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Old 02-26-13, 07:34 PM   #26
S-F
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mikesolar View Post
The outside insulation can look like a bargain if done right, and your inside life is not disrupted.
Not disrupted aside from window details.

Really IMHO it's better to go with a cellulose retrofit. It is more expensive to accomplish the same initial results though. In a retrofit you really need to build a new wall beyond the existing wall to compete with the common DER foam outsulation. We have two major obstacles and we can't tackle one without addressing the other: Air movement through penetrations and energy movement through materials.

You could have an enclosure with R-1,000,000 walls and screen for all materials aside from insulation and you could have an enclosure like a vacuum tube with no R value but it's perfectly air tight. Neither will work properly for a living space.

I'm on the quest for vacuum tube tight (for moisture management) and R 1,000,000 (because no amount of conservation is ever enough.
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