I have a 1880’s balloon-framed house – stucco over brick – and am thinking of insulating the walls with dense-pack cellulose for insulation and fire-stop purposes – I have read a lot of pros and cons about this type of work – that because there is no vapor barrier, it will trap moisture in the walls, and that more heat loss comes from the chimney effect, which I am still fighting, as almost all of the contractors that wokr around here consider roof vents [even w/out soffit vents] the only way to go.
Also – the second and third floors are heated and cooled by a Unico high-velocity system – we do not spend much time on the third floor – it is storage and occasional play space – there are returns on both floors – is it more efficient to seal off the return and ducts [they come with caps for this purpose] when we we are not using the third floor?
I would be very intersted in hearing from anyone who has any experience with either [or both] of these situations.
Replies
Without knowing where you are located, it is impossible to determine an answer to your question. Other concerns would be the quality of the drainage plane, which is the material that is responsible for keeping out the exterior liquid moisture. Stucco and brick are not drainage planes. Felt paper can be a drainage plane but probably not when it is 125 years old. Please describe your exterior walls from exterior side to interior side. Also please describe the basement and attic as well as the windows. There are numerous ways for water to enter a building. Many old buildings have been getting water in them for years without major issue because they can dry fairly quickly. The worst problem with adding insulation to a wall like this is that when you stop the airflow and the heat flow you also stop the two mechanisms that give a wall it's drying potential. I'll monitor this thread and will offer what I can if you can let us know more about your situation.
I live near Philadelphia - Walls are stucco, brick, wood, plaster - basement is stone, cement floor and damp (as are all basements in our area) the attic (actually the 3rd f-oor) is same as rest of house - gutters are built into cornices - the 3rd fllor ceilings slope like roof
I would consider looking into foam insulation. check Icynene.com for a local installer, and you will also find the spec sheet and other info on how it can save $$ in the long and short run.
Edited 8/3/2005 12:21 am ET by FoamMan