Podcast 581: Van-to-RV Conversions, Window Shutters, and Highway Noise
Railing rules, washing machine vibration, control layers in vans, insulating RVs, bad shutters, quieting highway noise.
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Ethan has thoughts on climbable railing and code. Ben and James question our conversation about washing machines. Neil needs to make comfy RVs. Ben notices bad shutters. Sam’s apartment is too noisy. David shows us how heat pumps work.
Editor Updates:
- Mike’s dormer rebuild project
- Kiley’s landscaping
- Jeff’s deck railing update
- Patrick’s ceiling fan/drywall upgrade, Barbie’s Dream House
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Listener Feedback 1:
Ethan in Indiana, PA, writes: Hi podcast guys,
First off, I really enjoy the show. The last few years I’ve really dived into building science as a 23-year-old business owner. As a customer/friend tells me “You don’t know just how to do, but you know why you do it,” and this is the place to find out why! Also, as a western Pennsylvanian, I always enjoy the references to things in Pittsburgh houses.
But the reason for the email: horizontal balusters railings (cable rail) from episode 571. As a GC that specializes in metal railing fabrication, I’ve had many conversations about horizontal balusters. It seems the code was changed due to a study that concluded that under a certain age (I think 3) a child can’t climb over any railing, including ones with a ladder-like infill. Then after age 3, a child can climb anything, even a sheet of glass. So, the climbability of the railing really doesn’t matter. Just a little insight into the reasoning of the code.
Related Links:
Listener Feedback 2:
Ben writes: Hey Patrick, I’m sure other people would have commented on this, but the 56 x 59 base that the Miele washing machine is recommending would be in metric… 56cm x 59cm, so it wouldn’t be a huge area outside the machine footprint.
Listener Feedback 3:
James in Seattle, WA, writes: Hey podcast crew,
I happen to have the particular Miele washer that you discussed on podcast 573, and I think those install instructions sound like overkill. Admittedly, ours sits on the slab in the basement, but it hardly vibrates at all. I had a Tupperware container full of loose screws sitting on top of the washing machine for a few months, and it never even rattled when we were doing laundry. When it’s spinning at full speed, the loudest part is the whirring of the drum and motor!
Question 1: How can I insulate an RV?
Neil writes: Hi FHB Team,
Longtime listener, first-time caller. I’ve recently started working for a company converting camper vans. I’ve been a residential carpenter for 10 years and have a pretty good understanding how wood-framed home-building science works (at least in my climate zone). One of my first projects is designing and choosing our insulation/vapor-barrier system. I realized I have no idea how a 16g metal box is going to function in a wide variety of climates without being continuously climate controlled on the interior. The owner of the company is sold on using Havelock Wool insulation. My main concern is whether or not to install a vapor barrier, and whether or not I need to somehow install a drainage plane between the insulation and the van shell in case of condensation on the back of the metal. Any thoughts on the subject would be greatly appreciated by me and the heavily-misinformed DIY van-building community.
Thanks, Neil
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Question 2: When are shutters appropriate?
Ben writes: Hello FHB Podcast Crew,
Recently I have become more and more aware of our poor use of shutters as home ornamentation. I imagine today’s faux shutters were originally designed to look like the real shutters used in medieval Europe. Before window glazing, they would block out the hot midday sun but still allow for some needed ventilation.
Lately I am noticing more and more homes with “shutters” that are too small for the windows or doors they are adjacent to. Even if everyone knows these shutters only serve as ornamentation, shouldn’t they at least look like they could adequately cover a window if functional?
In my area, some homeowners are allowing the installation of faux shutters in ridiculous applications, such as this garage door below.
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To your knowledge, are there any appropriate applications or a style of home that make the most sense for this type of faux shutter? Are there other areas of the home’s exterior that need a clear rule of thumb (i.e., fabric awnings, plastic lattices, front-yard decks, pink flamingos, etc.)?
I always enjoy your podcast. Keep up the great work! Ben
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Question 3: How can I soundproof my second-floor apartment?
Sam writes: Hi there FHB podcast,
My name is Sam. I’m an apprentice carpenter in Nova Scotia, Canada, but I spend my winters at a university in Ottawa. I’m just starting to listen in, and I’m keen to learn from you all.
I rent a home in Ottawa next to a busy roadway, often passed by trucks at 80km/h. The house is very poorly insulated from sound. I tend to think there is no insulation anywhere in the house—I can generally understand conversation beneath my second-floor room. Most of the windows are single paned, and heat transfer from the outdoors is free-flowing.
My question for you here is…in my rented room, are there ways—alongside replacing the window—to insulate my room from the noises coming both from the outdoors and from beneath the room. I also wonder what sort of complications I will encounter removing/replacing the window—the exterior of this house is a made of stucco and small rocks, which slowly fall off.
Thank you for reading, and I would appreciate letting me know what episode I should look to watch for potential feedback on this.
Sam
Related Links:
- Soundproofing a Floor With a Wood Ceiling Below
- Building Soundproof Walls
- Soundproofing: A Successful Hybrid Approach
END NOTE:
David writes: Love the podcast! I think you guys will chuckle at this:
Link: xkcd.com/2790/
END NOTE:
Podcast 581: Members-only Aftershow — Landscaping
Mike, Kiley, and Patrick talk about garden beds, hardscaping, and how attractive outdoor spaces can improve indoor environments.
Check out one of our latest Project Guides: Energy Retrofit!
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