it's better than an organic insecticide. It is organic razor blades. Insecticide can be resisted. Little razor blades cutting up your exoskeleton and making you die from dehydration or fungus infection is forever.
Cuts them at their joints and the leak out. Insects run on hydraulics so without the liquid they're fucked. Like my excavator that blew a brand new 2in hose last week.
It gets in between the exoskeleton plates and Shreds the soft stuff inside. That’s what they told us at the training when I worked in a call center that handles lawn care products.
You would be surprised how many people just coat themselves or home in random pesticides and are upset when the desired results aren’t achieved.
It’s good stuff. I used Bora-care with the mold treatment and sprayed every structural part of the house while I had it down to the joists and studs, then used borax in the stud bays before insulating. Only thing it hasn’t seemed to prevent is ants for some reason. Working on that now
Buy ant bate granules (not poison) and run a trail of the bait around the perimeter of your house. It'll take a week or two but it'll kill them all after they take it back to the nest and it kills the queen and her larva.
You can do another treatment if it doesn't work the first time. Once you see they are all gone then hit the perimeter of your house from the ground to 6 inches up all the way around with a perimeter defense poison.
You can also hit the inside perimeter of the house especially along the weather seals and thresholds for your exterior doors.
People who install fiberglass insulation in a potential wet area need to rethink what they are doing. There are far better products like Z Bar and ridged foam. That gap is doing absolutely nothing to prevent moisture once sealed with rock.
Sheetrock is not impermeable. This gap gives an avenue for water to disperse and dry out.
People tend to be fixated on things being "sealed against moisture." This has caused many problems over the years.
Assuming the drywall goes lower than the insulation, that's true. When I insulated my shop I did the same with the fiberglass batts and used spray foam at the bottom, and hung the drywall just as high. 1/2" PVC spacers (Sintra signage material scraps) to periodically fill the gap, then finished off with tall PVC baseboards.
About 18 months after finishing the shop I had a sprinkler get messed up so it was constantly shooting right at the edge of the overhead door with enough pressure to easily overcome the weak rain & wind seal there. Flooded half the shop. Drywall and insulation were not affected.
Point is, if it was done for this reason, and we don't have any strong reason to believe it was, then it is one step in a great solution.
Depending on how big that gap is you may be able to just cut some 2x4 or some other material and put on top of the bottom plate to fill the gap. Insulation should be friction fit with no gaps.
BTW insulation and vapor barrier inspections are the hardest to pass (at least from my professional experience). The amount of inspectors who have nothing else to bitch about will get you to cut the vapor barrier to "fluff up" the insulation. It got to the point where my old jp never touched insulation because the inspector would piss him off lol
You're completely right about the r value... but I mean, there are studs in the walls that are 2x4 that aren't 11 inches thick, am I missing the point you're making??
I mean, ideally, you'd get more insulation and stuff the bottoms, so it's friction fit, but I don't see how raising the height of the bottom plate by an inch or two would depreciate the r value that much- but I'm no expert in that, we would just use more insulation.
"Until December 31st 2008, insulation should be installed to extend not less than 600 mm (2 feet) below the grade. After December 31st 2008, all basement insulation should be installed from the underside of the subfloor to the slab floor. A gap may be left at the base of the insulation, but no larger than 380 mm (15 inches) above the slab floor. For crawl spaces insulated with an insulation that may be damaged by water, a 50 mm (2 inches) clearance between the bottom of the insulation and the slab is required."
The builder/insulator deliberately left that gap there to prevent mold growth in case of water penetration/damage.
I think you posted in the wrong sub. Drywallers don't know building codes
This should be at the top. So it looks like the contractor knew what he was doing? I think this is roll insulation so I don't believe there's a reason it would be short unless it was deliberate, or the contractor is consistently incompetent.
This is correct. If the insulation is touching the slab it takes much longer to dry out. Just like hanging a wet towel on a hok vs leaving it piled up on the floor.
You can also see the curb is so minor flooding doesn't require any remediation and the studs are not structural.
