*
I am working on a older house that does not have sub flooring, it has 1 inch fir planks. There is a great deal of powder post beetle damage in the joists, new ones have been sistered in alongside. Little critters and insects have easily access. There is occasional wetness. The basement holds a water pressure tank, a furnace and a boiler. The plumbing and heating ducts and wiring are all over the place(between and below the joists. The foundation is dry laid stone paged with plaster on the inside, the floor joists extend a foot and a half over the top of foundation(resting on the stones).
To achive quiet and warmth I want to insulate in the joist spaces and the cavities over the foundation wall.
Is there a spray insulation that can stick to old wood and air ducts, fill gaps, not blow out my water boards and resist moisture, animal and insect attack??
Replies
*
Lou, get some sleep.
Yes, there is spray that will do the job. But I have a big question about insulating these old joists. Your house must date at least to the teens, and my concern is that any insulation will cause the joists to hold moisture where they contact the foundation and rot. I haven't read about this specific problem, but it's got to be happening to alot of old houses like yours that have been insulated in the last ten of fifteen years.
Check the archives or put a post asking about it before you do anything over your foundation.
*Lou - Your foundation is dry-laid stone with parging on the inside? Are you sure that the old mortar hasn't just washed out?The open stone joints combined with the cantilevered exposed joists suggests that insulation shouldn't be your first concern, it should be correcting this problematic detail. Critters have easy access? That will continue if you don't address it.BTW - Standard treatment of anobiid beetle (powder post) short of fumigation is (1) minimize interior moisture (2) remove/replace compromised joists and (3) treat joists directly with Tim-bor or similar borated insecticide (not DIY).
*Lou Check here for info on powderpost beetles, maybe DIY, but also look after b all the other problems too... moisture, etc before exacerbating it by insulating!!!!-pm