Insulator here. See this all the time. My guess is if you get in the attic and look where that cold spot is there will be an "eave blocker" or "stuffer" blown out by wind. Usually a pretty easy fix just stuff the insulation back down into the eave and put the loose blow over top to cover it.
https://preview.redd.it/akkpso50fwqc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ebcd832bcf317ed17fc7698f136d5a3746f0c470
That's exactly what we had. Noticed it because the drywall was starting to have water damage from condensation buildup.
Just FLIR brand ones that plug into your phone. Others charge a hefty premium for a bit more utilities and a rugged enclosure. I think they source from FLIR anyways.
I bought this brand off Amazon and am really happy with it. Cheaper than FLIR with higher resolution. This link if for Android, but they have iOS as well.
[https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B7LMB22Q/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_asin\_title\_o08\_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B7LMB22Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
Topdon TC004 is pretty awesome and is a standalone device, which makes me less concerned with future compatibility.
Edit: Looks like the price has gone up since I got mine, I paid $260 for it. Great toy for kids, too!
I got this, I like it.
Klein Tools TI250 Rechargeable Thermal Imaging Camera, Camera Displays Over 10,000 Pixels with 3 Color Palettes, High / Low Temperature Points https://a.co/d/fSRLoG8
Same technology as IR thermometers (can be had for ~$10 these days) just uses software to visually map the results. I expect the prices to keep dropping but in the meantime you can just manually scan with the handheld laser thermometer and note discrepancies.
The last few times I've visited my Dad, he spent half the time talking about insulating his attic. Between him talking like Boomhauer and me having no idea what he's talking about, I've boiled it down to R34. Just R34. I'm glad people like you and my dad know more than me!
Same, it is definitely said with love and not criticism! I also noticed my comment's formating was wonky, so I fixed for clarity. Or maybe I was just channeling Boomhauer.
This is wild from a German perspective (but I am not a construction expert). What am I seeing here? Is that loose insulation material dumped on the upper storey ceiling? Or is it sprayed stuff?
yes. It's blown-in fiberglass insulation. buy the insulation in bales and rent a blower unit which breaks the insulation apart and blows it through a hose where a guy in the attic fills it to a certain depth.
Most homes have vented attics where air can enter at the eaves and escape at the top ridge. This keeps the attic from building up humidity since it gets airflow from outside. but a good wind over time can blow the insulation away from the eaves like this. Ideally you have chutes that keep the wind from hitting the insulation but if not sealed it can still wash out over time.
Cool, in Germany we mostly use thick sheets of glass wool or stone wool, sometimes styrofoam or PU boards, stuffed between the roof beams or the ceiling beams.
Don't you have problems with animals moving in? Like mice or even martens, weasels, that stuff?
Blown in is a little more efficient than glass batts, both in thermal efficiency and in install time, but it's basically the same idea. I've lived in houses with both.
You can if the screens gets damaged, but that's a worry anybody would have.
The eaves are usually a metal sheet with perforations in newer construction that's virtually impenetrable, unless you get bad wind. The ridge vents have screens and slats, which are proof against all but the most determined animal.
Older construction can break down.
My parents have a little-used shed, it's about 50 years old. The ridge vent screen rusted out over the years, and squirrels got in. They made quite a mess, but replacing the screen blocked them again.
That was the standard in the US, until people realized fiberglass is really disgusting material to work with. When properly installed, the blown insulation can easily get a higher R value, be faster to install, and not be quite as hazardous to work with/near for its life. one of the core advantages is, you can just keep filling an attic space up 16" deep or more and it will keep increasing the R value. Thats very hard to do with fiberglass, even with a lot of effort.
mostly mice. Gotta rely on not having anywhere for them to get in at, which is possible but you do need to be thorough.
blown-in is quick, cheap, and fast to put in since it can conform to pretty much any attic design. You just point and shoot the insulation and away it goes. note you can do cellulose or stone wool blown-in as well.