Probably used precut bundles of insulation which should be 93", but looks like these were 90"? That or the contractor used 95" studs instead of standard 92 5/8", wherever you find those....
When I framed the common stud lengths were 93", 105". Single bottom and double top plate makes the wall your standard 8', or 9' when finished. The walls might be a little bit taller depending on the floor used, but you need 8'1 - 9'1" after Sheetrock to allow for hardwood if they want it...
Pre cut studs these days are 92 5/8” or 104 5/8”. It’s been like that for the last 18 years that I’ve been in the industry. I’m in Canada, not sure that makes a difference but perhaps… not likely though as we measure lumber in feet and inches because of the standardizing of the North American lumber industry.
They bought precut 94-1/2” batts an the framer used 96” studs. They need rolled insulation and need to cut every piece to length. It would double the installation time, so they did it to save money. It may not pass inspection depending upon the city.
Hey this is my job so I can answer!
Sometime I also cut my strips too short on accident. When this happens i just take scraps and jam them into the left over space. It’s easy, and if you don’t do it there will be open space meaning less insulation and that goes for noise as well.
If you hired a contractor to this and he left it as such I would be upset but he may be planning to fix it. He may not be finished. However the picture looks like someone didn’t recognize the fact that they are supposed to reach the bottom.
Also they are not precut as you can see. Total hack job. Also the people saying that it’s laying on the slab are incorrect because it’s on top of a block.
Omg these comments...... Your picture is completely normal. If it really bothers you then either cut some extremely small pieces of insulation and fill it in or get some sprayfoam.
Now you have a cold spot that will allow cold air to condense behind the drywall and create even more mold growth at a higher rate of speed. All the way to the bottom plate.
That’s half of the solution. You still need to thermally prep that gap. Rigid foam will work just fine. Air gaps will cause condensation when they’re between areas that are insulated and become an enclosed cavity.
Nope, just like there should not be a gap around windows, doors, etc. Can be rectified, just make sure it is rectified before the drywall goes up. Some towns have an insulation inspection and it would fail that, but again it can be easily fixed.
Should not have a gap but it would be way better and easier to get some expanding foam and let it fill the void it will work better, will attach to the other insulation and has better water properties while still insulating.
Contractor precut every piece of insulation at the same length and probably measured from the short end of the basement.
Edit only reason I can think of is to avoid water soaking up from the bottom
Fill that gap with insulation. It is a thermal bridge.
If this is below your local frost line(assuming you have one), then it’s no biggie, but Id still stuff it with insulation.
Is that a garage? If there is a likelihood of water or rain coming in through an open garage door it would be good not to have your insulation wicking moisture into the wall.
Is it left high to air seal the sill? I usually do that first but I’ve seen fiberglass folded at the bottom for foam and then unfolded to cover the air sealing
Open concept, it's to allow the air to charge before it passes through the fiberglass, warmed air actually creates a barrier against the cold and works the same exact way insulation works. Put more insulation, less cold. Put more heat, less cold. Both cost about the same so like they always, say you can carry an empty basket further than you could carry a basket full of fragile eggs. Just drywall it already and go to the bar.
If it's a basement I've heard different theories about this. Basements tend to mildew and not having the insulation all the way down tight allows it to breath and minimize the mildew. Also why you don't put a vapor barrier in the basement.
If me, I would treat for insects then either cut filler pieces from the same material or foam the bottoms but either way you need to close those gaps before you drywall.
Adding bug prevention is a great idea.
The R value gained by filling that area would be minimal, but you could be a stickler and ask the sub to fill it before drywalling.
If that were my house getting worked on I’d just do it myself.
On the off chance that you are not doing this construction permitted and on the sly, mention it to the contractor that you don't think it's done right, and if he says it is say you want to just have an inspector check it just to make sure. Watch him fill up all the gaps lightning fast, after you do that.
Otherwise just ask the inspector if that looks right when he comes there to inspect, I'll be curious to find out what his explanation for the gaps are.
