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I recently purchased a “brick and stick” ’60’s subdivision home. It must have little to no insulation judging by the feel of the house and my heating bills these last three months. As the house is in need of painting, how feasible is it to take off the clapboard and OSB and put in insulation from the outside?
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My home was built circa 1960, it uses 1x10s (1x8s?) as sheathing.
How leaky (air wise) is it and how much insulation in the attic?
*We don't feel drafts per se, but it simply doesn't keep warm. The attic has a couple of inches of some kind of loose insulation.
*Yes it's feasible to do it from the outside but you would be well advised to use spray foam for this one.Foam is the only product that is also a type 2 VB as well as an insulator. By spraying the foam onto the inside wall finish and along the studs, over the outlets and such, you will have a final product that will dramatically reduce your heating bill.
*I am asking more questions than giving you answers.Am asking so others might give u more info as to solutions.So, You've done the check for leaky (air) electrical outlets, leaky (air) windows, doors etc,Heat rises and you have a couple of inches of some loose insulation, would starting there be more be more benificial from a cost veiwpoint?
*Dear Todd,As Bobl says, a lot heat goes out the roof. The best strategy is to air seal the attic floor. Then load the attic with as much insulation as is appropriate to your climate. You might be happy with that.Wall insulation is more costly and you get less conservation value from it. Yes, it is common to pull a single row of clapboard and drill the sheathing. A tube is slipped up each wall bay and insulation is blown in until the pack is tight. Expect about 15% breakage on the siding at production prices. You can do a perfect job if you fuss.Wall insulation does wonderful things for the house, but the attic work will give you much more return on your money.Warmly, Fred
*Why does everyone treat the poster with disrespect?He asked a question to which there are several possible answers.But you all treat him like he doesn't know a roof from a wall. He's not that dumb.
*LFred,This is the second time i've seen you suggest exposing the interior wall to insulate with foam, and this now strikes me as a great idea. how do you keep track of the parts so they can be returned to their places, or do you throw them away and use new sheathing and siding when you insulate a house? I have about 240 linear feet of walls to remove; do you have an idea how long this might take? Will i have to reflash and recaulk anything?Additionally, should i remove all the siding at once or call the foam truck back as i remove one wall at a time? What are the chances of my house falling down if the sheathing is removed at once? Do you think if we have a freak rainstorm it will hurt my exposed drywall?
*splintergroupieNot too many of the old sidings are easy to remove and replace. Cheap vinyl is a piece of cake for example.Normally, it's taking advantage of wood siding that has to be replaced anyhow because of decay and damage.Yes once the wall is exposed you would have to cover with temporary tarps.The end result is well worth it however.The greatest advantage to foam is it's ability to adhere, seal and insulate.Only 2 inches of foam will do a better job of keeping a house and it's occupants warm and comfortable than a foot of any other loose type insulations, without having to match the R factor exactly. When a wall is foamed, there are no air leaks yet all the structural components are allowed to breath. Check out BASF for technical data.
*lfred... y are u forcing me to agree with fredl ?hah, hah, hah...stranger things have happened..todd...IMNSHO>>> best results..1) blow cells in the attic..2)remove either 1 (single hole)... or 2 (double blow).. rows of claps and drill your sheathing , blow cells you will find a lot of cost effective things to make your house more comfortable and energy efficient as you explore...but i wouldn't consider removing the sheathing and exposing the stud bays as a good idea...b but hey, whadda i no ?
*Mike, I'm not forcing anyone to agree or disagree with anyone.Just presenting a point of view. A typical cape cod could be built from a selection of 1 to 2 million different products and still be a typical cape cod. Not everyone has the same taste and not every product can meet expectations for every situation. These are facts.Foam could greatly improve any home. The downside is that foam and temporary products don't mix. You have to know what you're doing.Blowing cels into little holes in a wall cavity will also improve the thermal resistance of any home but the downside is that it's sporadic and as a result has the potential to intensify mold growth in localized areas of the house.