Wainscot question? Insulation Question?

Started by rick91351, November 15, 2011, 10:48:42 AM

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rick91351

On new construction on a house that will be Craftsman / Arts and Craft Style.  I want to use a lot of wainscot.  Dining room is old style and will go almost to the ceiling.  Plans are drawn with 10' walls.  Most everywhere else the wainscot will be more conventional.  Wainscot will be homemade 3/4 inch.  Have not decided completely on the pattern.   

Question is how is the best way to do this?  Sheetrock conventional then ran wainscot over that.  Or what I want to do.  I want to wainscot using a one by four backer or nailer like ever two feet.  Six inch at the transition to share with the cap and sheetrock?

I will have to use extensions on all my electrical boxes if I go sheetrock and wainscot.  Will it look weird the wainscot setting out three quarters of an inch if I really do not need to.

Will it make it harder to insulate?  Next question!  When I go looking for a insulation installer not do it yourself.  (Something I think we really need to do.)  ((We have rocks in our heads I know.  We will be moving to winter five month out of the year, a couple months most likely zero and below.  Okay my good neighbors to the north that is Fahrenheit.))  (((Rocks in our head when all our friends are looking to snow bird and golf.)))  In your most humble opinion what is the best way to insulate.  It is one story and about 2300 sq ft.  Have you came across any good publications or web site on insulating new construction?  That way when I go looking for an installer I want to know what he is trying to sell me so I can make an informed decision.     

Now seems there seems to be blow in, spray on, fling on and neon.  (Well not fling on and neon but  ???)  And the good old bats are still there.  I think you know what I mean.

Then the issue of some of the spray ins years ago and the scare that caused.  This is a house that will serve us until they come get us and put us in the nursing home.  Hopefully will serve our family after that or some one else.  In short we of course do not want to build an unhealthy house.  A few years ago we just would have went to town to a large trailer and filled it up with Owen Corning bats and few cans of foam sealer, a bunch of tape and went to work.  WoowwWWW how things change. 
                                 
Proverbs 24:3-5 Through wisdom is an house builded; an by understanding it is established.  4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.

MountainDon

Insulation. To my mind wet blown cellulose is great for the walls. It is not a DIY proposition as it does take training to get the moisture content right. It seals all the nooks and crannies when done right. I've seen some cut outs here in wet blown walls and it's very tight. helps with air infiltration too. The installer then has to let it dry down to where it can be paneled over. Here they sign off a paper and dryeall, etc. can not be installed until the insulation company says so. So I'd look for a wet blown cellulose installer and quiz him.

A house sealed as well as that can do may need an air to air heat exchanger to achieve a healthy ventilation rate.


As for the wainscot I've never done any other than by using 1/4 or 5/16 material over drywall. A molding can be used to cover that small difference in thickness. It would be nice to have the drywall and wainscot very close to the same thickness; much better than applying 3/4" over drywall, IMO.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.


Don_P

The sprayfoam guys finished at the job today, we went with open cell polyurethane. I've blocked the walls for wainscot, the sheetrock above that level and just the wood below. The blocking splits the intersection like you describe. I'll probably do frame and panel so have not added any additional blocking, just the top blocking and sole plate. Do think about the trim details around window and door casings. I've also sheathed the wall with 7/16 osb before and then done sheetrock above and T&G wainscot over that. The wall thickness builds but it does allow you to use liquid nails and put fasteners anywhere.

Alan Gage

Quote from: MtnDon on November 15, 2011, 01:01:09 PM
Insulation. To my mind wet blown cellulose is great for the walls. It is not a DIY proposition as it does take training to get the moisture content right. It seals all the nooks and crannies when done right. I've seen some cut outs here in wet blown walls and it's very tight. helps with air infiltration too. The installer then has to let it dry down to where it can be paneled over. Here they sign off a paper and dryeall, etc. can not be installed until the insulation company says so. So I'd look for a wet blown cellulose installer and quiz him.

Here's an interesting article/interview with Bill Hulstrunk (technical manager for National Fiber). He claims wet blown dries better if it's sheetrocked right away, claiming that otherwise the cellulose tends to absorb moisture from all the other wood in the house and actually takes longer to dry.

http://www.greenbuildingadvisor.com/blogs/dept/musings/how-install-cellulose-insulation

I have no idea which way is correct but I thought it was interesting. I suppose that might me more true for large houses that go up quickly in all weather rather than most of the places done here that are drug out over a long period of time, allowing the framing lumber to dry.

Alan


Don_P

He is not saying the moisture is coming from wood but attributes it to something he is calling "construction moisture" from what I saw. Not sure exactly what the source of this moisture is but that section sounded mighty sketchy. Cellulose is a wood product and behaves similar to wood. If the ambient conditions are dictating a dry equilibrium moisture content the damp cellulose will be drying. This is easy enough to monitor and adjust. Raise the temp and the relative humidity will drop. Just like a kiln, heat and vent while watching the RH. There is no way I would cover damp materials, especially with finish woodwork.


MountainDon

I am puzzled by that article. I've seen the wet spray cellulose installers at work here, looks like a grey snowstorm. Because it's rather dry most of the year here in the desert (44 f & 12% right now) they can drywall within a day or two.  So here at least the wait is not long, but they do wait.
Just because something has been done and has not failed, doesn't mean it is good design.

rick91351

Quote from: Don_P on November 15, 2011, 10:08:23 PM
The sprayfoam guys finished at the job today, we went with open cell polyurethane. I've blocked the walls for wainscot, the sheetrock above that level and just the wood below. The blocking splits the intersection like you describe. I'll probably do frame and panel so have not added any additional blocking, just the top blocking and sole plate. Do think about the trim details around window and door casings. I've also sheathed the wall with 7/16 osb before and then done sheetrock above and T&G wainscot over that. The wall thickness builds but it does allow you to use liquid nails and put fasteners anywhere.

Thanks!  There would be a transition from wainscot to sheetrock that I had not thought of at the doors and windows.  I see I am going to have to go back to the old 'drawing board'.  In fact I got a lot of drawing to do this winter.     
Proverbs 24:3-5 Through wisdom is an house builded; an by understanding it is established.  4 And by knowledge shall the chambers be filled with all precious and pleasant riches.  5 A wise man is strong; yea, a man of knowledge increaseth strength.