- 11 hours ago
Category
📺
TVTranscript
00:00Today, on This Old House...
00:01Even with our new addition, we're reusing the existing HVAC system.
00:06But we're adding some strategic ductwork.
00:08Then, we're going to show you which insulation we're using on our roof system and why.
00:13And we're getting back to the basics, installing a new double-hung window into an existing opening.
00:55Hey there, I'm Kevin O'Connor and welcome back to This Old House,
00:59where we are working on a project right near downtown Needham, Massachusetts.
01:04It was built in the late 1800s, originally about 3,000 square feet in total,
01:09but now it is up to 3,600 square feet,
01:12thanks to a small addition off of the back that goes from the basement up to the second level.
01:18All of the window openings are covered, but new windows are on their way and they should be in soon.
01:23Let's have a look at the inside.
01:27Through the front door, you enter into what was the old parlor.
01:30This room stays pretty much unchanged, except for new wood floors throughout.
01:35But then, as you enter this part of the house, lots of changes.
01:38So, this was the old family room. It's going to be the new dining room.
01:40We're going to keep the original built-ins.
01:42And then, we've got another built-in in this cavity.
01:45And we'll back up to a gas fireplace that goes into this cavity right here.
01:50That's a nice touch because we get a fireplace, but it also allowed Charlie and Mark to take down the
01:56old one.
01:57Look at all the real estate we picked up.
01:59This is the outline of the old fireplace.
02:01With that gone, we get a nice, big, wide entry to the main event.
02:07What was the old dining room is now an expansive family room with the bay windows here that were original,
02:14but also more glass off the back of the house.
02:16So, the original house ends right there, and this is the addition that I was talking about,
02:22which gives us sliding glass doors out to a back deck, but also more interior space.
02:30So, a proper back entryway into a mudroom with a half bath right there.
02:35And because everyone loves the open floor plan, this big family room is now connected to what's going to be
02:41a new kitchen.
02:42And that is thanks to a 24-foot I-beam that went in and allowed us to take down this
02:49wall right here.
02:51So, the layout will be, we'll have the countertops and appliances back there.
02:55Behind that wall will be a pantry, and then there's going to be a big island right in this space
03:01to connect kitchen to family room and to give us that big open floor plan.
03:05Entryway down to the basement stays the same, and stairs to the second floor stay the same.
03:14Like the first floor, our second floor is completely framed.
03:19Let me give you a little lay of the land.
03:21So, there's a new primary suite over here in this corner with some extra space, thanks to that addition.
03:26That gives us a new full bath out back.
03:29And then Liz's closet goes right here.
03:32Patrick's closet goes right there.
03:35So, that's nice.
03:36The boys' bedrooms have been slightly reconfigured, and they're going to get a new shared full bath right here.
03:42But in the primary bedroom, things stay pretty much the same?
03:46Sort of.
03:46Oh, no.
03:47A few minor changes.
03:49So, one thing I love about this project is, for the first time in a long time on our show,
03:52we are not ripping out and blowing up the entire HVAC system.
03:56Nice.
03:56And how can we do that?
03:57Well, it has a relatively new system installed, 10 or 15 years old.
04:00It already has two zones.
04:02It's really efficient.
04:03Nice.
04:03And even though we're making the building slightly bigger, we're insulating and putting windows in so we don't need a
04:08larger size unit.
04:09Perfect.
04:09So, it does mean that we have a chance, though, to fix a few of the minor ductwork issues that
04:14might exist.
04:14Okay.
04:15All right.
04:15One is right here in the primary.
04:16Yeah, this is a weird spot.
04:18I mean, right in the doorway and the only one?
04:20Well, it wasn't weird when this house was first built.
04:22Think about it.
04:23It was a gravity system.
04:24It would have been coal fired, no fan, no electricity.
04:27So, the ductwork run would have been as straight as it could from the basement, and then it came up
04:31and it just filled this place.
04:33There was no air conditioning even dreamt of back then.
04:35But now, as we're adding more load and we have a fan, now we have to think about when this
04:41thing comes on,
04:42now it could get actually pulled into the return and not go and fill this room.
04:46So, originally okay, but with a system under pressure, no good.
04:49That's right.
04:49So, it invited us to think about relocating it.
04:52And we found some real estate on the lower floor, so we could find a way to get a new
04:56supply right here.
04:58Yeah.
04:58And then another one right here, where we're going to come up here.
