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Some bozo realtor tried to pitch this as a benefit to me, in some falling-down shack priced for 1.8 million dollars. I was offended. If your house has one of th

Some bozo realtor tried to pitch this as a benefit to me, in some falling-down shack priced for 1.8 million dollars. I was offended. If your house has one of these holes in the wall, close it during the insulation retrofit the place undoubtedly needs.

Mistletoe 2y ago
It could be useful, you can just insulate the interior door of it.
- amluto 2y ago
  This risks condensation inside the walls between the kitchen and the cooler in cold winter conditions. Depending on how those walls are constructed, this could be problematic.
  - quesera 2y ago
    It's vented to the outside, just like a soffit or an attic. Insulating the interior door should not promote condensation.
    - amluto 2y ago
      I meant inside the walls. If it’s a bit below freezing outside (quite common in California!) and 75 degrees and a bit humid in the kitchen (also common), and an old wall that leaks air at the top and bottom separates these spaces and has had fiberglass batts installed, poorly, in the name of “weatherization”, then that nice humid air can flow within the wall by convection and moisture can condense out in the chillier bits of fiberglass. In some conditions, it won’t dry and will get moldy. Of course, this can happen in an exterior wall, too, but contractors usually put at least some effort into competent construction in exterior walls.
      - quesera 2y ago
        Thread premise began with the homeowner insulating the interior door. Assuming that's done properly, the door should not leak humid air into the (likely uninsulated) exterior wall. If anything, it's the currently uninsulated cooler doors that would be of concern. But, at least for the real life constructions I've seen, this has not been an issue.
quesera 2y ago
There are plenty of things to be offended by in the California real estate market. An agent describing the historical design features of the property is probably not one of them. Spending weeks looking at x-million dollar shacks is offensive enough -- but that's the price of admission, for certain values of x. At least the sunshine is free!
- jeffbee 2y ago
  It's not a "historical design feature" it's a hole in the wall. It's a sign that the dead Boomer whose house you are touring did zero maintenance or renovations for 50+ years.
  - quesera 2y ago
    No, it's literally a historical design feature. Just like high ceilings and center chimneys. You have modern options also. And of course the new owner can customize to their liking, or pay a markup to someone else to have already done so. Not all of the dead boomers lived their lives with a sense of obligation to please you.

Mistletoe 2y ago

It could be useful, you can just insulate the interior door of it.

amluto 2y ago
This risks condensation inside the walls between the kitchen and the cooler in cold winter conditions. Depending on how those walls are constructed, this could be problematic.
- quesera 2y ago
  It's vented to the outside, just like a soffit or an attic. Insulating the interior door should not promote condensation.
  - amluto 2y ago
    I meant inside the walls. If it’s a bit below freezing outside (quite common in California!) and 75 degrees and a bit humid in the kitchen (also common), and an old wall that leaks air at the top and bottom separates these spaces and has had fiberglass batts installed, poorly, in the name of “weatherization”, then that nice humid air can flow within the wall by convection and moisture can condense out in the chillier bits of fiberglass. In some conditions, it won’t dry and will get moldy. Of course, this can happen in an exterior wall, too, but contractors usually put at least some effort into competent construction in exterior walls.
    - quesera 2y ago
      Thread premise began with the homeowner insulating the interior door. Assuming that's done properly, the door should not leak humid air into the (likely uninsulated) exterior wall. If anything, it's the currently uninsulated cooler doors that would be of concern. But, at least for the real life constructions I've seen, this has not been an issue.

quesera 2y ago

There are plenty of things to be offended by in the California real estate market. An agent describing the historical design features of the property is probably not one of them. Spending weeks looking at x-million dollar shacks is offensive enough -- but that's the price of admission, for certain values of x. At least the sunshine is free!

jeffbee 2y ago
It's not a "historical design feature" it's a hole in the wall. It's a sign that the dead Boomer whose house you are touring did zero maintenance or renovations for 50+ years.
- quesera 2y ago
  No, it's literally a historical design feature. Just like high ceilings and center chimneys. You have modern options also. And of course the new owner can customize to their liking, or pay a markup to someone else to have already done so. Not all of the dead boomers lived their lives with a sense of obligation to please you.