Building a Playhouse

LESLIE: Our next caller clearly doesn’t have any problems at his real house. He’s looking to insulate a floor in a playhouse.

This sounds fantastic, Ryan. Tell us about it.

RYAN: Well, actually it’s going to be the attic in the playhouse.

LESLIE: (overlapping voices) This sounds like a big playhouse.

TOM: (overlapping voices) Oh, the attic. Yeah, this is a big playhouse.

RYAN: It’s a 10×10 playhouse on a 4-inch slab foundation and the roof I built over it is actually a 10×14, which obviously created an attic space up there. So that gives me a 4-foot front porch area that obviously is not part of the room.

TOM: This is quite a place.

LESLIE: Well you know, Ryan, even playhouses have problems with storage; so good call on the attic.

TOM: (overlapping voices) That’s right. (chuckles) Ryan, is the playhouse heated?

RYAN: No, it is not heated.

TOM: Alright, well then you don’t need insulation.

RYAN: Oh, OK.

TOM: Alright? You only need insulation if you’re trying to keep heat in one part of the building from going to the other part of the building.

RYAN: OK. And what about air conditioning? I am planning on putting a little air conditioner in the wall itself.

TOM: Hmm.

LESLIE: Oh, you’re in Utah. It gets ridiculously hot there.

TOM: Well then, you are going to cool it. So maybe having some insulation’s not a bad idea. But since it’s not going to be heated or cooled all the time, I’d be very careful to use materials that are not going to grow mold. For example, you might want to not use sheetrock; instead you could use Dens Armor which is a material that looks like sheetrock or drywall. It’s made by Georgia-Pacific and it doesn’t grow mold. Because you’re going to leave it outside all the time, you don’t want to have the building get all moldy and make the kids sick.

RYAN: That’s a great idea. Didn’t even think of that.

TOM: Yeah, think about that. And how many kids do you have?

RYAN: I have two.

TOM: Girls or boys?

RYAN: I have one of each.

TOM: Alright. And they’re both of playhouse age, I presume?

RYAN: Oh, yeah.

TOM: Alright. Well it sounds like a great project, Ryan, and I’m glad we helped you out. Thanks again for calling.

LESLIE: I want to see a picture of it when you’re done.

TOM: Alright. Yeah, send us a picture.

RYAN: Alright, you’ve got it.

LESLIE: Thanks, Ryan.

TOM: Alright. Thanks, Ryan.