Video summary
In this episode of the Steampunk series, Nate the House Whisperer Adams prepares to tackle a major upgrade for his old twentieth-century home by installing closed-cell spray foam insulation. He explains that this specific type of foam is chosen over open-cell options because it does not absorb moisture and provides a significantly higher R-value per inch. By acting as an all-in-one solution, the foam effectively reduces heat transfer, air infiltration, and moisture flow into the house, making the internal environment much more controllable and comfortable for future living.
To ensure the installation is effective, Nate emphasizes the critical role of the blower door test, which he considers one of his most important tools. This device measures how much air leaks out of the structure and helps identify exactly where those leaks are occurring so they can be sealed before the foam is applied. Nate addresses common concerns regarding indoor air quality by sharing his findings from actual measurements taken during similar projects; he notes that if a blower door test is run during installation and windows are kept cracked open for about two weeks afterward, there are no measurable negative effects on the air inside the home.
As the work begins, viewers get a glimpse into the fascinating physics of the process through infrared imaging, which reveals that spray foam application is an exothermic reaction. The chemical mixture generates intense heat, reaching temperatures between 200 and 250 degrees Fahrenheit at its peak before gradually cooling down. Nate expresses his excitement for this phase of the project, noting that it marks a transition where they can finally move into finishing operations to achieve their desired steampunk aesthetic.
Throughout the video, Nate encourages viewers to engage with the content by liking, subscribing, and leaving comments with any questions they might have for future episodes. He also promotes his free chapters on the Home Comfort Book and his detailed air sealing course available on his website, where he discusses the physics behind these techniques and provides in-depth guides on how to perform similar upgrades at home. The episode concludes with a sense of anticipation as the team gets ready to pull the trigger on this long-awaited day of transforming the house for the twenty-second century.
Read the full video transcript
[music]
Welcome back to the steampunk house. I'm
Nate the House Whisperer Adams and today
we are getting ready to do one of the
big steps in taking this old 20th
century house and making it ready for
the 22nd century. It's spray foam day.
You know the drill. Like, subscribe,
share with your friends, and leave a
comment if you got a question for me.
[music]
So, there's two kinds of spray foam.
There's open cell and there's closed
cell. We're going to be using closed
cell today because it doesn't absorb
moisture and it gives you a lot more R
value per inch. So, this does a really
good job of all-in-one product reducing
heat, air, and moisture flow into the
house, which makes it controllable. So
that as a house whisperer, I actually
have a prayer of making this house
really comfortable. There's a lot of
debate about the indoor air quality
effects of spray foam. And what I found
from doing actual measurements before,
during, and after jobs is that if you
run the blower door while you're
installing the foam, and then you have a
window cracked upstairs and downstairs
for about 2 weeks afterwards, there
really aren't any measurable effects on
the indoor air quality. So that's why
I'm going to be using the blower door
today, or that's one of many reasons.
The blower door is one of the most
important tools in my arsenal as a house
whisperer. So, it measures how much the
house leaks and can also help me figure
out where it's leaking from so that I
can seal it up. And when I get this
house nice and tight, it's going to be
really easy to heat and cool it. The
guys are going to be here any minute to
get started. So, I'm going to go get
cracking and do the last couple of
things I need to do before we start
pulling the trigger.
>> [music]
>> Spray foam is pretty cool to watch in
infrared because it's an exothermic
reaction. So, it gives off a lot of heat
and it gets to about 200 250° when it
peaks [music] and then it starts cooling
off again.
>> How nice is the sun? [music]
Let's go. Let's just get away. Don't
keep me waiting.
[music] No doubt we'll be working great.
We haven't met
your eyes, they be showing fame, so
don't keep me waiting.
>> I love this step because now we can
actually start getting into finishing
operations and we can make it look
steampunk. If you find all this
interesting, you might want to check out
the free chapters of the home comfort
book, which is my book, talks about the
physics behind what we're doing here, or
possibly the air sealing course, which
goes into tremendous detail of how to do
what I'm showing here. You can check
those out at natethe housewisperer.com.
Hope you enjoyed this. I've been looking
forward to this day for a long time. So,
if you did, like, subscribe, please
comment. I'd love to hear what your
questions are so that we can cover
things in upcoming videos.
[music]
>> [music]