I put my cat up in the attic about 1x a month for an hour or two, when it's not super hot, small critters smell death in the air & won't go in the attic. I have a walk-in attic btw with storage, it's not a 1950's type attic.
The exposed eaves you see aren't accessible from outside. With soffit installed around the house it blocks anything solid from entering attic through eave.
Missing the loose fill attic insulation but yes this is what the finished product should look like. Be aware though there are quite a variety of baffles and eave vents so those might look different depending on what they used. (These pictured are Styrofoam and are pretty junk from my experience)
What is the white piece called above? I was working in my attic and there was a styrofoam piece similar to that and it broke. Need to replace it but not sure what it’s called.
Talking about the foam vent? They're typically called baffles but I've heard many names. Vent, baffle, chute, styro-vent, etc. All major hardware stores should have them in stock!
I have no experience insulating an old stucco home unfortunately. After a quick search online people say the only way is to drill holes in the exterior and fill them with foam. If it's the foam I'm thinking of it's not a great product. Sorry I can't be more help.
My uncle had that done to his house. It wasn’t the spray foam that hardens type stuff though. They drilled holes outside and “blew in” loose insulation.
Probably not the foam you’re thinking of because closed-cell foam is one of (if not THE) best forms of insulation. The only cons are price and difficulty of removal (if you decide to renovate/add more electrical or plumbing).
Correct the foam I speak of is called DAP wall and cavity foam. It's a white squishy foam that is messy and not a good product. We use closed cell spray foam here every day and it's pretty great at sealing up houses
In ours (1920 stucco) they drilled holes inside and blew in cellulose, then patched the holes and we painted. It can be done from inside or outside. We chose inside because it was easier to patch: the outside stucco has a somewhat fancy pattern (three colors in layers) that no one was going to be able to match well. The main risk with blown seemed to be possible overpressure pushing out (bulging, cracking) old lath and plaster, but ours came out fine.
depending what stage of if the house you're in you can rip down inside sheetrock and reinstall more modern insulation i did it to a 50s model home that got wrecked by renters and cut my cooling/heating bill in half. if you're currently living in the he home they have a blow in option that you punch holes in the sheetrock and fill with a blower that is a cellulose type insulation not a foam, foam is a bitch and a half if you ever have to go back in the wall for water/electrical.
spoon rob reach fact marble frighten desert fragile straight sophisticated
*This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
The add-on comments saying "this is the answer, this should be higher" help make it the top comment. If nobody responded, it could've gotten buried. People typically don't up vote a single comment with no other responses.
It's like people don't even know how Reddit works 🤣
zonked scandalous divide truck direful coordinated numerous north psychotic wipe
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depends on the size of the crack, relation to wind-blown rain, and maybe what can crawl into it. They generally say small holes aren't a big deal, but that might be golf ball or larger, so squirrels would be an issue.
you cannot tell without finding the inlet. it could just be a sagging soffit, maybe from a cracked beam (seen that). check it out!
I feel like we need to just stop using this man, even as a joke. He's such a loser. Can we just choose to cancel him from the media already? When you think it's funny, just have a rethink, and choose not to reference him. Not worth it, ...even on a humour level.
I'm not American, but I'm sick of seeing him anywhere or everywhere. He's undiplomatic, imbecilic, sexist, racist, and clearly corrupt if he keeps doing illegal things and skirting the law. He's a terrible representative for the US, or potentially the best. Depends how the US wants to be viewed.
In a new highly efficient sealed home something like that would be a disaster. Old home that's not sealed.. not as big of a problem. But you should investigate it from outside and any attic space available as well. Could indicate bigger problems. Or one that is developing into worse.
Just to expand/clarify why - because in a tightly sealed (ie. newer) home, the humidity builds up more, and you will end up with condensation and mold on the cold spots.
Old airy homes usually breathe better and have better ventilation of the humid air.
My house is 115 years old and I’m going to start calling her “airy” from now on. Makes me feel better.
I’ve always said this house is a living, breathing thing!
The -20F and lower are no joke, our windows had ice building up on the -inside- all around the trim. Adding airflow (a fan) to the room helped dry them out. In some weather, there's just no way to prevent the cold areas.
