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View Full Version : Ready for insulation inspection and drywall!



chevynut
07-23-2013, 06:23 PM
I've been working the past week or two on insulating my shop. I'm finished and will try to get it inspected tomorrow, so I can start with the drywall. Gotta get this damned thing done before snow flies!!

I had an interesting discussion with the inspector last week. The new county "energy code" requires that you have R13 walls and R30 ceilings if the building is heated. I plan to heat mine. I also have a 10x38 foot floor in the storage attic. The trusses have 2x6 lower chords, so I asked if I needed to raise the floor so I could get to R30, or what I had to do to meet the requirements.

If I was an inspector and someone wanted to do this, I would approve an AVERAGE of R30. My 10x38 attic floor is about 30% of the shop area. If a guy put insulation in the 2x6 area and it was R19, I would approve of a higher R-value everywhere else. Why not?

Anyhow, when I asked if putting R30 batts and compressing them to the 2x6 height was okay (which is what I did in the other shop), or if I needed to raise up the floor, they asked how I was going to use the shop. The inspector asked if I was going to use the "auxiliary building" exception. I asked what that was.

Well, if you only turn on the heat a couple of hours a day or have it on a timer, you DON'T EVEN NEED INSULATION! I told them I want to insulate it, just want to be sure I pass inspection. I said I'd put in a set-back thermostat, and they said to do whatever I want. I think I'll build up the floor anyhow, and blow in R30.

This shit is just crazy sometimes.

NickP
07-23-2013, 08:11 PM
When I retired from building/construction, news on the horizon was even stricter for the future of all code enforcement specific to energy consumption/conservation. You are seeing just the tip of the iceberg - build now folks if you can afford it for later we may not be able to. Sadly, ROI is not that good.

spike10
07-24-2013, 05:17 AM
Just a suggestion , you need to deck the floor, then insulate batts under it, then drywall the ceiling.
It is almost impossible to deck with plywood after.... I guess you could deck the attic with 1x
Also do your electric wires run on top of the lower chords ? another obstacle
BTW wood also has an insulation factor, so R-30 may not be necessary, too much compression lowers R values and makes it hard as hell to get your drywall up, I hope you have a drywall jack too !

carls 56 (RIP 11/24/2021)
07-24-2013, 05:31 AM
good to hear your getting it all inspected and done right. so many don't and they end up getting caught. cost more in the end if you don't do it right to begin with. :eek:

chevynut
07-24-2013, 08:56 AM
WooHoo! Inspector just signed off!

Now I can get the drywall started. Gotta do a little framing to add nailers on the sides for attaching the drywall. But I have so much shit in the shop already that I'll need to empty it before starting the drywall work. :(

markm
07-24-2013, 04:59 PM
Thankfully we dont have those rules yet.

chevynut
07-24-2013, 07:26 PM
Wait til the "greenies" and the liberals (same thing) take over your state, markm. I suspect it's already underway, and will spread like cancer unless we kill it with "chemo".