Anybody know about insulating a home?

[anonymouse1]

I'm looking into the best kind of insulation to install into a house built in 1918-plaster and lath construction.

I know there Arae different kinds of spray foam insulation, including some kind of spray concrete. Does anybody have any knowledge about the options?

Thanks!

[MikeF]

What's on the outside of the house?

Insulating walls usually requires making a hole at the top of each wall between each stud cavity and pumping "stuff" in. Not sure if 1918 had fire breaks in the wall (horizontal 2x4s half-way up). If the walls do, then you have to make holes under the fire break to fill the bottom part of the wall.

Note, you can do that from either inside or outside the house. Depending on what's outside, it may be easier to go from the outside.

[Speedy]

1918 means you likely had fire retardant treated newspaper used as insulation.

[ztirffritz]

I helped my dad blow in insulation for our home from that era. Get masks and respirators and goggles. No matter how careful you are, you'll have the hose pop off and spray insulation everywhere, even if just for a second. Make sure the room you're working in is tarped and sealed off from the rest of the house because when the hose pops off you'll spray a cloud of insulation everywhere.

[Fritz]

we did what Mike describes as our house is 1920s ish.
Applegate cellulose 2002.
$2300 1st floor of 1200 sq ft house.

[Acer]

Random thoughts for fodder:

Spray foam requires full access to the stud cavities (or whatever they are called). I was all into spray foam, until I learned how it can trap moisture. Adding it to an existing structure requires thought about how to manage moisture.

We retroed our first house with blown cellulose. You need a hole or two in each stud cavity, that will need to be patched. We did it right before we re-sided the exterior, so it was not an issue. We had a contractor do the insulation (we did our own siding). He had it done in a day, for a small house.

[chopper]

I would suggest going in from the outside.

[bobinmurphy]

Acer wrote:
Random thoughts for fodder:

Spray foam requires full access to the stud cavities (or whatever they are called). I was all into spray foam, until I learned how it can trap moisture. Adding it to an existing structure requires thought about how to manage moisture.

We retroed our first house with blown cellulose. You need a hole or two in each stud cavity, that will need to be patched. We did it right before we re-sided the exterior, so it was not an issue. We had a contractor do the insulation (we did our own siding). He had it done in a day, for a small house.

There are two types of spray foam - closed cell and open cell. Closed cell has a slightly higher R value but it doesn't allow moisture to pass thru like open cell does. For houses open cell is generally the best choice - if you have a leak in the roof or something the water will come thru and you'll know it before any real damage occurs. Closed cell is best used on metal buildings or places where there's little to no chance of getting water intrusion. Both can be damaged and deteriorate when exposed to UV light such as sunlight, so it's best to cover the insulation or have it mixed with paint to protect it.

[mattkime]

There's a whole host of variables to consider and you need to choose wisely. Hopefully you could find some local knowledge from someone who specializes in this sort of thing.

Oh, you might look into a "deep energy retrofit" - it'll likely go further than you're interested in BUT there might be some good ideas too.

I once got a quote from an insulation contractor who seemed more or less willing to blow insulation wherever I pointed. NOT WHAT I WAS LOOKING FOR. I wanted someone who understood what they're doing.

What are your energy rates like? Have you done a home energy analysis?

My older home is poorly insulated and drafty yet somehow our energy bills compare well to newer construction. It doesn't make sense but I'm not in a rush to insulate.