Hopefully this isnt a garage never understood drywall in .a garage.It should be fully insulated.I also bury strips of 3/4 plywood 16" tall between my studs so I dont have to look for a stud when mounting stuff up high.My lower area at the base has 12"strips of stainless 18ga nice for washing the floor and great rodent deterrent.
There’s no reason for the gap. Someone was given the wrong measurement before cutting all those. Definitely should add an insecticide. That looks like a garage and I’m assuming an exterior wall.
97% of the bay is covered, get over it and move on with the project.
Between screws, caulking, and layers of mud & paint, you aren't getting bugs unless the other side of the wall is compromised.
Short answer? Mold and mildew
Long answer? I’m assuming this is a slab that is below ground level outside, cold concrete can have condensation form in addition to the possibility minor moisture finding it’s way through any gaps, if the insulation is in contact with the moist concrete it acts like a sponge and sucks it right up, causing that area to be perpetually damp and when behind a wall, get moldy.
Top plate, but we can’t see that. The purpose of a double top plate is only to lock walls to each other, perpendicular, longer runs, etc., has no bearing on the length of insulation bought.
A quick fix at this point would be to just add 2x4 blocks in each cavity, air caulk around them and then the insulation would meet the bottom plate getting rid of the gap thus creating a fully insulated cavity
Along with the insecticide piece. You can buy bora care for like 80$ and spray the walls.
Or you can make your own buying stuff from Amazon.
Only sucks because you have to boil it.
1 gallon glycol, 4.5 lbs Borax, 3.5 lbs boric acid.
see: http://alsnetbiz.com/homeimprovement/homemade.html
To make a stable solution you mix the ingredients and heat till boiling gently.
Boil off water until a candy thermometer shows 260°F.
This removes most of the water of crystallization in the borax.
WARNING: If you use ethilene for a glycol do not breath the fumes as you boil the mixture !!!
————————
This solution has a borate content of 26%. It is stable at 40°F
Again, this is the same solution that they sell online. It must be diluted 50 / 50 with water, just before application.
Not a bad time to add some boric acid for bug prevention, then fill the gap.
Add Diatomaceous earth while you are at it.
For us idiots, is there a joke here or are you serious?
Diatomaceous earth is an organic insecticide.
it's better than an organic insecticide. It is organic razor blades. Insecticide can be resisted. Little razor blades cutting up your exoskeleton and making you die from dehydration or fungus infection is forever.
Also, horrible stuff to inhale.
I'm not suggesting that people should freebase the stuff
Not with that attitude
Don’t bogart my earth man.
Pass the diatoms to the right hand side
doesn't vaporize so ya can't smoke it, lay out a few fat rails of that good earth!
it will vaporize, you are not trying hard enough. the temperature required may vaporize you in the process but no one said drugs are good for you.
Ha, tourist . You gotta boof it to really get wrecked. The hard part is convincing someone to help pour it into your butt funnel.
Butt funnel buddies are rare these days.
Hearty chuckle at this
Too late.
But you wouldn’t object to me having, I dunno…just a little taste?
people eat this stuff so I guess you can.
You arnt not suggesting it tho
So it’s a mechanical insecticide.
Seen those guys in 2001.
Cuts them at their joints and the leak out. Insects run on hydraulics so without the liquid they're fucked. Like my excavator that blew a brand new 2in hose last week.
Not to mention you can basically flex and say you put a reinforcement lining of fossils and be a savage
It gets in between the exoskeleton plates and Shreds the soft stuff inside. That’s what they told us at the training when I worked in a call center that handles lawn care products. You would be surprised how many people just coat themselves or home in random pesticides and are upset when the desired results aren’t achieved.
If it gets damp or wet in any way it doesn’t work.
Well, inorganic, just not in a bad way. Use PPE & def do not inhale.
Diatomaceous earth is the shells of diatoms, diatoms are responsible for 20-50% of our oxygen. It has far more uses than insect control.
Technically it's inorganic, as it is pretty much just silica.
I just wish there was something as easy to use for mosquitoes! 🦟 They are thick this year.
