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OT: remedial insulation of 125 year old house Posted by TML [Email] (#2212) [Profile/Gallery] (more from TML) on Sat, 14 Jan 2012 12:58:07 Members do not see ads below this line. - Help Keep This Site Online - Signup |
I'm doing a 2nd floor renovation of a 125 year old house. It's a wood frame construction with brick veneer. The total wall thickness is about 12 inches; from outside in there's the brick, an air gap of maybe 3-4 inches, 3/4" rough cut butt jointed wood, 4" air gap from the wood frame, lath and plaster, plus half of the rooms have drywall over the plaster. My three options are:
1. Do nothing. Cheapest (at least in short term), easiest option, obviously.
2. Tear down lath and plaster, install fiberglass insulation, put up new drywall. Second cheapest option, but most work for me. We're planning on re-painting, so if I am ever going to do this, now would be the time. It also involves testing the plaster for asbestos, to gauge health hazard.
3. Pay someone to blow in insulation behind the lath. Most expensive option, slightly less work; I'll still have to drywall over the plaster in half the rooms, because over the plaster is a textured wall paper which will prevent me from patching the holes nicely.
My heating bill for the last month was $160, average outside temperature being about 0C/32F. It seems like it may be a long pay-off, from a money perspective. From a comfort perspective, I have noticed that the 2nd floor temperature is harder to control; in summer it's hotter and in winter it's colder than the main floor, even with generous air damper adjustment. However, I think this is more due to the lack of cold air return from the 2nd floor, which I also plan to remedy in this renovation.
Any tips or suggestions?
posted by 24.246.55...
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