Houseworks: Handy hints for the home

This blown-in wall insulation is applied behind a breathable mesh that holds fibres in place until drywall goes up. This approach is faster than batt insulation, and fills nooks and crannies better. Photo by Steve Maxwell 

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Blown-in blanket wall insulation 

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Q What are your thoughts on blown-in blanket insulation systems (BIBS)? The contractor doing my major renovation is suggesting it rather than regular batt insulation. Our walls are filled with wires and the BIBS system seems like it might be a good solution. 

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A BIBS is a generic system where loose fibres are blown into a wall and ceiling cavity behind netting, with drywall applied over top. I like this better than batts, but in my experience spray foam delivers the best results of all because it provides stable insulation values (they don’t decline over time), and also air sealing. Nothing keeps out air infiltration like spray foam. The only issue with spray foam is cost, which as you probably know is high. 

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But even an inch of spray foam against the inside face of the wall sheathing (not too costly) does wonders for air sealing, with BIBS could be applied over that to save on costs. It’s a powerful combination. 

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Another issue you should consider is thermal bridging through wall framing. Wooden framing makes up 10 to 15 per cent of the wall area that extends from interior to exterior, and wood only has R1 per inch. So if your wall framing is 2×6, this means only R 5 1/2 over 10 per cent+ of the wall area. If you have 2×4 framing this drops to only R 3 1/2. One way around this is to install extruded polystyrene foam on the inside of wall framing after all intra-wall insulation work is done, then drywall over the foam. This sandwich works well and I’ve used it on several projects, including the house I built for myself. You simply install sheets of drywall as usual, then fasten them with screws long enough to penetrate the foam (1 1/2” or 2” is ideal), then 1 1/4” or 2” into the wall studs. When I did this work on my own place I couldn’t find drywall screws long enough, but the deck screws I used instead have worked perfectly since 1990. 

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Composite deck lumber like this Trex offers the lowest maintenance of any option. This deck had wooden deck boards removed, with composite added because it needs no refinishing. Photo by Steve Maxwell 

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Non-peeling deck finishes 

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Q Is an oil finish an option for new deck boards I’m installing on my 26-year-old cedar deck? I’ve put up with years of peeling deck finishes and I don’t want to repeat that. 

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A Sooner or later, most people discover the drudgery of keeping a wooden deck finished in the usual way, and there are three ways around this. As usual in life, it comes down to choosing the drawback you dislike the least. 

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Any deck finish that forms a surface film will eventually peel, and exterior oil is one no-film option. Oil does maintain the look of bright, fresh lumber for a while, but eventually things get progressively more grey over several years, even with annual reapplication.  

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Something called Ecowood Treatment is another option I use personally on some projects. It comes as a powder that you mix with water, then spray on bare wood. The aim is to wet the surface thoroughly. This is a one-shot deal, and it takes several months for the colour to fully develop by chemical reaction. The results are an even grey colour that looks like weathering but more even and attractive. This is the least work of all exterior wood finishes I know of, but does result in a weathered look, which not everyone likes.