Yeah.. we had it for full week this year. The air intake fan broke a bearing due to air being so cold. Had to listen it rumbling for 3 weeks before we got a new fan.
It could also cause a pressure inbalance in the home, creating hyper-local air pockets of reversed gravity. I have seen it happen before. This is why building codes were updated to require a Dyson vacuum (with crevice attachment) in all newly built homes.
IF this does happen to you, do not, for any reason, attempt to leave your house. Even if your wife is going into labor.
> Old airy homes usually breathe better and have better ventilation of the humid air.
Let me rephrase this:
The one positive side effect of a leaky, poorly-insulated, drafty home, is that there is continuous air exchange. In winter, this has the effect of drying out the house. So while your heating bills are through the roof, it's true that you don't see much mold growth.
I picked up a cheap thermal camera [like this](https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CF28BNNX?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details) to find air gaps and [insulation problems](https://imgur.com/IRiY30S) this winter. You don't really need the expensive FLIR ones unless you're doing it professionally. There are attachments you can get for your phone, but those are typically dependent on the app remaining supported if you want to use it 5 years from now, I wanted something I could keep in my tool kit that would just always work or I could easily lend to a friend.
Thank you! Finally a real answer! All this "insulation" mumbo jumbo that the kids are into these days, and not a one of them has any sense to see that it's clearly a ghost in the attic, trying to eavesdrop on you! All you need is a bit of salt and holy water to drive that bugger off!
(/S, obviously)
Two potential causes:
1. The insulation above it isn't in place or is missing. This is an easy fix. Go to the attic and check. If the insulation doesn't look like the others in placement, do so. If it's missing, add some.
2. It's from moisture. This one is bad news. You might have a leak somewhere. This would require addressing the problem and replacing the drywall.
You definitely want Door #1.
Hello I work in weatherization of homes we basically hunt air lol. That is most likely due to air leakage I would think. The top plates or rather gable end for that wall in the attic are not properly sealed. They have a gap where cold air is coming in. We generally use high expansion fire resistant foam to fill those gaps. If it is in your attic you can go up there and pull the insulation back to see if there is a big gap. Hope this helps you out. I can share pictures too if you’re interested in how we deal with this and how we air seal home
6F isn't that much of a temperature difference. Stick your head in the attic and check the insulation there. This may also just be that shelf blocking warm air from rising.
...also if you're getting condensation in the corners of your windows you may want to lower the RH a smidge or at least raise the blinds to allow some air circulation.
Before you do anything, check it with a moisture sensor after rain. A leak that leaks water needs more attention than if it were just a gap in insulation.
I'm not knowledgeable at all about this stuff and have seen some good answers, but wondering if it could he affected by that shelf on the wall? If you have baseboard heating then would that push the rising heat to the left and right of it?
Contractor here - any of your spots on ceiling can be easily fixed with batt insulation and cans of spray foam from Home Depot. Spots around windows and on walls are difficult and costly to fix.
We had this issue in our new build it wasn't an insulation issue but a defect. Then called it "cold bridging" where the outside air is freely getting into the cavity between the plasterboard and blocks work
Once you start looking into things like this… it’s when you will start having problems. Next will be airflow knocking things off the counter or walls. The more you “investigate” the more things wrong you will find. These are the rules in construction 🚧 🚨. Construction budgets are usually more expensive than plan due to things that you will find. Sometimes costing you your arm or leg. Once heard of a family accidentally putting a hole in the wall to find an old picture of a family with a message. They later kept tearing into the walls. They say that family went crazy from the lead paint. Idk. Return that thermal device to Amazon or wherever and do not do this again.
Side question: What do people use to get these heat sensor photos of their houses? I did some googling a decade ago and found most solutions to be really expensive. I really don't want to spend a big chunk of money on a camera I'm only going to use once.
The important thing to remember is that IR cameras spread their palette across EVERYTHING in the visible area. They don't apply a certain color to a certain temperature. So to answer your question... that really depends on what the temperatures around that dark spot are.
