Insulation, Radiant and Vapor Barriers - uninsulated home

Well, we purchased a 42 yr old split in PA last October. Had somewhat high heating bills and noticed the heater running constantly.

After speaking with neighbors in the area, I have found out there is NO insulation in the exterior walls! When I moved in, I noticed the attic batt insulation was skimpy. So I had insulation blown in on top of that. I did the same to the the bedroom above the garge and put batt insulation in the crawlspace under the floor for the rooms above.

I was planning on getting some more blown in for the walls. But I am told by neighbors, we have less than 3 inches and that it isn't enough space space to have insulation blown in!? The homes are brick exterior and block foundation. This past winter you would touch the walls and they were cold. I have started to replace the original windows which will help some.

Can I still blow in SOME insulation?? Can I nail form board insulation and then a new layer of drywall over that? Or should I just start to remove the plaster board walls, and reinsulate the cavitie ($$).

With the price of heat and all, I want to make my home as energy efficient as possible. I am not that handy, so I was really hoping to get the insulation blown in!

I can't believe a house built in 1962 has no insulation in the exterior walls!! But apparently, GE needed the homes for its employees, like yesterday. They threw them up.

Any suggestions on where to start? I am somewhat hoping the foam board, with dry wall over it would be a good thing. Ripping out the plaster board and then restudding seems mighty expensive to me..

No idea what your neighbor is smoking, but don't share with him. Call an insulation contractor or three, get quotes and ask them the questions.

I called an insulation contractor as well - said you need at least 3 inches of space to have insulation blown in....And we seem not to have that much room? Wouldn't blowing in some insulation in there help at all? What about the need for a vapro barrier?

Do you know exactly what the wall section above grade looks like? It may be worthwhile to find a closet or other area to make a opening in to see what you really have.

You may have 2x3 exterior walls behind the brick. Levittown in Bucks county (built about 1952) has a lot of 2x3 walls. The remodeling caused a lot of 2x3 exterior walls in addition to very thin interior walls.

You can put extruded polystyrene (not beadboard) and sheet rock on the exterior walls. You would have to retrim the doors and windows and pop enough holes in the exterior walls to destroy the vapor barrier (if there is one - doubtful).

Dick

I think you are right - apparently others in the neighborhood have been down this road. The wall is very close to the block concrete wall - brick exterior. We have plaster board walls - no vapor barriers.

I was hoping I could do the foam board insulation and then drywall over it...it would at least help since there is NO insulation at all

Hello, first of all, I can believe that 1960s houses had no insulation. An apartment I was in, built in 65, had a 2 inch gap under the back door and 2 inches of paper insulation in the ceiling and a rat crawling in the wall. The super suggested turning up the heat. That was the solution back when fuel was cheap.

When I bought a house, the inspector commended me on the newer windows but suggested upgrading the attic insulation. Apparently, there's only a 1 inch foam on the walls beneath the aluminum siding. Anyway, he told me the vast majourity of heat loss occurs through the windows and the roof. He said the loss through the walls is negligible. A relative said the same thing.

In terms of cost, it seems cheaper to load the attic space with R-39 and forget the walls until (or unless) you have more time and money.

J

True. However, the walls on the real cold days are VERY cold to the touch. It seems my hot air heat is running constantly to heat the home.

I have added insulation in the attic, crawl space etc. The walls are the last one to be tackled at this point...