LESLIE: Dave in Ohio needs some help with building a house. What can we do for you?
DAVE: Yeah, I was wondering if it would be cost-worthy to go with 2x6s instead of 2x4s. I hear it’s only $1 difference in the wood. And would it better to go r19 instead of r21 that you can special order through Owens Corning?
TOM: Well listen, it never hurts to put in as much insulation as you can. That said, keep in mind that if you use a 2×6 wall structure, you can only go – you can go 24 inches on center instead of 16, so that means you need fewer studs than you would if you use the 2×4 construction. So I think all in all, it ends up being slightly more expensive but not that much and you are able to get a much thicker wall and a better-insulated exterior wall. So I think it’s probably a good way to go.
DAVE: Alright. Yeah, for the price difference. I mean you can make it up because it’s kind of a like a no-brainer to me. I mean – but now they have r21 value but it’s like three times as much.
TOM: Yeah, and picking up that 3r, that additional 3r, is probably not going to be worth the additional cost.
DAVE: Well, that’s what I was thinking, too.
TOM: Yeah. I would stick with the basics; you know, six inches of fiberglass batt insulation inside of a 2×6 is going to give you a really nice, exterior wall and that’ll deliver a lot of protection for you from the elements.
DAVE: Right, right. OK yeah, because we live up here towards Cleveland.
TOM: You have winter there, I hear. (chuckles)
DAVE: Yeah. You’d think we’d go down south a little ways but it gets too hot in the summer. (chuckles)
TOM: Alright, well good luck with that project. Thanks so much for calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.
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