We are moving along slowly with the upstairs renovation. It’s slow because Steve works all week and there is only so much the kids and I can help him with. Sure we could pay someone to do the work but where is the sense of accomplishment in that? Right?
The last updates I made was when Steve had just finished tearing out the wood floors upstairs and was laying down new sub floor. That’s finished and Zach helped on that project. He moved all the collar ties up so we can take advantage of any added head room.
The next step was to frame out the two bedrooms.
Once the framing was complete the next step was rough electric. Harrington Electric was our team. They removed all the old wiring from various renovations in the past, re-wired for the new spaces and brought everything up to code.
Prior to insulating we needed to get some airflow into the attic. In the existing soffits, there were no vents so Steve came up with this (these are located under the roof on the side porch):
Now that we had entry, we needed to direct it up through the ceiling to the ridge vent at the roof peak. That required installation of baffles. Steve also had to seal the baffles and used a spray foam gun for that.
It was a lot of hard work, laying on his back on a piece of plywood, in some very tight spaces on some very hot days.Thanks B!
Once the baffles were in place it was time to insulate. The problem was we had only 5 1/2″ of space in the rafter bays to put the insulation into. To get the highest R value we needed a compressed product. (We had already discussed this with the building inspector who agreed not to hold us to code due to the age of the construction.)
For a variety of reasons we chose to use Roxul for our insulation. It’s made from rocks and a recycled by-product from steel production, that would otherwise end up in a landfill. This insulation does not burn so, God forbid there was ever a fire, it would slow the spread. It’s water repellent which is good for the humid climate here in North Carolina. It also doesn’t support mold or fungal growth so it’s an ideal product for us asthma/allergy sufferers. The density and non-directional fiber reduce noise transmission so Zach can play his guitar without blasting us out of the house. Lastly and most importantly the batts are 5 1/2″ thick, just what we need. It’s a little more expensive than fiberglass insulation but a much better product.
We started with 28 packages and each weighed 40 pounds. We were concerned about getting them upstairs, as it is a little narrow, so Steve rented a bucket lift.
He and Zach took turns bringing them up and depositing them on the porch roof where I was waiting.
I would pull each one through the front window and stack them inside. Zach’s first attempt at drop off ended up rolling away from me, down the porch roof and landed back where it started. Steve enjoyed the show! Thankfully Zach and I found humor in it too.
The second try ended up rolling away from me as well, but rolled the other direction and landed by the lift.
The third try was the charm and we were a well oiled machine.
Insulating was the next order of business and we got to it.
Steve really liked working with this product. He says it’s not nearly as itchy as fiberglass insulation. It’s also so dense it holds its shape well which helps when tucking it in or fitting into the rafter bays. It also cuts really easy with a serrated knife, kind of like cutting a loaf of bread.
We ran out of insulation this past weekend and it’s on order. Steve decided to remove the window in the back bedroom and frame out for the new window.
He put a tarp over it until he gets back to it. This week has been really hot and humid, today being the worst at 97. We have a really cool product for the wall covering I found online and tracked down, but I will save it for next time.
Kim
It is hard to believe all you have accomplished. I do hope we get to visit there next summer. I do so love following the remodeling.
Uncle Bud and Aunt Carolyn
We would love to have you and hopefully by next summer we will be done!
Kim