Insulation and AC

[Rollinhard]

I have been lurking here for a while, and choose not to get into too many discussions over the internet but decided to start this thread anyway.

A common denominator in most of these threads is proper cooling of the rooms. People always want to add more AC when that is not necessarily the answer. An air conditioner is a big dehumidifier, allow the air conditioner to cycle properly and it will draw the humidity out of the building (room) and cool the air. When you have a poorly insulated room and improperly sized AC you are just asking for headaches. Since it would be silly for people in this "hobby" to call insulation contractors in to do rooms, there are alternatives.



I use these kits pretty regularly. They work well and you can do it yourself.

What you need to keep in mind is sealing up the leakage in the room will keep the conditioned air you are paying for from leaving. And allow the AC unit to do it's job. You have to seal the room (areea) if you want to condition properly. This could be as simple as insulating the basement ceiling and windows/openings. Lots of options.

If there are any AC guys on here than can run load calculations. This is pretty easy to figure out and would save alot of people on here time and money.

Andy

 

[WalterWhiteFire]

I agree you cant insulate enough. Confused a tad. This is spray insulation for your walls? before you shettrock?

 

[fishwhistle]

Another thing ive found to help in sealing your room up tight is using housewrap(tyvek is one brand but HD and lowes have a house brand cheaper and just as good),I just tack it up under the particle board/drywall then foam around the outlets.I use regular insulation but go with the highest R value i can get in the walls and double it up in the attic.

 

[Rollinhard]

I agree you cant insulate enough. Confused a tad. This is spray insulation for your walls? before you shettrock?

Not necessarily but usually yes. It can be sprayed directly over plywood and then painted to protect it from UV degredation....much like we spray commercial freezers and such.

 

[Rollinhard]

Another thing ive found to help in sealing your room up tight is using housewrap(tyvek is one brand but HD and lowes have a house brand cheaper and just as good),I just tack it up under the particle board/drywall then foam around the outlets.I use regular insulation but go with the highest R value i can get in the walls and double it up in the attic.

Problem with that is house wrap...tyvek...is not an air barrier or an acceptable moisture barrier. It works worlds better the way you are doing it than just regular batts, but still nowhere in the ballpark of spray foam.

It is all about the air seal.

 

[fishwhistle]

Problem with that is house wrap...tyvek...is not an air barrier or an acceptable moisture barrier. It works worlds better the way you are doing it than just regular batts, but still nowhere in the ballpark of spray foam.

It is all about the air seal.

I agree 100% that sprayfoam is the best BUT depending where you are regionally there are not many guys that do it,the price is prohibitive(shit is expensive!) and you might have to have strangers in your grow/future grow.Sprayfoam is not prevalent in Cali that ive ever ran into and im a contractor and if you could find someone it would cost dearly in comparison to batts.I buy my batts unfaced for 1/3 of the cost of faced batts and use the tyvek as a barrier instead of paper facing.Anyone can do batts themselves or with a buddy and maintain security in your grow and save a bunch of money and get the job done.Tyvek might not be a TOTAL air or moisture barrier but it does the job pretty well,i was standing in my room before it was sheeted in 15-20 mph wind and no noticable air was coming through,you could fire up a bowl and the lighter wouldnt even flicker and you can turn the hose on it and water will bead off and it wont absorb water.Now take a can of home depot sprayfoam and go around your outlets/wall penetrations and voila your good to go.See what happens when you get in discussions on the internet?lol.

 

[Rollinhard]

I agree. And in Cali, the costs from a contractor are probably stupid, but the portable kits are the same everywhere. I would recommend 6 mil plastic taped at the seams if foam is not available. Don't get me wrong, you can caulk all of the joints and penetrations then use fiberglass.... or wrap in something and then use fiberglass.... as long as you seal the room and control the air movement allowing the AC to work properly... you win. R-Value is a joke. Testing proves it. 1" of closed cell spray foam will out perform batt insulation any day.

Spray foam is just a quicker and easier way to accomplish it. And as with most things of that nature. most likely more expensive.

 

[fishwhistle]

So how much are these kits you linked too and how many sq ft do they cover?are you connected with the company somehow?Can you link to the tests that prove 1'' of sprayfoam will outperform say R-19?dude im a total sprayfoam fan but i want to know cost per sq ft vs conventional.

 

[pugliese63]

Rollinhard, thanks so much. I've looked for these over the last year without any luck.

I spent days insulating my room with fiberglass bats. I hate dealing with insulation especially cutting.

Insulation, regardless of the pain, is more than worth it. My room temp/humidity stays consistent and the Co2 level remains stable resulting in the Co2 generator running at a minimum.

Nice thread, I look forward to others input.

 

[swisscheese]

Where is this product available for purchase and how much area does it cover? What is the R-value at 1" thick?

 

[SodaLicious]

Problem with that is house wrap...tyvek...is not an air barrier or an acceptable moisture barrier. It works worlds better the way you are doing it than just regular batts, but still nowhere in the ballpark of spray foam.

It is all about the air seal.

I do believe Tyvek to be an air barrier. It's like a check valve for your house/room. allows air to pass one way but not the other.

 

[Emithsuk]

Ok multiple users have in the last month mentioned this brand of diy spray foam and you seem knowledgeable. I am building out for a friend a 23'x23' room with 8'3 1/2" ceilings. What cost am I looking at and what brand of spray foam do you recommend because frankly when I go to that website I see a lot of choices and no prices. Where do you buy the stuff at?