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Insulating or Not?
#1
For new construction,in OrchidLand. If there are choices to be made,I am assuming that the roof is the first area to insulate. Then the walls.
Will pink fiberglass insulation do? Or is there a humidity issue with fiberglass insulation?
There is a HUGE difference in cost from Fiberglass to Rigid Foam to Expanding Foam Insulation.
What would be the issues with no insulation in the walls in regards to humidity or insects?
I'm not to worried about keeping the sun off the walls as I have a 4' eve overhang.
Thanx...
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#2
We had 30yr old pink (color is a MFG trademark, so there are other batt fiberglass products that are NOT pink). It was a zoological treasure trove, so IF you would like to provide fluffy bedding for furry and 6 or more legged critters, fiberglass batt insulation is an answer... we changed to an insulting reflective product that does not harbor infestations, mold or mildew (Reflectix was the tradename of the insulation product we used, but there are others) (to be fair, batt insulation would be fine & was fine in some of our SIP structure that had maintained perfectly sealed conditions, but if critters can enter, from our house, it seems they will)

Also always be aware that some insulations are NOT flametested and have tested many insulation products in my early engineering career, some can actually become flaming rivers streaming down if they have sufficient conditions for ignition....not something most would recommend to install in a house, but if utilized, you must be hyper-vigilant about those ignition conditions...

many houses here do not have insulation, for walls, direct sunlight (esp. early morning and late afternoon) can raise the wall temperatures enough to create hot to the touch interior walls (not combustible hot, just enough to have the effect of increasing the room temperature by degrees. Insulation can also buffer some exterior noise, but if windows are open, that is a mute point. Reflective barriers without insulation can also aid in reducing radiant heat from the sun, without buffering any noise.
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#3
I find that leaving the windows open 365 negate any wall insulation. However it is nice in the attic to keep the rain noise down and keep the ceiling from turning into a radiant oven.
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#4
Next stop Puna might I suggest camping on your property for a night or two in order to answer that question? If hundreds of insane sounding little frogs screeching at an ear splitting dbi of 90 isn't enough to instill the need for noise insulation, I don't know what is! Everything about our home changed as a direct result of these little invasive monsters, from the windows to the thickness of the walls. We are now considering three pane (if not 4!) windows for the addition and cork flooring and maybe the ceilings as well. Since you will be on water catchment, a metal roof is a must and the rain can be deafening without adequate insulation and an airspace is helpful between layers. Our cold is nothing like Canada (oh, thank God!!!) but it is often a wet and to the bone kind. There are times in the winter, when the rain is on!, that a nice fireplace would sure come handy as well. My advice on building is tread softly, slowly and give everything plenty of consideration. I strongly urge new arrivals to rent where they think they want to buy for a few months and pay attention to things, like the sun. So many folks pick out a house plan and never really consider how best to position it on their lot. If you like feeling the sun on your face first thing in the morning, obviously you want to make sure the east side of your morning spot will be in the correct area of your home. Ok as usual I am offering more than you asked for but that is just my nature. Best of luck!![Smile][Big Grin]
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#5
Thanx to everyone for the posts & info. Mahalo
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#6
We're planning on using rigid foam insulation for ceiling panels instead of drywall. Mostly since it's rehabbing an old house which had canec ceilings so the roof framing isn't sized for a heavy ceiling. But the sound and heat properties of the ceiling panels will be nice as well.


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Kurt Wilson

"I like yard sales," he said. "All true survivalists like yard sales." 
Kurt Wilson
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#7
We have a newer house with no insulation. No insulation keeps the house from retaining heat in the late afternoon and evening.

We have no heating or cooling system unless you count opening and closing the windows. Oh, and I have a solar powered fan that sucks outside air into the house and blows the house air into the attic. It was few hundred dollars on eBay (fan plus solar panel) and it helps to keep the house cool (the ceiling no longer radiates heat).

Coquis aren't a problem because our chickens hunt them mercilessly. Plus there are landscaping options that help with that. The frogs off in the distance, we actually like hearing.

The noisiest thing is actually a heavy rain hitting the metal roof, but those types of rains generally don't last too long.

Before we bought the house we had an engineer inspect it and he said he generally only recommends insulation if you're going to be using or adding air conditioning some day, and that the fiberglass kind will just get moldy and full of creatures, so use something else.
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#8
Friends in Volcano originally built with no insulation. While re-roofing they added insulation in the roof. They said it made a lot of difference both in terms of temperature and noise from rain.
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#9
coquis? They put us to sleep! Windows and door open 24/7 unless we are gone for a long period of time. But yeah, insulate the roof with the reflective foam, same thing you put in your car for the windshield. Also, if you have a wall that sun beats down on, plant some shurbs or insulate that wall as well.


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