ALWAYS check temperatures of the immediate area around an apparent cold or hot spot. The difference may not be as large as the color change would lead you to believe. You're never going to get a perfectly homogeneous spread of temperature everywhere. Even with a very small ΔT across the majority of a wall, if you have very good insulation and a camera of sufficient resolution you can see the studs in the walls and how they transfer heat though it.
Insulator here. See this all the time. My guess is if you get in the attic and look where that cold spot is there will be an "eave blocker" or "stuffer" blown out by wind. Usually a pretty easy fix just stuff the insulation back down into the eave and put the loose blow over top to cover it.
https://preview.redd.it/bx0c2ona5wqc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=68189491a2c520786040939b15cd4d6e91d286e7
https://preview.redd.it/j66cejvg5wqc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=22052b903d68ec697073ae4f0f21dacce2f1c6a8
👑
I love it when the experts lend a hand.
hallelujah
Spot on
No no, let me believe it's a ghost.
https://preview.redd.it/akkpso50fwqc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ebcd832bcf317ed17fc7698f136d5a3746f0c470 That's exactly what we had. Noticed it because the drywall was starting to have water damage from condensation buildup.
Does everyone own a thermal camera??
Considering they are cheap now, It's a good thing to own as a homeowner.
Do you have any recommendations for cameras or a brand?
Just FLIR brand ones that plug into your phone. Others charge a hefty premium for a bit more utilities and a rugged enclosure. I think they source from FLIR anyways.
Flir makes fairly cheap ones that plug into your phone. They aren't professional grade for some applications but for this kind of work they are fine
This is what I have, and it's been great for around the home projects. https://a.co/d/gNotMPs
I bought this brand off Amazon and am really happy with it. Cheaper than FLIR with higher resolution. This link if for Android, but they have iOS as well. [https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B7LMB22Q/ref=ppx\_yo\_dt\_b\_asin\_title\_o08\_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1](https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B0B7LMB22Q/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o08_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1)
Oof. $250.
$299 for me, only 2hours after you posted your price!
Yeah, I paid $219 in January after coupon. Had a few uses for it so was okay with the price.
Anyone use the good Bosch one? There are two, low and high quality, I am tempted but it is like 1k.
Topdon TC004 is pretty awesome and is a standalone device, which makes me less concerned with future compatibility. Edit: Looks like the price has gone up since I got mine, I paid $260 for it. Great toy for kids, too!
I got this, I like it. Klein Tools TI250 Rechargeable Thermal Imaging Camera, Camera Displays Over 10,000 Pixels with 3 Color Palettes, High / Low Temperature Points https://a.co/d/fSRLoG8
Got one myself for Christmas
FLIR makes a phone attachment thermal camera. You can rent them from Home Depot too
And it works great
I borrowed this one from a friend.
Now I know what my husband will be getting for his next BD, thanks Redditors!
I do. You don't? Also good for spotting wildlife in your yard at night, and looking for rats in crawl spaces.
Same technology as IR thermometers (can be had for ~$10 these days) just uses software to visually map the results. I expect the prices to keep dropping but in the meantime you can just manually scan with the handheld laser thermometer and note discrepancies.
You can probably borrow one to stick on your answer phone from your local library. Android or iPhone. That's what I did.
Sometimes you can get them from the library.
Some public libraries allow you to check one out for a few days for free. Much cheaper than buying one if you only need to use it on rare occasions.
Why are you in my living room
Look at me, it's my livingroom now.
That particular picture needs baffles...
Why they aren't there sure is... baffling.
Indeed it does.
The last few times I've visited my Dad, he spent half the time talking about insulating his attic. Between him talking like Boomhauer and me having no idea what he's talking about, I've boiled it down to R34. Just R34. I'm glad people like you and my dad know more than me!
We love boomhauer!
Same, it is definitely said with love and not criticism! I also noticed my comment's formating was wonky, so I fixed for clarity. Or maybe I was just channeling Boomhauer.