05:02So, now you've got a much better air delivery system at abandon that one.
05:05Very nice.
05:06So, too in the baby's room, we found a similar situation.
05:09You can see the original register right here where it really doesn't want to be, but perfect back in the
05:13old days.
05:14So, we found a way to actually come up below us and in a joist bay right here, end up
05:20with a new supply register exactly where it wants to be,
05:23against the outside wall where the heat loss is and near the window, just like in the primary.
05:27Okay.
05:27So, HVAC subs are here and they are underway.
05:32So, here in the first look, Evan, you can look up and see where the duct used to run.
05:36And this thing came up here.
05:37It was covered in asbestos, so we knew we had to modify it anyways.
05:40And we also had all this chimney mass thing that got changed.
05:42Although, back in the day, that's a pretty good place to run duct work for a gravity system, right?
05:47I mean, right next to the chimney.
05:48Shortest distance between two points.
05:50Okay.
05:50So, with all this new massing here, though, we found a way that we could hide the duct work.
05:55Mike's underway right here running that new supply here in that corner up to the one side of that primary
06:01bedroom right there.
06:02So, from the basement.
06:03Kind of ironic that he's putting it next to our gas fireplace.
06:07So, similar idea.
06:08And then James is working here in the corner.
06:09Hey, James.
06:10Hey, Richard.
06:10How are you?
06:11So, you're hiding it in the corner.
06:12Yeah.
06:12So, Charlie's guys cut us a chase up in the bookcase to get the duct up to the second floor
06:16for us.
06:17Okay.
06:17So, we have three options of ducts here.
06:19We can go round, oval, or rectangular.
06:22Rectangle, obviously.
06:23It's going to fit better.
06:24Most people would choose the oval or the rectangular to save on space.
06:28Yeah.
06:29But the correct is actually the round.
06:31This is going to give us the best airflow for the performance upstairs, heating, cooling, everything.
06:35The oval is actually about a 20% to 25% airflow restriction compared to the round.
06:41No, no, no, no, no, no.
06:42If I squeeze this and make it an oval, they're the same pipe.
06:45If I squeeze a hose, a garden hose, I'm not really changing the inside diameter, but I am providing some
06:52restriction and more friction.
06:54That's exactly what happens here.
06:55So, shape matters?
06:57Exactly.
06:57Oh, I would just figure it was like a volume thing.
06:59And then this rectangular wall stack, this is about a 40% less airflow.
07:04So, there's a chance you might need two of these to get the equivalent of this.
07:08When I look at those two next to each other, it's inconceivable to think that that delivers less air than
07:13this.
07:13That's right.
07:14Oh, my God.
07:14It's about the friction.
07:15And they'll hide that.
07:16They'll make that go away.
07:17Thank you, James.
07:18And over here is where they'll lose the duct work for the baby's room right here.
07:21Again, in the corner of the bookcase, there's the vertical.
07:24And if you look, here's those joist bays.
07:26They'll be able to run that horizontal all the way to that corner.
07:28And then Charlie buttons it up, and you hardly know it's there, and it's a good compromise to get good
07:33airflow.
07:33That's right.
07:34And they'll be done with all this rough-in today.
07:36Nice.
08:03Hey, Charlie.
08:04Hey, Kevin.
08:05So, it's HVAC day.
08:06We're working with Richard and James.
08:08We're doing duct work downstairs.
08:09They've got an air handle in the basement, and I'm told another one's up here.
08:12Actually, you walked right under the scuttle hole to get up there.
08:15Oh, boy.
08:16I see an uninsulated roof.
08:19Yeah.
08:19HVAC system lives up there.
08:21Two by six, rough framing, no insulation.
08:24So, that thing must be working like crazy.
08:27It gets so hot up there in an attic.
08:29Richard went up there with a thermometer, and it was 120 degrees and climbing.
08:33Insane.
08:34But, remember, wintertime in the reverse.
08:36It's freezing up there.
08:37Yeah.
08:37So, that's working over time.
08:39All year.
08:40All year.
08:41So, at some point, they turned this into finished space.
08:44This is why we got all the walls up.
08:46But, they also added HVAC.
08:47That's right.
08:48And didn't put insulation up there?
08:49I know.
08:50It's crazy, right?
08:50But, I mean, they insulated above the ceiling.
08:53Right.
08:54And they continued it right down this roof line here.
08:56Okay.