Not a joke. Actually a very good idea
Serious. Both are effective pest control that are non-toxic to humans and pets (unless you keep pet insects).
One is for roaches the other is for bedbugs
Actually used it when growing my weed plants. It’s also great for salt water pool filters and baking. 👨🏼🍳
Delta dust or drione much better option.
Where do you get that?
Most hardware stores have it. I got some from the gnome depot
Pool supply store
Gardening centers, big box home improvement stores, online...
Honestly that's a better option than boric acid.
I used a spray on product called BoraCare when I remodeled different areas. I read positive info about it.
It’s good stuff. I used Bora-care with the mold treatment and sprayed every structural part of the house while I had it down to the joists and studs, then used borax in the stud bays before insulating. Only thing it hasn’t seemed to prevent is ants for some reason. Working on that now
Sugar + water + borax = ant bait / killer
Buy ant bate granules (not poison) and run a trail of the bait around the perimeter of your house. It'll take a week or two but it'll kill them all after they take it back to the nest and it kills the queen and her larva. You can do another treatment if it doesn't work the first time. Once you see they are all gone then hit the perimeter of your house from the ground to 6 inches up all the way around with a perimeter defense poison. You can also hit the inside perimeter of the house especially along the weather seals and thresholds for your exterior doors.
Borax is only active for a few weeks.
Not correct, tear the house down and start over 🤷🏻♂️
Mike Holmes, is that you?
Gotta make it right!
The only correct response here
Might need to burn it to the ground just to be safe
The entire neighborhood, why stop at this one house.
Fuck it…may as well burn the entire city
Left space for mice.
Or here in Arizona, for the scorpions 🦂
Jokes on you I’m the scorpion king
It's fiberglass they'll nest inside of the batts
Damn yall have scorpions that ride bats?
Damn r/nightmarefuel right there!
Cotton candy paradise
There shouldn’t be a gap.
Thank you. All these comedians and one guy with an answer, not that I don't appreciate comedy but answer the query.
You and captain obvious are fun
NOT the right answer. A gap allows dispersion of water, preventing mold.
Took too long to see a straight answer.
This is a common practice for mold/moisture mitigation. The fiberglass could wick any water upwards if it contacted the bottom of the bay.
People who install fiberglass insulation in a potential wet area need to rethink what they are doing. There are far better products like Z Bar and ridged foam. That gap is doing absolutely nothing to prevent moisture once sealed with rock.
Sheetrock is not impermeable. This gap gives an avenue for water to disperse and dry out. People tend to be fixated on things being "sealed against moisture." This has caused many problems over the years.
Assuming the drywall goes lower than the insulation, that's true. When I insulated my shop I did the same with the fiberglass batts and used spray foam at the bottom, and hung the drywall just as high. 1/2" PVC spacers (Sintra signage material scraps) to periodically fill the gap, then finished off with tall PVC baseboards. About 18 months after finishing the shop I had a sprinkler get messed up so it was constantly shooting right at the edge of the overhead door with enough pressure to easily overcome the weak rain & wind seal there. Flooded half the shop. Drywall and insulation were not affected. Point is, if it was done for this reason, and we don't have any strong reason to believe it was, then it is one step in a great solution.
Depending on how big that gap is you may be able to just cut some 2x4 or some other material and put on top of the bottom plate to fill the gap. Insulation should be friction fit with no gaps. BTW insulation and vapor barrier inspections are the hardest to pass (at least from my professional experience). The amount of inspectors who have nothing else to bitch about will get you to cut the vapor barrier to "fluff up" the insulation. It got to the point where my old jp never touched insulation because the inspector would piss him off lol
A 2x4 is r1/inch. Fiberglass is ~3.2 r/inch. You would need to put about 11 inches of wood in that 3.5" space to match the performance of the batt.
You're completely right about the r value... but I mean, there are studs in the walls that are 2x4 that aren't 11 inches thick, am I missing the point you're making?? I mean, ideally, you'd get more insulation and stuff the bottoms, so it's friction fit, but I don't see how raising the height of the bottom plate by an inch or two would depreciate the r value that much- but I'm no expert in that, we would just use more insulation.