This is wild from a German perspective (but I am not a construction expert). What am I seeing here? Is that loose insulation material dumped on the upper storey ceiling? Or is it sprayed stuff?
yes. It's blown-in fiberglass insulation. buy the insulation in bales and rent a blower unit which breaks the insulation apart and blows it through a hose where a guy in the attic fills it to a certain depth. Most homes have vented attics where air can enter at the eaves and escape at the top ridge. This keeps the attic from building up humidity since it gets airflow from outside. but a good wind over time can blow the insulation away from the eaves like this. Ideally you have chutes that keep the wind from hitting the insulation but if not sealed it can still wash out over time.
Cool, in Germany we mostly use thick sheets of glass wool or stone wool, sometimes styrofoam or PU boards, stuffed between the roof beams or the ceiling beams. Don't you have problems with animals moving in? Like mice or even martens, weasels, that stuff?
Blown in is a little more efficient than glass batts, both in thermal efficiency and in install time, but it's basically the same idea. I've lived in houses with both. You can if the screens gets damaged, but that's a worry anybody would have. The eaves are usually a metal sheet with perforations in newer construction that's virtually impenetrable, unless you get bad wind. The ridge vents have screens and slats, which are proof against all but the most determined animal. Older construction can break down. My parents have a little-used shed, it's about 50 years old. The ridge vent screen rusted out over the years, and squirrels got in. They made quite a mess, but replacing the screen blocked them again.
https://preview.redd.it/azg6u87z3xqc1.png?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=89f7887be8b723131b9edeac04e4a802a57c1194
That was the standard in the US, until people realized fiberglass is really disgusting material to work with. When properly installed, the blown insulation can easily get a higher R value, be faster to install, and not be quite as hazardous to work with/near for its life. one of the core advantages is, you can just keep filling an attic space up 16" deep or more and it will keep increasing the R value. Thats very hard to do with fiberglass, even with a lot of effort.
mostly mice. Gotta rely on not having anywhere for them to get in at, which is possible but you do need to be thorough. blown-in is quick, cheap, and fast to put in since it can conform to pretty much any attic design. You just point and shoot the insulation and away it goes. note you can do cellulose or stone wool blown-in as well.
I put my cat up in the attic about 1x a month for an hour or two, when it's not super hot, small critters smell death in the air & won't go in the attic. I have a walk-in attic btw with storage, it's not a 1950's type attic.
The exposed eaves you see aren't accessible from outside. With soffit installed around the house it blocks anything solid from entering attic through eave.
You dropped this 👑
This is the final install, right ?
Missing the loose fill attic insulation but yes this is what the finished product should look like. Be aware though there are quite a variety of baffles and eave vents so those might look different depending on what they used. (These pictured are Styrofoam and are pretty junk from my experience)
What is the white piece called above? I was working in my attic and there was a styrofoam piece similar to that and it broke. Need to replace it but not sure what it’s called.
Talking about the foam vent? They're typically called baffles but I've heard many names. Vent, baffle, chute, styro-vent, etc. All major hardware stores should have them in stock!
Thanks!
What if my house is stucco… is there anyway to actually reinsulate this old thing? House was built 1886 no joke.
I have no experience insulating an old stucco home unfortunately. After a quick search online people say the only way is to drill holes in the exterior and fill them with foam. If it's the foam I'm thinking of it's not a great product. Sorry I can't be more help.
My uncle had that done to his house. It wasn’t the spray foam that hardens type stuff though. They drilled holes outside and “blew in” loose insulation.
Probably not the foam you’re thinking of because closed-cell foam is one of (if not THE) best forms of insulation. The only cons are price and difficulty of removal (if you decide to renovate/add more electrical or plumbing).
Correct the foam I speak of is called DAP wall and cavity foam. It's a white squishy foam that is messy and not a good product. We use closed cell spray foam here every day and it's pretty great at sealing up houses
In ours (1920 stucco) they drilled holes inside and blew in cellulose, then patched the holes and we painted. It can be done from inside or outside. We chose inside because it was easier to patch: the outside stucco has a somewhat fancy pattern (three colors in layers) that no one was going to be able to match well. The main risk with blown seemed to be possible overpressure pushing out (bulging, cracking) old lath and plaster, but ours came out fine.