08:56So, you're obviously going to fix that for us.
08:58We are.
08:59So, what are you thinking?
08:59So, we have a few different samples right here.
09:02So, this is a open cell spray foam.
09:04Yeah.
09:04Right?
09:05So, you spray it in.
09:06It expands.
09:07Yeah.
09:07And you get what from it?
09:08So, this is about three, three and a half per inch for an R value.
09:12But, vapor does travel through it.
09:14Hence the name, open cell.
09:15That's right.
09:16Yeah.
09:16So, we have a closed cell foam.
09:17About double the R value.
09:19So, it's at least a seven per inch.
09:21Yeah.
09:21And the vapor does not travel through it.
09:23Yeah.
09:24And there's a dense packed cellulose here, which is about three R value per inch.
09:30Fiberglass is about the same.
09:31And that's what we have here above us in this ceiling.
09:34Okay.
09:35So, that's what we've got in the ceiling, nothing on the underside of the roof.
09:39What do you want to do to get your R value and insulate that?
09:43Well, because we have the five and a half inch old rafters.
09:47Which isn't much.
09:48Which isn't much.
09:49And we have to contend with our energy code, our HERS rating.
09:52So, we also have to meet that standard.
09:55So, I want to use a closed cell foam, starting putting a continuous head of insulation right
10:00over the entire HVAC system.
10:02But, I don't want to just spray down closed cell foam to any fiberglass that was in this
10:07ceiling.
10:07So, this is what came out right here.
10:10That's right.
10:10Which is actually pretty deep.
10:13So, I was like, oh yeah.
10:15Yeah.
10:15So, whenever they renovated and did work here, they put two by tens, which was great.
10:19And they put the 10 inches of insulation in here.
10:21Were you surprised to see that?
10:23I was surprised.
10:24Because when I was up in the attic looking down, I couldn't see any sign of this.
10:28So, I mean, they did the right thing.
10:29They furred it down, two by ten.
10:31They got extra insulation in here.
10:33Yeah.
10:33But, once again, they failed up top.
10:35Right.
10:36That system was really working overtime.
10:38I said, we're going to insulate that properly.
10:41Let's just put a slice through here.
10:42It's one big patch.
10:44We're going to patch it in once we're done.
10:45But, I pulled the fiberglass out.
10:48Now, then, they spray foam.
10:49They can reach up.
10:49Spray right down through here.
10:51Spray right down here.
10:53And then, this is a knee wall that we have.
10:54But, we have access on the other side.
10:56We'll get in behind there.
10:57Pull any of the fiberglass out.
10:59And we'll continue that closed cell foam right down, giving us our insulated hat.
11:03So, you get a continuous vapor barrier.
11:06You get more R per inch.
11:08We like all of that.
11:10This is going to help you meet your total score for that energy rating.
11:14It's going to help us.
11:15I bet you it puts us over, which is great.
11:17Love it.
11:17Let me just challenge you here.
11:19Some people, they just don't like foam.
11:22Correct.
11:22For whatever reason, they're just like, I don't want foam in the house.
11:24Which I get.
11:25Could you get this solved with the alternatives?
11:28I could solve it with any of the insulations.
11:31It would definitely be more work to do.
11:33But, remember, this is not a gut renovation or, of course, a new house, where it makes it easier to
11:39insulate with other insulations.
11:40Right.
11:41In this case, I have to make sure I hit every nook and cranny with a vapor barrier protection.
11:46And I couldn't sit there and promise you that.
11:48Right.
11:48And if we didn't use this with that really high R rating, you've got to hit that number for the
11:53energy code.
11:54That's right.
11:55If you don't hit it here, or I should say, if you don't maximize your insulation here, what happens to
11:59that number?
11:59Well, a lot of times, so let's say I could only do half for whatever the reason is.
12:03I might have to overcompensate somewhere else.
12:05They might say, I want you to change your HVA system.
12:08That's not quite efficient enough for us.
12:10So we're going to force you to change that.
12:12Well, if I insulate, that's not going to work as hard.
12:15So dollar-wise, it's cheaper.
12:17So that's the solution.
12:18All right.
12:19Sounds good.
12:19And, hey, listen, don't sell yourself short.
12:21You've been overcompensating the entire time I've known you.
12:24All right.
12:24That's fair to say.
12:57Well, the rain has started.
12:59But that's not a problem, Tommy, because we're starting to install our new windows so we can get the house
13:04weather tight.
