Building Science: Remodeling Old Homes

Summary

Dans ce script de vidéo, un constructeur et rénoveur de Saratoga Springs, New York, partage sa passion pour la construction de maisons durables et bien conçues en utilisant des techniques et des principes de la science du bâtiment. Il aborde les défis liés à la restauration d'une maison ancienne, datant des années 30 ou 40, en expliquant les étapes de démolition, de nivellement des planchers, et de mise à niveau de la structure pour répondre aux normes modernes de confort thermique et d'isolation. L'importance de la prévention des problèmes de l'humidité, de la détérioration du bois et de la planification en amont est soulignée pour assurer la durabilité et la fiabilité de l'habitation.

Takeaways

• 🏠 Le script parle d'un projet de rénovation d'une maison ancienne à Saratoga Springs, New York.
• 🛠️ L'entrepreneur Richard Martin a 51 ans d'expérience dans le bâtiment et a inspecté plus de sept mille maisons.
• 🔍 L'inspecteur a identifié des problèmes de structure et de niveau de plancher causés par des problèmes de fondation et d'infestation.
• 👷‍♂️ La rénovation implique la remise à niveau du plancher, la vérification de la toiture pour éviter les fuites et l'évaluation de la fondation.
• 🪵 L'ancienne maison a été entièrement vidée pour examiner la charpente et les ajouts effectués au fil des ans.
• 🐛 Des dégâts causés par les termites et les fourmis charpentières ont été découverts, indiquant l'importance de la protection contre l'humidité.
• 🛑 L'isolation inversée et l'ajout de matière rigide ont créé des problèmes d'humidité en raison de la présence de doubles barrières à la vapeur.
• 🧱 La réparation de la fondation et la mise en place d'un nouveau plancher nécessitent un travail de fondation approfondi et des ajustements structuraux.
• 🏡 La maison doit être améliorée pour répondre aux normes modernes de construction, y compris la gestion de la chaleur et de la climatisation.
• 💨 Les problèmes d'air et de vapeur ont été exacerbés par la réduction de l'échange d'air dans les maisons modernes, ce qui a créé de nouveaux défis.
• 👷‍♀️ Le processus de rénovation inclut la mise en place de nouveaux éléments structuraux, l'assainissement et l'amélioration de l'isolation pour prévenir les fuites d'eau et les problèmes de biodégradation.

Q & A

Quel est le métier de Matt, le narrateur du script?

Matt est un constructeur et rénoveur de maisons à Saratoga Springs, New York, passionné par la science du bâtiment et la construction de maisons durables et bien conçues.

Pourquoi est-il important pour un charpentier de connaître les techniques appropriées dans les zones à forte présence d'anciens bâtiments?

C'est important car cela permet de préserver et d'améliorer ces bâtiments historiques tout en répondant aux exigences modernes de construction.

Quel est le problème principal que Rich Martin doit résoudre dans le projet de rénovation d'une vieille maison?

Le problème principal est la déséquilibration et le désalignement du plancher dû à des problèmes structurels et de dégradation des supports, ainsi qu'à des problèmes de fondation et d'infestation.

Quels sont les facteurs qui peuvent causer un déséquilibre ou un désalignement des planchers dans une vieille maison?

Les facteurs peuvent inclure des problèmes de fondation, des infestations d'insectes qui ont rongé les structures de soutien, ou des pressions extérieures dues à l'eau de ruissellement du toit poussant sur la fondation.

Pourquoi est-il difficile de donner un devis précis pour un projet de rénovation d'une vieille maison avant de démanteler l'intérieur de celle-ci?

C'est difficile car il faut voir l'état réel des structures internes et identifier les problèmes spécifiques à résoudre pour donner un devis précis et éviter de se retrouver dans une situation imprévue.

Quel est le rôle du 'vapor retarder' dans la construction et pourquoi est-il souvent installé de manière incorrecte?

Le 'vapor retarder' est un matériau utilisé pour empêcher la vapeur d'eau de passer à travers les murs et le plancher. Il est souvent installé de manière incorrecte car il doit être placé du côté chaud, ce qui n'est pas toujours le cas.

Quels sont les trois problèmes principaux liés à la construction moderne dues à la hausse de l'efficacité énergétique des bâtiments?

