I have a client that owns an old house, approximately 100 years old, on the Rock River in Rockford, IL. The house is limestone block foundation (22″ thick), a very damp basement, limestone block exterior (16″ thick) 1st floor, 2×4 interior walls with lath and plaster finish with no insulation, and vinyl over something and the same interior on the 2nd floor. There is minimal blown-in and well settled fiberglass insulation, and t&g 2×6 decking for the floor of the attic, with exposed framing walls and roof, unvented and uninsulated.
He has forced air heating and is going to upgrade to high efficiency furnaces and add cooling. That part I have taken care of. He also wants to explore the addition of insulation.
So the question is: What reasonable options are available and what are the approximate costs, benefits and drawbacks for recommended approaches. I will assume that he is not willing to remove the interior walls, as they are in very good condition.
Replies
If it were mine..........
I'd clean the basement wall clean, install a dehumidifier for a couple of days and spray foam the exterior basement walls with at least 3 inches. I'd spray foam right up into the joist spaces and right down to the slab.
I'd inject cels in the walls at different elevations to maximize effects.
I'd clean out all that loose insulation in the attic floor and re-install the decking.
Then I'd spray foam the the upper roof and bring it into the living space.
If it were mine and I didn't want or couldn't remove the interior finish, otherwise I'd foam that too.
But it's not mine......
Gabe