13:05Right.
13:06Process, product, what are we putting in?
13:08Well, we're installing this new energy-efficient window.
13:11There's 15 lights over one light, and it's simulated divided light, which means there's a divider between each one of
13:18these muttons on the inside and outside.
13:20So when you look diagonally at the window, you can't see through the muttons.
13:24Okay.
13:25Going into an existing opening where we took out the old windows.
13:28Right.
13:29Now, under the porch here, this doesn't really need to be flashed like we would do normally, but it's good
13:35practice to always do them right.
13:37Now, the siding on the porch is stained.
13:40The rest of the new house has got new siding.
13:42So now we have to think about how we flash the window casing when it meets the siding here, and
13:49this wasn't flashed at all.
13:50I can see that there's a house wrap in there.
13:53There's no way that you could stop water from wind-driven rain to get in there.
13:58When this board expands and contracts this way, if this joint opens up just the hair, or if the rain's
14:03really driving, the water will go in there, run down.
14:06It'll actually rot the wall right here.
14:08I've seen it many times, rotting wall, rotting sill.
14:12They blame it on the window.
14:14It should be blamed on the flashing.
14:15So we've got to get a good back or behind casing and the siding right there.
14:20Right.
14:21And we have to basically think about how we're going to do it.
14:25So what I did is I cut a slot behind here.
14:28I basically cut all the nails in as far as I could, so I could take a piece of felt
14:32paper like this and slide it in behind this joint, go right up the wall.
14:39So now when my casing goes on, this joint is basically flashed.
14:45Okay.
14:45All right.
14:45So now if water migrates through there, it's going to come down, run out here, and onto the siding.
14:51All right.
14:52And then in terms of the opening, looks like it's packed out a little bit.
14:56But then on the bottom right here, you've got a clapboard.
14:59Clapboards work out beautifully because they're thick on the bottom and narrow on the top.
15:02So you take that clapboard, you turn it, lay it down, you have a natural pitch.
15:07You want that condensation to be able to drip down and come out and run onto the face of this
15:12clapboard, not behind the clapboard.
15:14So that's our pitch.
15:15What about flashing this part?
15:16We're going to use a flashing that is stretchable.
15:19So what we want to do is we're going to take off some of the backing right here, but just
15:23the wide part and leave on the narrow part.
15:26So I'm going to take it, I'm going to peel it back just a little, keep it even on the
15:32inside.
15:37I'm going to run it right down like that, get it on there.
15:40Now I can stretch it right around.
15:47So I remember the dozens of thousands of times that you taught me how to cut the old stuff when
15:53it wasn't stretchy.
15:54Oh yeah.
15:55Making those little cuts that we can fold it over.
15:57Yeah, if you flash it right, it's, it's not going to leak, but this takes the guesswork out of it.
16:10So there you go.
16:21Before we put the window in, we're going to run a thin bead right around the opening, across the top
16:27and down the two sides, just to help air seal it.
16:30And we want to make sure that we use a caulking that doesn't react with the oil that's in the
16:35felt paper, because it'll cause the felt paper to break down over time.
16:39Okay. All right. So now what we want to do is check the existing seal to make sure it's level.
16:45So it can't get the level between there.
16:48So hold that one like that. This is our shims. Put this like this. We have the thin side sticking
16:55out, the level on there right against the opening.
17:00Look at you.
17:01Okay. Now I'll just tack this in place. Tack that one. We don't want the, the shim to be in
17:13the way. So I'm going to cut it back on the interior.
17:22We have to think about the bookcases on each side. So we want to make sure that the window is
17:26centered into the bookcases.
17:30If we have a center line on a window, we'll match that up with the center line on the header
17:34and the window will be centered in the opening.
17:37Eyeball the bottom into the center.
17:41All right. Now, you good?
17:43Good.
17:44Let's push it in.
17:47Set it in place.
17:49All right. Can I trust you to go inside and line up those two lines?
17:51I could do that for you.
17:52Okay, good.
17:54Right there.
17:55All right. I'm going to tack it.
18:05Trying to make the window plumb.
18:08Oh, yeah. Right on the button.
18:13If the numbers match, window is square, level, and plumb. Now we just nail it off using a galvanized roofing
18:22nail.
18:41Okay, Tommy. Looks pretty good to my eye. What do you think?
18:45I think it looks great and I think it's going to look even better when they get the new casing
18:50on.
