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I’m in the process of renovating an old stone house and need to insulate the walls along with revamping the electrical system. I was looking into Icynene vs fiberglass. I like the idea of the Icynene since it will adhere to the stone, but trying to get prices from the “local” dealer (80 miles away!) is like trying to get a Yes or No answer from a politician. Since I’m also living in the house, I can’t rip all the walls down at the same time to create one big job, so I’m sure the costs will increase. Was wondering if someone had experience with Icynene and is it worth the cost?
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........Bob...sounds like you have an interior stud wall and exterior stone..
If it was mine I would rewire, run some new PEX plumbing lines where appropriate, then I would blueboard it, bring in a good celulose insulation contractor who's got some good credentials... blow the walls from the inside , and skim -coat plaster over the installation holes..
You can probably do all those things for the price of the icynene.... but what do I know?
Maybe an icynene installer can set us straight...
*Thanks. You're right on the walls. I have a double envelope design with no insulation between the walls and stone. It probably wouldn't be so bad, except for the old single-pane, metel-frame casement windows, but that's another chapter.
*......did a job last year...metal framed & metal sash single glazed casements from WWII, when they still had shortages and rationing.....replaced 14 units in a brick house with Andersen Tilt-wash double hungs....lots of head scratching for the first one.. and then settled down to a system..
*Sounds like your job is similar to what I need to do. Most folks I've asked suggest a recip saw to cut the ribs and build on top of the metal outside frame. Wouldn't mind going that route but the 1/4 plywood on the 12-15 inch window sills is not all that sturdy and should be taken down. Figure the best way is to grind the whole window out and start fresh (24 windows). I figure using 5/4 stock as a frame, or something close to get me to a standard window size. Sixteen of the windows are 36"x 50", so there should still be plenty of light. Wouldn't you know my neighbor, with the same windows, has already asked me for parts. Comments ?
*Bob,Icynene is not the only foam option. Contact insulation companies in your area and get their recommendations. You are going to pay a premium for the small jobs and adding on a 160 mile commute is going to make it worse. I lived in and remodelled a house room-by-room once. Never again. Things were always dirty and life at home was never organized or restfull. Move out and do it all at once if you can. To my knowledge there is no cure for burnout. As for the windows, my old house had casements too. I took them out as I went along and replaced them with custom sized double glazed aluminum units from a local manufacturer. Agree with Mike Smith. Experiment with one opening, settle on a method, and do the rest the same.Good luck!Good luck.
*Icynene is some really great stuff.I have a friend in Montana who has the right idea.His proposal involves mobile home parks and the type of foam they use to fight forest fires. Many states have LEAP (Low Energy Assistance Programs?) and he proposes that if you want icynene really cheap you could convince your local LEAP agency to do a mass ICY.. application that would use aircraft to distribute the foam over mobile home parks.Of course, you guessed it, your bird-dog fee would include the contractor with the winning bid doing your project gratis.I can see a lot of benefits in this type of government program since the government is going to subsidize the fuel costs for the economically disadvantaged, they may as well increase the R-value of the homes they are subsidizing.And besides, if they do their air delivery at the right time, folks who are outside would receive a sufficient coating to negate the need for winter coats as well as protection from solar gain.I have emailed my Congressman urging him to look into government grant programs dealing with this technology.I urge other BreakTimers to do the same.Hey man, if they don't use their full budget in this fiscal year, they will likely have it proportionally reduced in the next fiscal budget.Jeffie
*Jeff, this could also serve as a tornado control system. We all know tornados are caused by trailer parks. With the fully foamed trailer mounds covering the countryside, no more tornados. The foam coated residents would also be protected from UV exposure, another health benefit? Joe H
*Joe,Trailer parks attract tornados. Cover them up with foam and they will go after real houses. The solution, I think, is that every new home should start out as a big glob of Icynene. Sort of like a giant Hershey Kiss. The homeowner would take a chainsaw and simply carve out the house of their dreams. Sort of like those people in Turkey who live in caves chiseled out of solidified volcanic ash. Got a few details to work out; plumbing, electrical wiring, windows and doors to name a few, but the idea has potential. In fact, I think the idea is so good I am working on a new formula for foam. Figure I can compete with Icynene by mixing shaving cream and cement. Only thechnical problem I am having is getting the cement in the can without letting the air out. Anyone with a solution can get 10% of this.
*.....you guys...is that true?...you wouldn't be pullin my leg....wud u?i always figgered ther was somekinda scientific 'splanation for the affinity of tornados to TP's....So now i know....
*Dear Bob:As an Icynene dealer, maybe I can help. We have done a couple of stone houses, both open stud cavities and injected jobs. There's no doubt the product will work in either application. It can, however, get costly. If the stone is very irregular in thickness, then the bidding process gets very difficult. In some places you may have 2" within the wall and other places there may be 8". The dealer will have to estimate the job on an average thickness and make allowance for additional costs after the job is completed, if more material is actually used. If the walls are exposed, there should be no problem getting a firm bid. Most dealers will have a minimum price to do a job, so you may be able to break it up into smaller jobs. The best thing about using Icynene in this situation, is that it will shape itself perfectly to the stone. I'm sorry you are having trouble getting a bid. Email me with your location and maybe I can help you find someone. Good Luck with your project.Sue [email protected]
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I'm in the process of renovating an old stone house and need to insulate the walls along with revamping the electrical system. I was looking into Icynene vs fiberglass. I like the idea of the Icynene since it will adhere to the stone, but trying to get prices from the "local" dealer (80 miles away!) is like trying to get a Yes or No answer from a politician. Since I'm also living in the house, I can't rip all the walls down at the same time to create one big job, so I'm sure the costs will increase. Was wondering if someone had experience with Icynene and is it worth the cost?