Cabinetman
Sequoia
- Joined
- Oct 11, 2020
- Messages
- 5,185
- Reaction score
- 967
- Location
- Lincolnshire Wolds + Massachusetts
- Name
- Ian
So as you may know I’m insulating the inside of my old barn to create a workshop and after looking into different methods I decided to use the continuous insulation method where the insulation goes on top of the studs, there are pros and cons, you lose some internal space but this method is very much quicker and there is virtually no thermal bridging through the studs to the outside.
You can of course also fill in between the studs, but I soon realised that it’s time consuming to cut and then go around each piece with squirty foam.
I am putting Three layers of 1 1/2” rigid insulation onto the old studs, I am putting them on so that the joints don’t overlap and rightly or wrongly I have decided to only put squirty foam between the joints on the outer (weather) layer. My reasoning is that that will stop any draughts getting through from the outside and as long as the sheets butt up tightly all will be well.
So on top of the three layers there are 6 horizontal Furring strips, I hadn’t come across them before but am most impressed, they cinch down the rigid foam nice and tight and give me something to fasten the plasterboard or whatever to.
It does mean that very long screws are needed, large plastic washers are used on the first two layers to hold the boards still and flat till the last layer goes on and is held in place by the Furring strips.
The strips are usually 3” x1” but the amount needed would be pretty expensive so I’m using 2x4’s cut into 4 each piece is roughly 1 1/2” x 3/4” this is by far the most cost effective way over here. And If I can’t manage to hit those when fitting the plasterboard there’s something far wrong! But to aid in this I’ve prepared a baton with the measurements on, simply stand it on the floor and it shows where they are.
Fastening the 8 ft strips was challenging till I came up with pushing a row of 4” nails into the insulation to rest the far ends on whilst lining up with the mark and screwing it down.
Pic showing the 4” nails, 4” 5” and 7” screws plus the plastic insulation washers, also shown is a bit of the marker batton which will eventually be hung on the wall for future use and a made up section of the final wall which I’ve found handy for working out the reveals around the windows etc.
Working around a gas pipe, grrr.
You can of course also fill in between the studs, but I soon realised that it’s time consuming to cut and then go around each piece with squirty foam.
I am putting Three layers of 1 1/2” rigid insulation onto the old studs, I am putting them on so that the joints don’t overlap and rightly or wrongly I have decided to only put squirty foam between the joints on the outer (weather) layer. My reasoning is that that will stop any draughts getting through from the outside and as long as the sheets butt up tightly all will be well.
So on top of the three layers there are 6 horizontal Furring strips, I hadn’t come across them before but am most impressed, they cinch down the rigid foam nice and tight and give me something to fasten the plasterboard or whatever to.
It does mean that very long screws are needed, large plastic washers are used on the first two layers to hold the boards still and flat till the last layer goes on and is held in place by the Furring strips.
The strips are usually 3” x1” but the amount needed would be pretty expensive so I’m using 2x4’s cut into 4 each piece is roughly 1 1/2” x 3/4” this is by far the most cost effective way over here. And If I can’t manage to hit those when fitting the plasterboard there’s something far wrong! But to aid in this I’ve prepared a baton with the measurements on, simply stand it on the floor and it shows where they are.
Fastening the 8 ft strips was challenging till I came up with pushing a row of 4” nails into the insulation to rest the far ends on whilst lining up with the mark and screwing it down.
Pic showing the 4” nails, 4” 5” and 7” screws plus the plastic insulation washers, also shown is a bit of the marker batton which will eventually be hung on the wall for future use and a made up section of the final wall which I’ve found handy for working out the reveals around the windows etc.
Working around a gas pipe, grrr.
