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Discussing the Role of the General Contractor

Bob meets general contractor Tim Berky who is nearly finished with the Rowley Victorian remodel. Bob talks with Berky about the aspects of the job that Berky and his crew have undertaken, from the foundation and footings, to framing, siding, interior trim, deck, hardwood floors, cabinet and window installation, and oversight of the radiant heat installation and insulation. The western red cedar deck expands the indoor living space into the outdoors. It has a natural color and finish that will be sealed for added protection once it has dried.

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Discussing the Role of the General Contractor Now Playing

Discussing the Role of the General Contractor

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Clip Transcript For:

Discussing the Role of the General Contractor

computer-generated transcript - may not be 100% accurate

" Well let's get started today with timber -- GC hi Bob general contractor who is almost done what's -- and I just finished putting a closet pole -- The punch list that is the way I can remember when you started which was really only just about four months ago on this project and you brought a huge machine in here to. Tear apart the stone foundation and the concrete steps that -- right corner. But many things that happened here are I suppose a very good example of why it makes sense to have a smaller contractor on a smaller jobs is you really Jack of all trades it. I try I'm worried I'm able to what I get in and work on the smaller foundations and as what we did was we poured our own footing him. We did the framing ourselves the siding that trimmed interior trim the cabinet installations. Helped on the fly and with the a lot of that he had designed. Did you know that modified -- one. The road along the rug and that makes a big difference in terms of getting the job done -- I I thought it was great that we opened up the house. Does it gave us the opportunity to put in that wonderful insulation. Yes. Which is you know closed cell type of insulation that's wonderful for an existing house that's a hundred years old where. You didn't really have any kind of protection against the cold weather to start with. Yep and you really notice the difference is very tight in the and we got the radiant heat in there and you installed the new Pella windows throughout the area including the we're looking at stake here Mariner's. But I think in this project one of the best things is that the whole inside outside living. Part of it well we've got our western red cedar deck. Which is. Such a great choice because it really repels decay and and and it Weathers very beautifully. There's nothing on it right this is. Now that and it's and that's a natural lot finish right now and we will once the weather everything dries out we're gonna put a nice -- on -- and and the that the detailing continues as you can see behind -- the little windows are in place but anyway. I just wanted to say thank you thank you very much as he did a great job getting it in on time but anyway let's go inside."

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Insulation Basics

Here's another great tip from BobVila.com. How much insulation does your home need and where? It depends on your climate and the energy costs in your area. The basic principle is that you want to keep heat energy from doing what it does best: dissipating to colder areas. The best way is to trap a layer of air next to the heat source. In new framing, sprayed-on polyurethane foam, fiberglass or cellulose do a good job of providing this layer before the drywall goes up. If you re retrofitting your insulation, you can still spray in cellulose through holes cut from the interior or the exterior. To find out what insulation will work best in your home, you ll want to know the recommended insulation r-values in your area. R-value is the measure of a material s resistance to heat flow. The higher the value, the more effective it is. To see the recommended insulation r-values and cost estimates in your ZIP code, visit the Department of Energy s web site. Even a small draft can make your insulation less effective. Seal any gaps around electrical outlets, ducts, windows and doors with foam sealants, caulking or weatherstripping. The most important area to insulate is your attic. Make sure you ve got at least the attic floor insulated with blown-in or batt insulation to your area s recommended r-value, and consider insulating the roof and attic walls as well. This can provide a fully insulated buffer zone to keep heat where you want it and keep the lid on your energy costs. Find out more at BobVila.com: The ultimate home improvement web site! BobVila.com 2008

Insulation to Conserve Heat and Reduce Noise

Bob joins Buddy Loxley from MAP Insulation to talk installation in the master bedroom. The crew is using R-15 fiberglass insulation from Owens Corning in the home's exterior walls to meet Energy Star standards. The high-density batt insulation is the highest R-value possible for two-by-four cavities. To achieve maximum R-value, it's important not to compress the insulation. It must remain fluffy in order to trap air and prevent infiltration. The crew will install an R-38 insulation in the ceiling. Owens Corning QuietZone interior wall insulation, a sound attenuation material, is placed in the interior walls to reduce noise transfer from room to room.

Installing Sound Attenuation Insulation

George Saylor from Owens Corning is on location in this episode to discuss the insulation products that will be used in the Waterfront Warehouse Rehab project. Before work begins, Bob notes the importance of wearing protective gear including gloves, hat, long sleeve shirt, pants, particle mask, and eye protection when working with fiberglass insualtion. Owens Corning has provided a fiberglass insulation that delivers an insulation value of R15 in only three and half inches of thickness. The material's higher density creates smaller more uniform cells of trapped air to provide a greater degree of insulation in a tighter space, making it more efficient. Saylor also explains how to insulate around outlets and other building infrastructure. On the exterior walls, extruded polystyrene insulation is being installed between the studs and wallboard to prevent thermal transfer from the metal studs to the building's interior. The additional material will create a R20 wall. In the living spaces, interior walls are filled with fiberglass batt insulation to prevent the transfer of sound from room to room.

The Blown-In Blanket Insulation Process

Bob is joined by Mikde Hobson of Westchester Insulation as the crew prepares one of the Mashpee houses for insulation installation. Hobson explains that this is a patented insulation system that uses special fabric stapled and drawn tight across any cavity that needs to be insulated. The crew works with pneumatic staplers to get the fabric in place across all the walls and the joists of the cathedral ceiling. The fabric is not intended as a moisture barrier of any kind and is just there to hold the insulation in place and prevent it from settling. Hobson shows Bob the white fiberglass that will be blown into the cavities. It is white because it is a virgin product, completely free of treatments, binders, or chemicals. Certainteed and Johns Manville both produce fiberglass insulation that is suitable for the Blow-In-Blanket installation. Once all cavities have been enclosed, the insulation contractor cuts a slit in the fabric and inserts a hose through which the fiberglass is blown. The cavity is filled to a density of two pounds per cubic foot which is visible to the eye by a slight bulge in the fabric. At this density, an R-value of 15 is achieved in two-by-four cavities like walls. In attics and ceiling cavities that are two-by-six, an R-value of 38 can be achieved. This insulation is inert and will not support moisture, mold, animals, or insects. It also serves as a sound insulator and can be blown in around drain lines, in interior partitions, and around tubs and showers. Blo-In-Blanket insulation is suitable for new construction or retrofit applications where it is blown in through the sheathing from the outside or through interior drywall to fill wall cavities. Blow-In-Blanket insulation costs about 50 to 60 percent more to install than traditional batt insulation, but offers such energy efficiency that it pays for itself within two to four years.