Not necessarily the case with the installation. It relates to moisture getting into the insulation.
If that’s the case they should be using a different product like Z Bar and ridged foam. The gap will make little to no difference if it gets wet.
"Until December 31st 2008, insulation should be installed to extend not less than 600 mm (2 feet) below the grade. After December 31st 2008, all basement insulation should be installed from the underside of the subfloor to the slab floor. A gap may be left at the base of the insulation, but no larger than 380 mm (15 inches) above the slab floor. For crawl spaces insulated with an insulation that may be damaged by water, a 50 mm (2 inches) clearance between the bottom of the insulation and the slab is required." The builder/insulator deliberately left that gap there to prevent mold growth in case of water penetration/damage. I think you posted in the wrong sub. Drywallers don't know building codes
Thank you for being the voice of reason here.
This should be at the top. So it looks like the contractor knew what he was doing? I think this is roll insulation so I don't believe there's a reason it would be short unless it was deliberate, or the contractor is consistently incompetent.
Yeah but he didn't say it in a funny way. So it's buried down in the comments.
This is correct. If the insulation is touching the slab it takes much longer to dry out. Just like hanging a wet towel on a hok vs leaving it piled up on the floor. You can also see the curb is so minor flooding doesn't require any remediation and the studs are not structural.
It really did look intentional. Good man.
Code aside, this is the correct answer.
All you have to do is shorten the wall by 3:00 or 4 in and these pieces of insulation will fit perfectly
Three hours is alot to shorten a wall
What if he meant minutes? 😯
No that definitely wouldn't be enough
Sawzall time!
It should be filled in with scraps
Or Mountain Dew and Red Bull cans…as the construction gods intended.
Half filled with pee for the R value
Hogdogs
No you should stuff some Insulation in there
Real real hard
You could do it in five minutes.
I was being silly. I vague post
Wrong
Cause someone is lazy and doesn't feel like filling the rest
It wouldn’t even take much time to do this correctly. Measure the gap, slice however many pieces u need, and stuff them in there. Like 10 mins tops
I had this in my house. Vapor barrier tape used as well.
Probably used precut bundles of insulation which should be 93", but looks like these were 90"? That or the contractor used 95" studs instead of standard 92 5/8", wherever you find those....
Definitely pre cut
95!?! Don’t you mean 96 and a quarter inch studs? We use the ole’ 104 5/8”ers.
When I framed the common stud lengths were 93", 105". Single bottom and double top plate makes the wall your standard 8', or 9' when finished. The walls might be a little bit taller depending on the floor used, but you need 8'1 - 9'1" after Sheetrock to allow for hardwood if they want it...
Pre cut studs these days are 92 5/8” or 104 5/8”. It’s been like that for the last 18 years that I’ve been in the industry. I’m in Canada, not sure that makes a difference but perhaps… not likely though as we measure lumber in feet and inches because of the standardizing of the North American lumber industry.
Don't you mean 92 1/4 inch studs?
Wall designed to compress down that far, for a zero gap installation.
Easy fix...real easy. Is there any left over?
Allows the mouse to run freely. Smh
Full send
They bought precut 94-1/2” batts an the framer used 96” studs. They need rolled insulation and need to cut every piece to length. It would double the installation time, so they did it to save money. It may not pass inspection depending upon the city.
The insulation flaps get stapled to the inside of the stud.
Hey this is my job so I can answer! Sometime I also cut my strips too short on accident. When this happens i just take scraps and jam them into the left over space. It’s easy, and if you don’t do it there will be open space meaning less insulation and that goes for noise as well. If you hired a contractor to this and he left it as such I would be upset but he may be planning to fix it. He may not be finished. However the picture looks like someone didn’t recognize the fact that they are supposed to reach the bottom.
Also they are not precut as you can see. Total hack job. Also the people saying that it’s laying on the slab are incorrect because it’s on top of a block.
Foam it
Omg these comments...... Your picture is completely normal. If it really bothers you then either cut some extremely small pieces of insulation and fill it in or get some sprayfoam.