18:50All right. So, one in, couple more to go. I've got to excuse myself and help Charlie inside, all right?
18:55Okay. He's got a good problem in there.
18:57Good problem.
18:58Good luck with that.
18:59So, to the right side of the front door, we've got this three-window bay right here.
19:05And each one of these openings is going to get another new window like that.
19:08But as you come inside, we've got another thing going on with this bay, Charlie.
19:12The first time I got here, Liz was showing us how this sort of slopes away from the main floor.
19:18Yeah. So, if you just take this level here and really just hold it flat. See that there?
19:24Oh, yeah.
19:24It's about a half inch.
19:25100%. Right.
19:26So, I mean, when you guys pulled up the floor, I saw this line here. You didn't do this, right?
19:31This was existing?
19:32Yeah. This is the foundation in the house right now and that's where it falls.
19:36And here's the sill sitting on the foundation.
19:39Foundation ends here.
19:40It ends here. So, they didn't follow this bay.
19:42Some people think that, oh, maybe this was added afterwards. I don't.
19:46Because here's our old framing that comes right out.
19:48And I'm sure what they did was they took a couple of big flat rocks like we've seen in the
19:52past
19:53and put them under where the two windows in the bay intersect on both sides.
19:58And I'm sure they had posts there and that's how it was stabilized.
20:01Okay.
20:01But over time, it's settled.
20:04And when this deck was rebuilt years ago, they took out those and stabilized it by putting new concrete footings
20:11in.
20:12Oh.
20:12And posts. So, this isn't going anywhere. It is stable where it is.
20:15So, do we need the jacket or anything?
20:17We don't. So, what I think we're going to do is just continue pulling out all the boards.
20:21And then we're going to shim as needed on each existing floor joist right down to zero.
20:29Perfect.
20:32This ledger is extending our floor joist and is at the same height as the old one was.
20:38So, this way, if we add this, we're not going to have the new floor board just hanging over there
20:43on nothing.
20:44That's right.
20:48So, Charlie, even though we padded out this rim joist right here, that's not the finished height, right?
20:52No, that's the old height against the existing rim joist or outside floor joist.
20:57Okay. So, how are we getting the new height?
20:59So, this is a piece of the subfloor that we're going to use, which is an actual thickness of three
21:03-quarters of an inch.
21:04Our existing boards are seven-eighths. So, we're already off an eighth.
21:07Okay.
21:08So, we're going to take our sample piece and put it on the one we just screwed onto the outside
21:12edge.
21:13You're going to take the six-foot level and use it as a straight edge.
21:17And then I'll take a measurement from the top of our subfloor to the underside of the level.
21:22And that'll be what the measurement is on the left side.
21:25And then we'll check it on the right side and see if it's the same.
21:28So, if they're the same, we have a flat shim. If they're different, we've got a slightly tapered shim.
21:32That's right.
21:35Looks like we have a strong quarter.
21:38Let's check the right side.
21:39Looks like we have about three-quarters.
21:41So, we're going from a quarter to three-quarters over four feet.
21:43That's right.
21:47Looks like it's perfect.
21:48And we'll do it for each one of these?
21:49That's right.
21:50And each one is different.
22:14Okay.
22:15Perfect.
22:18So...
22:18Ooh.
22:19So, we do have to still glue this down and nail it, but it's a perfect dry fit and it
22:23works.
22:23Yes.
22:24And it is not a drop here at all.
22:26No.
22:27And we'll spray the closed cell foam to the underside of this subfloor.
22:30Be very warm.
22:31Beautiful.
22:32All right.
22:32Sounds like a plan.
22:33So, until next time, I'm Kevin O'Connor.
22:35And I'm Charlie Silva.
22:36For This Old House here in Neato, Massachusetts.
22:42Next time on This Old House...
22:44Installing window trim can be tedious, but I have a way that's going to save us a lot of time.
22:48We've cut these boards out, so now every part are cut to the exact size that are required.
22:53As straight as an arrow.
22:55Yep.
22:55Then I'll show you how to lay out the electrical for a new kitchen, whether you're doing a renovation or
22:59a new build.
23:01And by removing just one plant, we've transformed the front yard.
23:06As you can ritually, check my play list today.
23:07And we'll see you later.
23:08Have a great day.
23:16I'm Sarah Silva.
23:18notch move.
23:25Theseッ пл används to get into the inside of our country.
Comments