New England B.S. Thread

I like the Rockwool line of products so I’ll likely go that route in the ceiling joists and then foam board on top of the roof sheeting.

I don’t think there’s a thing in the roof now for insulation. It was built with a full copper radiant heat ceiling and at some point that failed. I basically have a vented flat roof to the outside world with no insulation now. I can’t get my master bedroom (far end of the house away from the boiler) above 56 degrees this weekend.

 

We bought the house knowing it needed a roof. I was just surprised at the cost, but the replacement is an upgrade from the original including Level 4 impact resistant shingles and improved ventilation in the attic.

We also upgraded the HVAC to a heat pump and added more insulation to the attic.

Next up is new windows. The originals lost most of their insulating properties and leak air around the seals.

The houses in this neighborhood are all 20 or so years old and were mostly built on spec. So the builder quality mechanicals are all nearing end of life.

We're not cutting corners because here we are and here we will stay.

 

1900, old house. 1800sqft(ish?)
I'm running on a 3 section Biasi, 110or 115k. Does my indirect hot water heater,mand 2 hydro air air handlers, approx 50k a piece.
You're WAY oversized.

1900, last additon was 1941. 2nd floor windows are still old(except bathroom). Peeling paint, that I can't touch without cost 10k+. They shut me down. Want me to encapsulate w/ siding.... blah blah. Too close to the water, so, conservation commission governs everything on my land.

Honestly, if your staying flat roof, andnyour roof joists are ceiling joists, id talk to @AllTacosFloat or Safco.
I used Safco for the spray foam under my roof deck. It will seal it. Then you can add foam board when you re-roof. I will be doing just that when it's time, with a metal roof, if I'm still here.

 

Yeah I’m back and forth. I watch a lot of the Build Show videos with Matt Risinger and he just did a good video about spray foam after the England mortgage lenders have denied houses with spray foam.

My only hesitation or one of them was the timing needed. I would have to hire a roofing company to come strip the roof down to ceiling joists, then get the spray company over to spray, then close the roof after. If it’s rockwool, I can have it all on hand.

 

Ah, that is different. I would only do it from underneath.
You want that underside of the roof air tight. No chance of moisture.

Otherwise, yeah, a good insulation against the ceiling between the joists..
Not sure how ventilation works in a flat roof.

And I get the hesitation with foam. Lot of money, and if it's not right, even MORE money.
But, proper prep, installation, chemical, use case, etc are super important long term.

 

Yeah, this is a Pensotti installed in 1986. It did have an indirect on it (old Ford stone lined tank), but when I bought the house something was up with it where it'd only put out a few gallons of hot water before going cold. I ripped it out and put a hybrid electric unit in so now the boiler's just for heat. There is a basement zone that was for a previously finished side and if I count that I'm at more like 2300 sq ft, but I rarely turn it on - basement usually doesn't drop below 60 without it.

My boiler guy said when it comes time, he'd recommend a Biasi. But, the Pensotti is still kicking and has never given me any trouble - I think on his last cleaning it was at 85% efficiency.

I have a Quadrafire 1200i. It's a good stove. I bought it used and over the years I've swapped blower motors, a blower motor housing, and a thermocouple. It's pretty easy to work on. I would like one of the new Harmans, but I think they're around $6k so it's tough to justify swapping what I have.

 

Mine is vented around the outside edges so it’s letting the cold air in. I think before the ceiling was heated with the copper tubing so it was a traditional style roof with cold air in the “attic” per say and the ceiling heated to act as an envelope in a traditional house. Well the ceiling isn’t heated anymore so it’s just cold air against my ceiling. That’s my suspicion at least since the few ceilings we’ve gotten into have had nothing for insulation.

It seems like three styles of flat roofs exist - warm, cold or hybrid and they’re all options but it’s extremely important to understand the science behind them and do them properly. Otherwise it’s a moisture nightmare.

Also was informed by my wife we had no hot water this morning so that’s amazing.

Good to know about the Quadrafire. My in laws have a Harman insert and love it. He’s done the same replacement parts over the years but said the same, very easy to work on and DIY friendly. I’ve seen a few of the same model on FB in the 2-2.5k range that have tempted me.