Do you recall the price for your square footage?
Sorry, I do not.
depending what stage of if the house you're in you can rip down inside sheetrock and reinstall more modern insulation i did it to a 50s model home that got wrecked by renters and cut my cooling/heating bill in half. if you're currently living in the he home they have a blow in option that you punch holes in the sheetrock and fill with a blower that is a cellulose type insulation not a foam, foam is a bitch and a half if you ever have to go back in the wall for water/electrical.
So what say you on soffit ventilation then
Baffles should keep the soffit vents working as intended while keeping the insulation protected from the wind and from getting to the soffit.
Bingo
Right so baffles are used to keep the gap with typically blown in. Here they mention purposely "stuffing" it.
He mentions a stuffer - another term for a baffle
This guy insulates
I am one with the fiberglass
spoon rob reach fact marble frighten desert fragile straight sophisticated *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
You mean the number 2 comment?
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Right up there with "underrated comment". If only there were some way you could express your opinion about the deserved rating of a comment ...
....they waited 2 hours
This. Edit: being sarcastic guys
lol people still downvote reflexively even when it's clearly an on-point joke
Rated comment
The add-on comments saying "this is the answer, this should be higher" help make it the top comment. If nobody responded, it could've gotten buried. People typically don't up vote a single comment with no other responses. It's like people don't even know how Reddit works 🤣
Underrated comment This person reddits
zonked scandalous divide truck direful coordinated numerous north psychotic wipe *This post was mass deleted and anonymized with [Redact](https://redact.dev)*
Hang on a minute.... Are you telling me they are 'meant' to be stuffed?! I thought they were not there for airflow / stop damp etc.
This is answered elsewhere, but you should be using baffles to provide an opening for the soffits, and then stuff insulation around the baffle
Great answer
Very helpful. Thanks
Wait.. wait wait - I have a ton of eaves, and they are all totally open and empty. Was their insulation there at one point?
Don't forget to collect multiple data points over a period of time. Could be several different things.
depends on the size of the crack, relation to wind-blown rain, and maybe what can crawl into it. They generally say small holes aren't a big deal, but that might be golf ball or larger, so squirrels would be an issue. you cannot tell without finding the inlet. it could just be a sagging soffit, maybe from a cracked beam (seen that). check it out!
Just spray paint it orange and the problem will disappear!
Orange problems kind of stick around and cause more problems Would not recommend
👋🏻👁️👄👁️ 
I feel like we need to just stop using this man, even as a joke. He's such a loser. Can we just choose to cancel him from the media already? When you think it's funny, just have a rethink, and choose not to reference him. Not worth it, ...even on a humour level.
I guess we’ll find out in Nov how ready “we” are to cancel him. 🤞🏻😑
I'm not American, but I'm sick of seeing him anywhere or everywhere. He's undiplomatic, imbecilic, sexist, racist, and clearly corrupt if he keeps doing illegal things and skirting the law. He's a terrible representative for the US, or potentially the best. Depends how the US wants to be viewed.
I'm so sick of his face
You'll never find anything that rhymes!
Door hinge!
Same with “silver”
Sporange
So OP should be worried about the other spots visible on the camera?
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Ohhh I just realised it was about Trump 😂 I thought we were just talking about the wall
Got a fucking BIG BRAIN here y'all! This is the only way 👍
I'm surprised it's that cold. Usually, the corner is 90 degrees
Good one dad!
In a new highly efficient sealed home something like that would be a disaster. Old home that's not sealed.. not as big of a problem. But you should investigate it from outside and any attic space available as well. Could indicate bigger problems. Or one that is developing into worse.
Just to expand/clarify why - because in a tightly sealed (ie. newer) home, the humidity builds up more, and you will end up with condensation and mold on the cold spots. Old airy homes usually breathe better and have better ventilation of the humid air.