Les trois problèmes principaux sont le radon, le monoxyde de carbone et la moisissure, tous deux étant des problèmes qui peuvent survenir lorsque les bâtiments sont trop étanches.

Quel est le plan de Rich pour élever et niveler le plancher de la maison?

Le plan consiste à utiliser des jacks pour élever la structure, installer de nouveaux plates et de nouveaux supports, niveler les planchers avec des poutres additionnelles et des cales, puis à long terme, peut-être insuffler de la chaleur dans l'espace pour réduire l'humidité.

Pourquoi est-il important de s'assurer que la toiture d'une maison ne fuit pas avant de procéder à d'autres travaux de rénovation?

C'est important car une toiture qui fuit peut endommager les nouveaux matériaux de construction et rénovation, rendant inutile et coûteux le travail de rénovation effectué.

Quels sont les éléments clés à considérer pour assurer que la maison rénovée sera capable de gérer les changements climatiques et de rester confortable en hiver comme en été?

Les éléments clés incluent l'assurance d'un bon isolement thermique, la gestion de l'humidité, l'évacuation de l'eau de ruissellement, et l'installation de systèmes de chauffage et de climatisation appropriés.

Outlines

00:00

🏗️ Rénovation d'une maison ancienne à Saratoga Springs

Le script présente un passionné d'architecture et de construction qui se concentre sur la rénovation de maisons en utilisant des techniques et des connaissances en science du bâtiment. Il discute avec des professionnels sur les défis de leur travail quotidien et les solutions qu'ils apportent. Dans ce cas, il visite sa ville natale, Saratoga Springs, où il rencontre Rich Martin, un entrepreneur confronté à la tâche de niveler le sol d'une maison vieille de 70 à 80 ans. L'exposition révèle des problèmes de base tels que des dégâts causés par des insectes et une fondation affectée par l'érosion. L'entretien explore les considérations pour redresser et niveler les planchers, la nécessité de comprendre les problèmes structurels avant de proposer une solution, et l'importance de conserver les anciens matériaux de construction tels que les planchers en chêne.

05:00

🛠️ Prévention des problèmes de construction et restauration de maisons

Dans ce paragraphe, l'accent est mis sur l'importance d'une bonne planification et d'une compréhension approfondie des problèmes de construction avant de commencer des travaux de rénovation. L'inspecteur de maisons, qui a inspecté plus de sept mille maisons, partage ses connaissances sur les erreurs courantes et les bonnes pratiques. L'inspecteur et le constructeur abordent les questions de la réparation des marches, la nécessité d'un toit étanche et d'une fondation solide pour assurer la longévité d'une maison. Ils discutent également des problèmes d'humidité et de la manière dont la mauvaise installation d'un bâchage peut exacerber ces problèmes, soulignant l'importance de la prévention des problèmes liés à l'humidité et de la protection contre les insectes et les rongeurs.

10:02

🏡 Amélioration de l'efficacité énergétique et des conditions de vie

Ce paragraphe traite de la mise à niveau d'une maison ancienne pour qu'elle réponde aux normes modernes de science du bâtiment et de confort. L'équipe discute des méthodes pour élever et niveler le plancher, y compris l'utilisation de poutrelles et de jacks pour soulever la structure. Ils envisagent également d'installer un nouveau seuil avec une jointure étanche pour prévenir l'entrée d'humidité et d'insectes. L'importance d'un isolement approprié des murs extérieurs et de la gestion de l'humidité est soulignée, ainsi que la nécessité d'adapter la maison pour gérer les défis liés au climat des quatre saisons, y compris la réduction des émissions de radon, de monoxyde de carbone et de moisissure, qui sont devenues plus prévalentes à cause des maisons plus étanches.

15:10

👷‍♂️ Travaux pratiques de rénovation et restauration de la structure

Dans ce dernier paragraphe, les travaux de rénovation sont en cours, avec l'équipe qui jacke la structure pour la redresser et la niveler. Ils mettent en place de nouveaux éléments structuraux, y compris des cellules et des panneaux, et préparent le sol pour un nouveau dallage. L'objectif est de restaurer la maison à son état original, en intégrant des méthodes modernes pour assurer une meilleure performance et durabilité. L'équipe travaille également sur la planification des étapes suivantes, telles que la finitions et la mise en œuvre de mesures de weatherization pour assurer que la maison est bien protégée et confortable pour l'habitation.

