Ceiling Vapour Barrier and other things

For the past couple of days I have been preparing to start installing the vapour barrier on the ceiling.  This 6mil poly sheeting is the same stuff we laid down under our basement slab, and the goal is to prevent any uncontrolled airflow in or out of the living area of the house.  Mostly my work has consisted of adding additional 2×4’s around the perimeter of the walls, to ensure that we have something to fasten the drywall to, and they also create a nice area to seal the edge of the vapour barrier with acoustical sealant (you use this stuff because it remains pliable forever and creates an airtight seal).

2x4 "nailer" for fastening drywall
2×4 “nailer” for fastening drywall

I also wired up an exterior plug (in a weather resistant housing), and we now power the RV from the off-grid system in the house, and recharge the batteries using the generator.  This is actually more economical than running the RV off the generator directly, as the generator produces more power than the RV consumes when it’s running – power that just goes to waste.  It’s really nice now because we only have to run the generator for a few hours every day and then can leave it off through the evening/night.  This is also giving us a good opportunity to charge/discharge the batteries repeatedly, which is an important part of commissioning the battery bank.

GFCI outlet powering the RV
GFCI outlet powering the RV

This morning I started putting up the actual vapour barrier on the ceiling, and managed to finish the main bathroom/laundry room, master bathroom, master bedroom, and part of the kitchen/dining/living room.  I’m confident I will get that wrapped up tomorrow, then I will work on taping up all the seams/over all the staples, and applying the acoustical sealant around the perimeter to create an airtight seal.

Starting the ceiling vapour barrier
Starting the ceiling vapour barrier

The insulation contractors are scheduled to be on-site to spray foam the main floor walls and the sills/rim joists next Monday, and I’ll be sure to get some pictures of that while it’s going on.  My biggest obstacle to overcome before then, is to find some way to heat up the house enough for them to do their work – ideally the house will be above zero degrees (celsius), and that’s going to be tough with the cold snap we are experiencing right now.  Perhaps we will get lucky and it will warm up by next week  🙂

As always, thanks for reading, all the best in 2015!

3 thoughts on “Ceiling Vapour Barrier and other things

  1. Praying for warmer weather so the insulation can happen. You are progressing so well despite the winter weather! So impressed!!

  2. That is great you’ve got power from your off-grid system to the RV, very cool! Also congrats on passing the inspection, that must feel good. I remember those cold Ottawa Valley nights, scraping at the inch of ice on the inside of the window in my bedroom. Good that you’re getting the insulation done, another major milestone. Congrats!

    1. Thanks Bernie, it sure is darn cold up here! How could I forget – out of all the places I’ve lived, including Moose Factory, Ottawa was the only place I’ve ever gotten frostbite!

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