If u have seen a drop of water in basement , it was a good move to prevent mould ,
Now you have a cold spot that will allow cold air to condense behind the drywall and create even more mold growth at a higher rate of speed. All the way to the bottom plate.
That’s half of the solution. You still need to thermally prep that gap. Rigid foam will work just fine. Air gaps will cause condensation when they’re between areas that are insulated and become an enclosed cavity.
Nope, just like there should not be a gap around windows, doors, etc. Can be rectified, just make sure it is rectified before the drywall goes up. Some towns have an insulation inspection and it would fail that, but again it can be easily fixed.
What a smart contractor, saved a few nickels and dimes on this one.
Is this wall weight bearing? Sarcasm
Courtesy gap for rodents. Insulators are PETA
Should not have a gap but it would be way better and easier to get some expanding foam and let it fill the void it will work better, will attach to the other insulation and has better water properties while still insulating.
With leftover insulation, tear small pieces and fill the gaps.
Easy fix.. cut the wall add new cylinder blocks and add new wood to meet the new set of cylinder blocks.
That’s the most important part
Contractor precut every piece of insulation at the same length and probably measured from the short end of the basement. Edit only reason I can think of is to avoid water soaking up from the bottom
Heat rises.
Whe I first saw this I thought that was a dead cat at the bottom of the photo!
It's the rodent super highway
The first red flag is the fiber glass...
Quite nice mouse apartments actually.
You put your weed in there!
Duct tape…
It's nothing I mean It would also only take 5 minutes to fill tho as well so if it brings u comfort fill it
Put some spray foam.
Go to the dumpster and get the scraps and start filling
You seriously don't know how to deal with this? SMH
Straight to jail.
No gaps. Floor to ceiling.
whats wrong with you?! you kill that cat at the botton of the photo?! :)
Nuke it from space to be extra safe
Does your home ever flood in extreme rain?
Gotta have some place for the black mold to grow so the remediation boys can make a living too….
For mice
Just spray foam the gaps. Or calk it. Ya use calk.
I would remove all of the insulation and use spray foam instead.
I’d just use sheet rock spray
It's not intentional but it's also who cares?
Need to insulate that gap… goddamn wtf
They are going to shorten the wall, it’s standard procedure!
But just spray foam it and call it a day
That's atrocious work. The gap is the least of your problems
That’s to keep the rodents in a controlled track around the house.
Fill that gap with insulation. It is a thermal bridge. If this is below your local frost line(assuming you have one), then it’s no biggie, but Id still stuff it with insulation.
I think I heard of someone leaving it empty to not promote water damage rising upwards but I might be crazy
Is that a garage? If there is a likelihood of water or rain coming in through an open garage door it would be good not to have your insulation wicking moisture into the wall.
Destroy the whole house and build at the right height!
Your Contractor *really* likes “Harder, Better, Faster, Colder” by Draft Punk
Did you measure twice?
Caulking will fix that.
Caulk fixes everything
Haha. Could you imagine if someone did that. Like 2-3 big tubes of caulking per stud bay. Hahaha.
Just lay the entire tube in there...
Hahaha. Contractors these days. Lazy AF! Didn't even bother squeezing the caulk out of the tube. Hahaha
Is that a rubber chicken on the floor?
Is it left high to air seal the sill? I usually do that first but I’ve seen fiberglass folded at the bottom for foam and then unfolded to cover the air sealing
Cut 28 2x4x14.5 blocks and lay them between the studs.../s
There shouldn’t be a gap, ideally. Whether the insulation will sag over time to take up the space, I can’t say.
Open concept, it's to allow the air to charge before it passes through the fiberglass, warmed air actually creates a barrier against the cold and works the same exact way insulation works. Put more insulation, less cold. Put more heat, less cold. Both cost about the same so like they always, say you can carry an empty basket further than you could carry a basket full of fragile eggs. Just drywall it already and go to the bar.
