Insulating a cabin roof
Q: Will two inches of foam be enough to insulate a cabin roof?
My place is in the eastern townships of Quebec, so we get serious winter. I want to leave the underside of the roof with visible and exposed rafters and roof boards, so my plan is to put the foam on top of the roof.
A: Two inches of rigid foam will deliver a surprising amount of real-world insulation, but numerically it’s far lower than what the R value required by code. I have a cabin on my property and it has two inches of extruded poly foam on top of one-anda-half-inch-thick roof boards. I built it this way for the same reason you have in mind, so I could see the rafters and roof boards from below. The cabin is almost as small as yours, it’s lived in year-round and in practice, it doesn’t matter that the insulation is not up to modern standards. We burn a bit more wood, but it’s not significant. In your case, an A frame has a very large roof area because it’s so steep. I’d definitely go with more insulation than just two inches in your case, but there’s something to keep in mind. The only problem with putting more insulation on top of the roof is that it can make the roof look quite thick from the edges. I’d recommend experimenting with different thicknesses of foam in a small space near the eaves. See how things look before you make up your mind.
BRIGHTENING A DARK BASEMENT FLOOR
Q: Can I cover the dark vinyl floor in my basement with lighter-coloured carpet?
The floor is those luxury vinyl tiles, which is fine, but I absolutely hate the ugly dark brown and black finish on them. It feels like a dungeon down there.
A: The short answer is “maybe.” Do you happen to know if the tiles you’ve got now are installed over some kind of subfloor panels? If so, then you can safely install carpeting over your existing vinyl floor with no risk of internal condensation and mould growth within the pile. If the tiles are installed directly on the concrete (perhaps with a foam underlay), then carpeting could be risky because of the hazards of condensation when humid air meets a cool floor. You could always install subfloor panels on top of the vinyl tiles. That would work well, and it would make the floor warmer.
FINISHING OUTDOOR WOOD ONLY ONCE
Q: Will I be happy with Ecowood Treatment for exterior wooden walls that I’ve got at my place?
I know you’ve used it and written about it before but I’m cautious about using something new on our lakeside cabin. We’ve added fresh board and batten siding to our place.
A: It sounds like you’ve got the perfect situation for Ecowood. Not all projects are ideal for this product, but if your cabin was my place, I’d use it Ecowood. It comes as a powder that you dissolve in water and apply to the surface in any way that’s efficient. I use a backpack sprayer for large surfaces such as your cabin. It doesn’t matter how evenly Ecowood is sprayed, it all works out the be the same colour in time. Not every project is ideal for this but, based on your vision, it’s absolutely the right choice as long as you like the informal look. Essentially you get nice, even weathering (even under the eaves) which is much better looking than the mottled and uneven appearance of natural weathering. Visit baileylineroad.com/36956 to watch how this outdoor wood finish goes on. You’ll be surprised how evenly it turns out, and of course that’s the last time you’ll need to do any finishing.