Keywords

💡construction

La construction est le processus de bâtir des structures, comme des maisons ou des bâtiments. Dans la vidéo, le thème de la construction est central, car il s'agit d'une entreprise de rénovation d'une maison ancienne. L'expertise en construction est cruciale pour comprendre et résoudre les problèmes structurels, comme l'agression des termites et la détérioration due à l'humidité.

💡rénovation

La rénovation implique de moderniser ou de réparer une structure existante pour améliorer sa fonctionnalité ou son esthétique. Le script mentionne une maison qui a été complètement vidée de son intérieur pour une rénovation, mettant en évidence l'importance de cette étape pour évaluer les problèmes et planifier les réparations nécessaires.

💡planification

La planification est l'étape de conception et de décision qui précède l'exécution d'un projet. Dans le contexte de la vidéo, la planification est essentielle pour déterminer comment abordé le projet de rénovation, en tenant compte des problèmes tels que la détérioration des supports et les problèmes de fondation.

💡fondation

La fondation est la partie d'une structure qui supporte le poids de l'édifice et est en contact avec le sol. Le script aborde des problèmes de fondation, comme les tassements et les fissures, qui peuvent causer des planchers inclinés et nécessiter des réparations.

💡niveau de plancher

Le niveau de plancher fait référence à la horizontalité et à l'alignement des planchers dans une structure. Dans la vidéo, le niveau de plancher est perturbé en raison de problèmes de fondation et de détérioration des supports, nécessitant des mesures pour rétablir la verticalité et l'horizontalité.

💡termites

Les termites sont des insectes qui peuvent causer des dégâts importants aux structures en bois en les mangeant. Le script mentionne l'existence de galeries de termites dans les supports de la maison, indiquant un problème de détérioration structurelle.

💡fourmis charpentières

Les fourmis charpentières sont un autre type d'insecte qui peut endommager le bois. Elles sont mentionnées dans le script comme un problème supplémentaire de détérioration du bois dans la structure, après que les termites aient attaqué.

💡rétrodévissage

Le rétrodévissage est le processus de suppression des couches extérieures d'une structure pour évaluer et réparer les problèmes internes. Dans le script, le rétrodévissage est utilisé pour examiner la détérioration et les problèmes de fondation, ce qui est essentiel pour planifier la rénovation.

💡isolation

L'isolation est utilisée pour réduire la perte d'énergie dans une structure et pour contrôler la température intérieure. Le script discute de l'importance de l'isolation, notamment dans les espaces de crawl space, pour prévenir l'humidité et maintenir la structure en bon état.

💡rénovation vertueuse

La rénovation vertueuse est un type de rénovation qui vise à améliorer l'efficacité énergétique et la durabilité d'une structure. Le script illustre cela en discutant de l'ajout de nouveaux matériaux d'isolation et de la mise à niveau des systèmes de ventilation pour améliorer la performance de la maison.

💡climatisation

La climatisation fait référence au système de régulation de la température intérieure, incluant le refroidissement et le chauffage. Le script souligne l'importance de la climatisation dans la rénovation, car la maison doit être capable de gérer les changements de climat et de maintenir un environnement confortable.

Highlights

The builder and remodeler's passion for building science and using proper techniques to create smarter, better-designed, and longer-lasting homes.

Importance of understanding old inventory and the challenges of working with very old houses in the New England upstate New York area.

The builder's experience of 51 years in construction and over 7,000 house inspections, providing insight into common mistakes.

Project overview of a house from the 1930s or 1940s, gutted to understand its framing and structural additions.

The necessity of adjusting floors due to structural issues and bug infestation affecting the foundation and support structures.

Strategies for deciding how to approach a floor system redo, including assessing foundation issues and plate deterioration.

The importance of matching existing hardwood floors during renovation to maintain aesthetic continuity.

Observations of the original porch floor leveling attempts and the challenges of addressing uneven floors.

Analysis of the causes of structural issues, including bug infestation, water damage, and external pressure from roof runoff.

The need for a detailed evaluation before providing a budget or scope of work for renovation projects.