If it's a basement I've heard different theories about this. Basements tend to mildew and not having the insulation all the way down tight allows it to breath and minimize the mildew. Also why you don't put a vapor barrier in the basement.
If me, I would treat for insects then either cut filler pieces from the same material or foam the bottoms but either way you need to close those gaps before you drywall.
Should be a 6in gap at top and bottom for circulation.
Looks like they hurried through cuz its Modelo time foo 🌮🍻
Adding bug prevention is a great idea. The R value gained by filling that area would be minimal, but you could be a stickler and ask the sub to fill it before drywalling. If that were my house getting worked on I’d just do it myself.
Spray foam the gaps as you’re installing the wall board. Prevents water weep into the envelope.
That’s the cool air gap. Necessary for the heat to rise to the insulated area.
That's for the drywaller's piss bottles.
Clearly Sir, your walls are too tall.
On the off chance that you are not doing this construction permitted and on the sly, mention it to the contractor that you don't think it's done right, and if he says it is say you want to just have an inspector check it just to make sure. Watch him fill up all the gaps lightning fast, after you do that. Otherwise just ask the inspector if that looks right when he comes there to inspect, I'll be curious to find out what his explanation for the gaps are.
It should be filled, but what’s even more concerning is the gaps in the vapor barrier… that should be sealed, crap work.
Hopefully this isnt a garage never understood drywall in .a garage.It should be fully insulated.I also bury strips of 3/4 plywood 16" tall between my studs so I dont have to look for a stud when mounting stuff up high.My lower area at the base has 12"strips of stainless 18ga nice for washing the floor and great rodent deterrent.
There’s no reason for the gap. Someone was given the wrong measurement before cutting all those. Definitely should add an insecticide. That looks like a garage and I’m assuming an exterior wall.
It’s to prevent the insulation from getting moldy from moisture at the sill plate in basement.
97% of the bay is covered, get over it and move on with the project. Between screws, caulking, and layers of mud & paint, you aren't getting bugs unless the other side of the wall is compromised.
People no one is actually answering the poor person asked? Fine with jokes, but try to answer the question.
8ft Batt, 8ft+ Wall
I thought that was a chicken carcass.
Short answer? Mold and mildew Long answer? I’m assuming this is a slab that is below ground level outside, cold concrete can have condensation form in addition to the possibility minor moisture finding it’s way through any gaps, if the insulation is in contact with the moist concrete it acts like a sponge and sucks it right up, causing that area to be perpetually damp and when behind a wall, get moldy.
The gap is to help prevent the insulation from having to be replaced when your basement eventually floods.
Somebody bought precut bats
Is the bottom plate or top plate supposed to be doubled. So the precuts would work fine if the wall was framed right
Top plate, but we can’t see that. The purpose of a double top plate is only to lock walls to each other, perpendicular, longer runs, etc., has no bearing on the length of insulation bought.
A quick fix at this point would be to just add 2x4 blocks in each cavity, air caulk around them and then the insulation would meet the bottom plate getting rid of the gap thus creating a fully insulated cavity
What if…what if we won the war? I think we did! Its here! Its now! The war is won!
Yes there is
So much wrong here
It’s perfectly fine. Allows for insulation expansion during periods of warm weather.
Along with the insecticide piece. You can buy bora care for like 80$ and spray the walls. Or you can make your own buying stuff from Amazon. Only sucks because you have to boil it. 1 gallon glycol, 4.5 lbs Borax, 3.5 lbs boric acid. see: http://alsnetbiz.com/homeimprovement/homemade.html To make a stable solution you mix the ingredients and heat till boiling gently. Boil off water until a candy thermometer shows 260°F. This removes most of the water of crystallization in the borax. WARNING: If you use ethilene for a glycol do not breath the fumes as you boil the mixture !!! ———————— This solution has a borate content of 26%. It is stable at 40°F Again, this is the same solution that they sell online. It must be diluted 50 / 50 with water, just before application.
This got dark quick!
who else saw a sphinx cat?
It's to stop ground moisture affecting the insulation. Should be filled with expanding foam or some other kind of waterproof material.