Polyiso(cyanurate) Post: B&B Insulation Installation

On the first day of installation of the polyisocyanurate rigid foam insulation, we were all reminding each other to make sure the roof membrane in the peak of the ceiling got sliced out (before the foam was installed!); otherwise all the meticulous attention to detail on Kyle's part for the roof venting system would be wasted. This was successfully accomplished in the loft peak, where the ridge cap had already been installed.  Ultimately Kyle sliced out the portion in the peak of the great room from up on the roof, as he was installing that final ridge cap.  This is B's helper, B, working up in the loft.

Here the polyiso blocks are being installed in the ceiling of the great room, the "cathedral ceiling".  It turned out that no adhesive was needed, because B&B were able to cut the foam precisely enough that it could be friction-fit really securely.  The two worst parts of the job were 1) the tiny fiberglass fibers which were mostly quite loosely attached to the dark facing paper, and brushed off easily onto clothing or skin ("the gift that keeps on giving," as B said), and 2) the peskiness of insulating around the electric boxes and wiring with spray foam, which comes in various expansion strengths (confusingly labeled), just to keep us guessing when we went to pick up supplies. Generally we wanted the spray foam with the smallest expansion rate, so as to more easily control the application around the wiring.

So the first day a lot was accomplished, by avoiding the spaces which had electrical boxes in them.  The Xs below the level of the future chair rail in this view are reminders not to insulate before the installation of the shower pan, due to the carpentry installation process. The oil-filled electric radiator in the foreground was needed on a few unseasonably cold and gusty days, and was powered by an extension cord (two actually) from inside Big D's basement studio.

 

Then came the little chunks to be pushed into the spaces between to joists of both loft spaces; then triangles and other geometrical configurations, here seen in the bow wall of the sleeping loft.

Lastly on the insulation (except for the shower pan wall spaces), B and M (a new helper, a recent college graduate in sculpture and new media), and ultimately Kyle, had the fun of spraying foam into crevices and around electrical boxes. Some of the foam tended to get a little out of control, which necessitated shaving it off. Or in some cases the spray foam began lifting out the block of polyiso, which later necessitated shaving that off.  The loan of an awesome flexible Japanese hand saw by B (who generously loaned a number of pieces of equipment and tools -- thanks so much!) made the insulation shaving go much more smoothly than it otherwise would have.  So other than tossing more fiberglass fibers into the air and into cracks and all over the floor (fiberglass makes Laurie cranky, can you tell?) the insulation installation was a huge success!

The source of some crankiness, in the interest of having a really toasty home in cold weather...

Somewhat tidier but not yet fiber-free!! Where is the shop-vac? This post has a cliff-hanger ending....!!!