sprayed still looks good dried. It looks like it might have expanded a little and the gaps look smaller and fewer. I picked up a 5 gallon bucket of the stuff from lowes last night to re-up. I have not gotten a chance to work on it more. Between motherinlaw down last week, busy with work, and a nail injury I am a bit behind.

I am still struggling with putting the entire 9+ inch cavity with dense packed cellulose or to pack the fist 2.5 inches with traditional fiberglass batts, cover the 2x4 framing with a sheet of 1ich rigid foam sheets that would also be air sealed, and the dense packing the remaining 8 inches of space. With the second approach I would get the advantages of the flash and batt with a fraction of the price. With the dense packing the whole thing I would get a better R value with very little air movement anyway with the dense pack. I am just afraid the lowes machine will not properly dense pack.

I am also so tempted to take some two of the bed liner guns and make a combining nozzle on my lathe. I could then fill the two tanks with the liquid two parts of soythane and blow them in. Seems like a very simple diy spray foam solution. I am wondering if a manufacturer would send me a small sample of both parts of their foams???

If you are going to make something, I think it would be interesting to add a high pressure water nozzle to a normal cellulose blower to get a wet spray system. Some systems can even stick cellulose to an overhead surface (ie, much like open cell spray foam).

How about a mixture of polyurethane in with the cellulose. This would make the cellulose a vapor barrier like spray foam?