 

Gotcha, the jog out of my garage is like that. Flat and rubber...about 12 by 12. Then the attached garage and breezeway are shingles, rest of it is metal.

Oh yup, you win though I'm not sure what you win. My paint was peeling too but I did vinyl ,no way I'm spending a summer every 4 yrs humping ladders to paint.

 

Harman and Quadrafire are made by the same parent company. I think quality is similar. Quads are dead simple, but the thermostat functions as on/off (not a throttle like the Harman) and they are a little picky about pellet quality. Harmans have more parts, sensors, etc. but can regulate a room better and tend to be better with lower quality pellets due to the burn pot design. I had one pellet tech who swore by Quads and hated Harman stoves, and another who prefers the Harmans and doesn't like the Quads.

St. Croix also makes good stoves - my mom has one and it's been great.

I think I paid $1200 used for my Quadrafire, but that was around 7 years ago now.

 

I have a Harman Accentra 52i and been running consistently in the winter for about 7 years now - other than routine maintenance (and replacing the thermostat sensor due to cat chewage), it has been bomb proof. Was pricey when bought new (thinking just over $5k), I wouldn't hesitate to buy another in a heartbeat. Burns well with any pellet I throw at it; settled into the crap green supreme from HD, and other than needing to scrape the clinkers every couple days and remove the buildup - keeps on burning.

The room thermostat mode is spectacular as well. Takes a little tweaking at the beginning of the season to balance the temp setting on the pellet stove with the oil thermostat in the house, but once those two are dialed in, it keeps the house super comfortable.

That said, if I had to do it again I would of went with a wood burning insert. I do not have a generator so when the power goes out, the pellet stove is useless. At least with a wood burner, you can still get some decent radiant heat without the blower fans.

 

Has anyone seen the AI generated videos on a new FJ Cruiser? There is no way those trucks are going into production.

 

And I know most everyone here doesn't talk about sports but I have to say this. What the hell - Patriots!

 

They won to give away their draft pick order.

 

That’s good to know. I’ll keep an eye out for either then. I would like the adjustability of the Harman though I think. It will be close to an area we have setup as a living room in the basement so full blast right at us might be too much when we are downstairs.

I want pellet for the convenience. We had a wood burner set up last year and it’s just a pain. My wife and I work weird schedules so getting the fire consistent was hard. The convenience of dumping a bag of pellets is superior for us. We also have a whole house generator so that’s mute. I don’t have power at the fireplace though so gotta figure that part.

 

We all wish they would come back but even if they did, you know it would not be like the previous FJ's regarding fun and reliability

 

Just look at the new Tacoma

 

And the LC, and 4runner, and Sequoia etc etc

 

Rigid insulation and reflective roofing Topside can make a world of difference. You'd have to heighten your fascias.
Had similar issue with underfit 2x4 framed flat dormer roofs and mouse riddled fiberglass insulation. The house was overheated and we couldn't keep the beer cold.
1. Pulled own permit with all details drawn.
2. Shored from below with ply and 2xs to keep ceilings and mess from coming in and to take weight of work stress.
3. Stripped roofing and sheathing to chute
4. Sistered rafters with taller lumber and hangers.
5. Laid in Batts
6. Poly VB
6. 0.625 ply sheathing as structural diaphragm
7. Two cross layers 2.5 in. Polyiso rigid insulation.
8. 0.5 ply nailbase. Do not let anyone install 3/8 it won't hold roofing nails despite some codes allowing it.

8a. Rebuilt rafter tails, heightened MDF 14" tall fascias, soffits.

9. Shop bent 0.010 ga stainless flashing
10. SBS flashing tape
11. Fully adhered SBS roll roofing base layer, nailed off
12.Fully adhered SBS _white_ granulated top sheet.
13. Garden hose spray test
14. Miller Time!

I couldn't hire any subs willing to work to spec and within reason. A big job for one or two but it's made a world of difference both cooling and heating seasons.

 

I actually really like the new land cruiser/gx

 

Flat roofs are tricky to insulate and not cause moisture and mold problems. The best way is to either completely fill the joist space with spray foam so there is no air space to grow mold or to fully insulate above the roof sheathing. Even better would be to do both which may be needed anyways to meet the new energy code requirement of R49.