The process of correcting steps and floor levels, including the use of five four by fours and plywood.

Emphasis on the importance of a sound roof and proper foundation drainage for long-lasting house construction.

The inspection of the crawl space revealing moisture issues, termite damage, and incorrect insulation placement.

The plan to raise the floor by using beams, jacks, and a new concrete slab to address unevenness and structural integrity.

The role of modern building science in adapting old houses to meet current standards for heating, air conditioning, and climate control.

The challenges of energy-efficient houses, including the issues of radon, carbon monoxide, and mold due to reduced air changes.

The builder's approach to addressing moisture, termite, and carpenter ant issues during the renovation process.

The final steps of the renovation, including re-leveling the floor, installing new sill plates, and ensuring proper insulation and weatherproofing.

Transcripts

I'm out the home builder and

remodeler from Saratoga Springs New York

building smarter better designed and

longer-lasting homes using proper

techniques and building science is my

passion I'll be talking to pros around

the country about issues that affect

their daily work and how they overcome

them

this is building science hey so we're

out we're in Saratoga Springs this week

my hometown

gonna be meeting with rich Martin and

tell you when I think about Saratoga the

New England upstate New York area think

about a lot of old inventory guess some

of the oldest houses in the country up

here get two and three hundred year old

houses it's a mole posted being rough

cut timber houses so it's really

interesting even though we got a

fast-growing area on the new

construction is booming out here it's

really important as a carpenter in these

areas if you know how to do that stuff

you're really interesting to see what

rich is up against while he's trying to

read level an old floor right now so we

look forward to going out and seeing

[Music]

morning rich morning Matt good to see

you again good to see you too well

thanks for having us out here today so

you got a pretty interesting project

we're working on an old house tell us a

little bit about what's going on here

and what got you into this business well

what got me into the business is that I

knew construction I guess from when I

was a little guy so I've been doing this

for 51 years also have an inspection

business we've inspected over seven

thousand houses what's nice about that

is I get to see things wrong and a lot

of places from a lot of different

builders and so forth but this here

project is a house that I estimate was

probably built in the 30s or the 40s and

what we've done is totally gutted the

inside of this house so we can see the

framing nature of all the way it's put

together the additions that were made

the original house everything's a little

bit different on this particular house

before we get too carried away we're

going to adjust these floors this was a

porch at one time sitting out here and

they converted into part of the living

space floors a little out of whack some

of the other floors are out due to

either structural issues with the

foundation and bug infestation we've got

some plates that have been eaten up so

we're gonna try to straighten that thing

out and that's our first goal so when

you get into something like this and

you're gonna redo a floor system what

makes you really decide on how you're

gonna attack that project well I think

you're looking at both the top side and

the bottom side and to what extent we

think it's going to take to raise that

floor up and level it based on what we

see whether it's a foundation issue or

the plate deteriorating we'll make a

decision on how we're going to take it a

apart and replace what we have to

replace they've added to the floor maybe

adding to the floor is not an option

anymore we've got some decent hardwood

floors in here that we'd like to match

up to so that's part of the

consideration also well let's go look at

what we got take a peek awesome

[Music]