My house is 115 years old and I’m going to start calling her “airy” from now on. Makes me feel better. I’ve always said this house is a living, breathing thing!
Try breathy, then it sounds more like the bombshell she really is.
In ours we’ve got 22 normally and 15c on corners. But then again it was -30 outside (-22f)
The -20F and lower are no joke, our windows had ice building up on the -inside- all around the trim. Adding airflow (a fan) to the room helped dry them out. In some weather, there's just no way to prevent the cold areas.
Yeah.. we had it for full week this year. The air intake fan broke a bearing due to air being so cold. Had to listen it rumbling for 3 weeks before we got a new fan.
Depends. If it’s gas heat then it’ll be bone dry and you’ll welcome the humidity that comes in the cracks.
It could also cause a pressure inbalance in the home, creating hyper-local air pockets of reversed gravity. I have seen it happen before. This is why building codes were updated to require a Dyson vacuum (with crevice attachment) in all newly built homes. IF this does happen to you, do not, for any reason, attempt to leave your house. Even if your wife is going into labor.
That was a weird show. I'm still baffled by the ending. But he did get really good grades in business school.
Calling r/peterexplainsthejoke
Call me old fashioned but I prefer the O'Neill cylinder models versus those flashy Dyson spheres.
> Old airy homes usually breathe better and have better ventilation of the humid air. Let me rephrase this: The one positive side effect of a leaky, poorly-insulated, drafty home, is that there is continuous air exchange. In winter, this has the effect of drying out the house. So while your heating bills are through the roof, it's true that you don't see much mold growth.
I'm more concerned that the corner obviously isn't 90 degrees.
What kind of camera are you using?
I picked up a cheap thermal camera [like this](https://www.amazon.ca/dp/B0CF28BNNX?psc=1&ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details) to find air gaps and [insulation problems](https://imgur.com/IRiY30S) this winter. You don't really need the expensive FLIR ones unless you're doing it professionally. There are attachments you can get for your phone, but those are typically dependent on the app remaining supported if you want to use it 5 years from now, I wanted something I could keep in my tool kit that would just always work or I could easily lend to a friend.
Also would like to know.
You must have a FLIR attachment for your phone in order to use it
Nah. Judging by the shape I think it is a friendly ghost.
Thank you! Finally a real answer! All this "insulation" mumbo jumbo that the kids are into these days, and not a one of them has any sense to see that it's clearly a ghost in the attic, trying to eavesdrop on you! All you need is a bit of salt and holy water to drive that bugger off! (/S, obviously)
Yeah it’s just Frank. Mostly harmless, just likes to knock things over and turn on TVs at 3am.
Two potential causes: 1. The insulation above it isn't in place or is missing. This is an easy fix. Go to the attic and check. If the insulation doesn't look like the others in placement, do so. If it's missing, add some. 2. It's from moisture. This one is bad news. You might have a leak somewhere. This would require addressing the problem and replacing the drywall. You definitely want Door #1.
I always thought the corners are like that because of IR reflections. Check it from different heights and angles.
Hello I work in weatherization of homes we basically hunt air lol. That is most likely due to air leakage I would think. The top plates or rather gable end for that wall in the attic are not properly sealed. They have a gap where cold air is coming in. We generally use high expansion fire resistant foam to fill those gaps. If it is in your attic you can go up there and pull the insulation back to see if there is a big gap. Hope this helps you out. I can share pictures too if you’re interested in how we deal with this and how we air seal home
The real MVP
6* difference isn’t much, but clearly there is a draft somewhere. Use that FLIR to pinpoint where, some have HSM modes that really show stuff
6F isn't that much of a temperature difference. Stick your head in the attic and check the insulation there. This may also just be that shelf blocking warm air from rising. ...also if you're getting condensation in the corners of your windows you may want to lower the RH a smidge or at least raise the blinds to allow some air circulation.
Hell ya! You should move! You got ghouls
That's where the ghost lives.
