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We recently purchased a 2400 sq. ft. two story home of about 1918 vintage. We got a good deal on the house, not many options to choose from due to relocation and little time to find a new house. The house has been remodeled somewhat. It looks to me like the walls are mostly, starting from the exterior — new steel siding, foam siding backer layer, old lap siding, old sheathing, airspace with studs, lathe and plaster, 1/2″ sheetrock. The heating/cooling bills are surprisingly not too bad based on the 12 month history we got from the utility co. The attic doesn’t have an access, but not much attic anyway and I need to cut my way in to it at some point. What is the best way to add insulation to the walls? Is the drilling holes and shooting in foam from the exterior the best way? How effective is it? Can you do it from the interior? Am I best to start gutting rooms, removing the plaster and lathe, and putting up FG and poly barrier. The house has been rewired and re-plumbed previous to us buying it. A new high-efficiency furnace and a/c to replace the current two furnaces and a/c units (house was a duplex at one point)has always been in our budget for buying the house. From the perspective of someone with a whole woodworking shop setting in storage units, gutting each room, re-insulating, moving wiring, vents, etc. would accomplish the task along with other living area improvements, just not sure it is necessary!
Thanks in advance for the help and advice!
Doug
Replies
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We recently purchased a 2400 sq. ft. two story home of about 1918 vintage. We got a good deal on the house, not many options to choose from due to relocation and little time to find a new house. The house has been remodeled somewhat. It looks to me like the walls are mostly, starting from the exterior -- new steel siding, foam siding backer layer, old lap siding, old sheathing, airspace with studs, lathe and plaster, 1/2" sheetrock. The heating/cooling bills are surprisingly not too bad based on the 12 month history we got from the utility co. The attic doesn't have an access, but not much attic anyway and I need to cut my way in to it at some point. What is the best way to add insulation to the walls? Is the drilling holes and shooting in foam from the exterior the best way? How effective is it? Can you do it from the interior? Am I best to start gutting rooms, removing the plaster and lathe, and putting up FG and poly barrier. The house has been rewired and re-plumbed previous to us buying it. A new high-efficiency furnace and a/c to replace the current two furnaces and a/c units (house was a duplex at one point)has always been in our budget for buying the house. From the perspective of someone with a whole woodworking shop setting in storage units, gutting each room, re-insulating, moving wiring, vents, etc. would accomplish the task along with other living area improvements, just not sure it is necessary!
Thanks in advance for the help and advice!
Doug