but inside here Matt and you can see

what we're what we're looking at here in

fact as you come through you can see

that was the original door to the house

and this was a porch that was I think

edit or adjusted later roof wise and so

forth and as you look in here you can

see some of the situation's that we're

going to address you can see that

somebody took what I think is the

original porch floor and tried to level

that out a little bit they look beyond

that floor if you come over to this

section here we even see that the

original floor to the house is raised up

honest and but I just raised right here

is because of a stone foundation for the

house sits here so one of the things

that can cause a situation like this is

either bug infestation because the

support structures have been eaten and

or that gotten wet and rotted away or

we've had outside pressure from roof

runoff water pushing in on the

foundation creating it to move so

there's a number of different ways that

these situations can be created but I

think for a contractor to come in here

and to give a scope of work or a budget

plan the only way to know what you've

got if you're going to construct and

rectify these issues is to tear the

whole skin off the house and so we know

what that it's pretty difficult to give

you as a client a price on something

like this until we get to this stage and

we evaluate what we have to do to make

it structurally correct that's a really

big deal and a great tip for everybody

to say you know structure everything so

that you can do that peel back

understand what you're dealing with

before you get yourself you know bound

in a situation where you don't really

know what you're dealing with

so have a pre-imposed plan of demolition

we're gonna level that floor the first

thing I look at it what am I going to do

with the steps sure okay I've got an 8

inch rise coming up here if the

contractor doesn't think about oh my

goodness I'll ever like raise that 2

inches what am I going to do with that

extra 2 inches and do I have a cost

involved in correcting those steps

coming into I've seen him so bad we're

the way to correct them is with two five

four by fours you put him out in the

front lawn with a piece of plywood --nt

you're right for sale on it because

there are nothing left here

okay so we've got a situation where

somebody's got to come in and say the

owner comes in or whatever and says look

contractors say and this is what we've

got to do to fix this two things that we

need to fix a house to any extent we

need a roof that doesn't leak yep okay

no sense putting new sheetrock and

insulation in this if we don't have a

sound roof and we need the foundation

and a grader on this house that keeps

the roof runoff water away from the

foundation if we take care of those two

things you can build a house that'll

last for hundreds of years it's those

two elements that fail that take a house

down good the pest infestation doesn't

happen until the wood gets wet and the

wood gets wet because we don't have

proper drainage so consequently we have

whatever happened down here we're going

to get into crawl space we're going to

get into the basement and we're going to

see what we have to do to elevate this

and level it all up so we go downstairs

and take a look done let's take a peek

all right entrance to the crawlspace we

put this little tent up because we've

been running in and out of here and

pulled off the secure weatherproof

entrance to the crawlspace and I just

wanted to point out to you Matt here we

talked about it before about one of the

problems with structures settling down

or out of level floors and this is the

plate that came out of this building

right here set on top of these block

when you look at this the mud indicates

that that was termites and if you look

here you can see the termite tunnels

coming through the cracks of the block

working their way up to get into the

plate when we took this out the termites

were gone but this is full of carpenter

ants in here they come in later but all

those those fins like that is an

indication that the termites and just of

interest we didn't have termites up in

this part of the country 4050 years ago

they've been migrating slowly from the

south and as you know termites live out

somewhere out in the lawn somewhere but

the carpenter ants after they moved in

there within the house and the structure

itself and again they only attack wood

it's wet so that's why it's so important

about keeping the water away from these

the foundation walls so we're going to

climb in here and see

we've got one of the things you see is

whoever put the insulation and put it in

upside down yeah this should have been

against the living space instead of the

cold space in there not that that's a

huge detail but as you can see it's all

coming down and we're gonna take it all

out okay so that vapor retarder and

that's often done incorrectly we see

that a lot

that's correct reveling around that the

vapor retarder wants to go to the

conditions on the warm side that's

exactly right

so then somebody came down to add a

little bit more protection and they put

up this rigid foam and that just made it

worse because now we've got two vapor

barriers and the condensation builds in

between them as you look around at the

whole foundation you can see that the

plate that we just talked about outside

where the termites is completely gone

underneath that section and that these

floor joists are not sitting on anything

that would even create anything level

you can also see that the foundation

wall here has got some cracks in it and

it was laid up by somebody that I

wouldn't say it was a professional mason

but this needs to all be pointed up in

here so that we can structurally it's

not too bad as you look down the wall

there's a couple of block out or in that

can be adjusted when we raise this floor

of it and the reason we're saying raise

the floor up because what I see from

down here Matt these floor joists look

to be in fairly decent condition they do

they're not bad they're rough cut lumber

but they don't look bad at all which

indicates to me that maybe we can come

down here put a beam in here drop girder

a couple of jacks and raise this thing

up high enough to get it up no matter

what the level is upstairs but to be

able to put a plate in all the way