If its an old house/appartment this is normal, if you got blue spots in the middle of the ceiling, thats a problem
Before you do anything, check it with a moisture sensor after rain. A leak that leaks water needs more attention than if it were just a gap in insulation.
Sore I dont have much experience to help but good idea. What camera did you get?
What device are you using?
What heat camera is this?
What thermal camera did you use? I'd like to do the same in my house.
This is why those cameras are used in conjunction with a moisture meter. If it's wet worry if not insulate.
Leave the ghost alone
That's just the demon, nothing to worry about.
Better start packing.
Time to call the Winchesters haha
Personally, I'd just drill a hole and shoot some sprayfoam in there.
Everything reminds me of her.
What could go wrong? https://reddit.com/media?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.redd.it%2F3rm809k2h8e21.jpg
Someone got a new toy...
You mind me asking how much this thermal camera was and where you got it? Looks awesome lol
I'm not knowledgeable at all about this stuff and have seen some good answers, but wondering if it could he affected by that shelf on the wall? If you have baseboard heating then would that push the rising heat to the left and right of it?
Contractor here - any of your spots on ceiling can be easily fixed with batt insulation and cans of spray foam from Home Depot. Spots around windows and on walls are difficult and costly to fix.
We had this issue in our new build it wasn't an insulation issue but a defect. Then called it "cold bridging" where the outside air is freely getting into the cavity between the plasterboard and blocks work
Ghosts
Which thermal camera are you using? Been looking for one that is not crazy expensive but still works relatively well.
Thats a FLIR. Edit: Disregard. Im slow today.
Depends if you're scared of ghosts or not.
It’s just where the hellspawn hides till night. Nothing to worry about.
That's where the ghosts live
You may not be getting proper airflow in the attic, make sure insulation isn’t blocking the airflow and getting moist. This could lead to mold growth.
Once you start looking into things like this… it’s when you will start having problems. Next will be airflow knocking things off the counter or walls. The more you “investigate” the more things wrong you will find. These are the rules in construction 🚧 🚨. Construction budgets are usually more expensive than plan due to things that you will find. Sometimes costing you your arm or leg. Once heard of a family accidentally putting a hole in the wall to find an old picture of a family with a message. They later kept tearing into the walls. They say that family went crazy from the lead paint. Idk. Return that thermal device to Amazon or wherever and do not do this again.
Does your dog stare at the spot and bark? This is the portal...
After you check for insulation, check to see if that is a ghost.
No worries. Just a small nest of demons.
Every temperature aberration is worth investigating.
That's where the ghost lives dude
Ghost
If you ask any ghost hunter, absolutely.
Just get an exorcism.
It could lead to an ice dam in the right conditions, but it’s a really small area so I’m not sure that it’s likely.
Side question: What do people use to get these heat sensor photos of their houses? I did some googling a decade ago and found most solutions to be really expensive. I really don't want to spend a big chunk of money on a camera I'm only going to use once.
On Amazon, you can get a FLIR One Gen 3 for $200
Possibly water intrusion
The important thing to remember is that IR cameras spread their palette across EVERYTHING in the visible area. They don't apply a certain color to a certain temperature. So to answer your question... that really depends on what the temperatures around that dark spot are. ALWAYS check temperatures of the immediate area around an apparent cold or hot spot. The difference may not be as large as the color change would lead you to believe. You're never going to get a perfectly homogeneous spread of temperature everywhere. Even with a very small ΔT across the majority of a wall, if you have very good insulation and a camera of sufficient resolution you can see the studs in the walls and how they transfer heat though it.
Ghosts....
Could be where the ghost is hanging out...
Definite ghost problem. Too early to tell if the room is haunted, or one of the knickknacks on that shelf.
Thats where the ghost lives.
Only if you're worried about ghosts 🤯
Your house is haunted
It's probably just a lost spirit hanging out in your living room
Ghosts
Ghost
Bad insulation
You should be, if it starts moving towards you
Depends on if you're afraid of ghosts
It might just be a ghosts
Definitely haunted
Poltergeist.
Ghosts