Am working on my 2nd floor dormer replacing some wood trim and repainting it. While doing so I found that the sides of the dormer has three layers — the original claphboard from 1939, then aluminum siding prehaps from the ’50s or 60’s, and the present masonite boards. So there is a few inches of space that is really not insulated so the question is it worth insulating and is there some form of spray in insulation that would do this. I really am not wanting to remove the two layers to the oriniagl clapboard besides they look fine with no rot so far.
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Replies
Spray foam will act as a vapor barrier, which may or may not be good. Old homes breathed alot more than new homes do, and putting a vapor barrier in the wrong place might add comfort, but also provide a place for water to condense.
The safest course would be to wait until you do a full insulation retrofit. In the meantime you could pack some loose fill insulation, of unfaced batts in the space.