around with sill seal and then what you

would do on this grade in here is big

this out a little bit and probably pour

what we would call a rat slab which is

just a concrete cap across this maybe

two inches thick polyethylene on the

ground first before the concrete so it

stops the moisture from coming up into

the area once we secured this thing and

got it straight the new joists that it's

jacked up into place somebody could make

a decision I'm gonna insulate the

exterior walls instead of the floor

that makes sense tea if we can stop the

coal from coming in the wall we don't

need so much of this insulation in

depending upon the heating system that

you have

you might even condition this space by

bringing some heat in whether it be by

warm air or a piece of baseboard element

hot water so that we keep the dampness

out of here by keeping this heated if we

keep this heated we can eliminate

ventilating and worrying about this

because it gets damp and then like we

talked about before also create a grade

outside to keep all the roof runoff

water away from this foundation those

effervescence that you see up there on

the Block are an indication that there's

water outside of those block that's the

water that comes through the Block in

evaporates just like if you had a pan of

water on the stove and you boiled it

you'd be left with those so just to be

clear rich what I'm hearing you say is

you guys are gonna real 'evil this floor

out by removing some of the dirt prepare

everything down here you remove all the

old insulation get it out pour a new

slab down on the base and that will

allow you checking this floor up to the

right elevation installing a new a new

sill plate with sill seal everything

like that repoint

all of the the old block work and reseal

everything before the insulation goes on

then you're gonna be able to insulate

the perimeter walls making sure that you

have all of these pieces and parts you

know setup and instructional II secure

weather proofed and insulated well

before you kind of move on to the

finishes the reason we're down here is

because once we got into this space and

we saw the moisture issues that have

created or helped created some of this

uneven floors we now appreciate that we

need to put the new plates and we need

to add those things to stop the termites

and the carpenter ants and the rodents

from getting into it so I don't want you

to think that we're doing more than we

have to as far as the scope of work of

raising the floor but these are things

that once everything is stripped and we

pull down the ceiling we now know our

part of the entire process to put the

house back the way it should be yeah and

with these modern houses I mean it's

very different when we think about

houses that were

in the 20s as opposed to a house now

when we start thinking about dramatic

climate changes from the outside the

inside of the house and thinking about

when people only really worried about

heating the home and now we're worried

about heating and air conditioning and

the house has to react quite a bit

different so you know making sure that

we can get this house up to modern

building science standards to make sure

that it can have both the heating side

of it and the air-conditioning side of

it and be protected from all those

things I think that's really great all

the pieces and parts that you're adding

in here to make sure this stays climate

controlled in a four-season climate

that's a really great thing one of the

things that we have today because of the

energy crisis of 77 is we've tightened

the houses up just like the two products

over our head vapor barrier and the

condensation was created because we

didn't have this back in the 20s and 30s

we had houses that had seven air changes

an hour

now that we've tightened the house up to

save energy

we're subject to new levels of problems

and the three largest are radon carbon

monoxide and mold and those three things

are new relative to what they were in

the 20s 30s and 40s I think that's

probably important to us anyway as

contractors to make sure we address all

those issues and not walk out of here

just by level and floors all right let's

get to work

let's go

[Music]

[Music]

so this is a layer of flooring they just

kept ripping things together they tried

to raise it back up can you see is it

has the floor descended they added more

shims here and then slowly kind of two

chins away as they got up to the end to

make sure that they could reel 'evil the

floor and then use the plywood base over

top of that to try to create a more

consistent substrate to catch back up to

the old shiplap subfloor in the original

building

[Music]

[Music]

so it's really awesome to be able to get

my hands dirty today and help everybody

out really great project is we're

reassuring this old House floor was

really cool to start stripping

everything down and come up with a great

game plan as to how this particular

situation was going to unfold itself so

because we had found out that the

addition was originally a porch and the

entire structure was built at a slant we

decided to Jack the entire building up

to get it back to level so you could see

where we got down into the crawlspace

today put the jacks in lifted everything

up put new cell plates in and then

because we had some extra time with the

carpenters we got up onto the top floor

put some of those pieces in the the

purlins onto the floor to shim

everything back up to the right

elevation kicked in some three-quarter

inch tongue and groove subfloor to get

that flush floor across with the old and

the new so they'll be able to blend this

floor back together really nicely when

they put the rest of the finished

hardwood floor on so in the meantime

we're gonna wait they get the concrete

to do still down in the basement they

got to get that chimney down patch the

roof back in and I think the

weatherization process is kind of a big

integral part of that to make sure that

they're waiting on keeping everything

dry to get the concrete done then

they'll get the chimney out get

everything in place and maybe get

another day or two here thanks for

watching building science Saratoga

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this demonstration is intended for

professionals only homeowners should not

attempt these projects without first

consulting a licensed professional