Lumber and Siding - R-value of vinyl siding over brick
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flukeslapper
09-16-09, 10:48 AM
Having no insulation in some exterior-facing walls, I'm considering having vinyl siding installed over my brick exterior as a means of cutting down some of the draft. I figured that a Tyvek wrap and a layer of foam board under the vinyl might help insulate a bit - am I dreaming? Would I just be better off tearing down the interior walls and adding insulation (keeping in mind that I'd have to re-frame everything)? Thanks for your advice!
Concretemasonry
09-16-09, 12:16 PM
Vinyl siding, even with a foam backing is of no importance when it comes to insulation. It is just a little Bit better than venetian blind, that are also hung loosely.
The Tyve is a moisture barrier that is intended to breathe.
You probably have brick veneer with a 2x4 stick back-up, so tearing out the framing is not possible.
You could have the void between the 2x4 studs filled by blowing in insulation. Another alternate is to strip out the interior drywall, insulate the cavities and caulk where necessary, apply a vapor barrier and then new drywall.
Have you considered carefully removing the interior wood trim, filling voids and gaps around the window with non-expanding foam and reinstalling the old trim?
Dick
The Tyve is a moisture barrier that is intended to breathe.
You probably have brick veneer with a 2x4 stick back-up, so tearing out the framing is not possible.
You could have the void between the 2x4 studs filled by blowing in insulation. Another alternate is to strip out the interior drywall, insulate the cavities and caulk where necessary, apply a vapor barrier and then new drywall.
Have you considered carefully removing the interior wood trim, filling voids and gaps around the window with non-expanding foam and reinstalling the old trim?
Dick
Pilot Dane
09-16-09, 01:17 PM
The foam board typically used to back vinyl siding has an R value of 1 and brick has an R value of .2 per inch so your wall probably is about .8 and I'd consider an interior hollow wall with wall board to be about 1 R. So while 1 is numerically not much, it would be a significant increase over what you have now but I doubt it would be worth the expense.
A brick wall is a good barrier against drafts so If you are getting drafts I would work on sealing up cracks and openings. That will give you a big benefit for little money. A can of spray foam can fill gaps around windows, doors and where exterior lights, outlets and water spigots pass through your brick wall. You can also put foam pads underneath the cover plates of your electrical outlets and light switches on the interior of your home.
If your house is brick veneer with an interior framed wall you could have insulation blown into the wall cavity. They would only need to drill some holes in the wall that are easily patched and re-painted.
A brick wall is a good barrier against drafts so If you are getting drafts I would work on sealing up cracks and openings. That will give you a big benefit for little money. A can of spray foam can fill gaps around windows, doors and where exterior lights, outlets and water spigots pass through your brick wall. You can also put foam pads underneath the cover plates of your electrical outlets and light switches on the interior of your home.
If your house is brick veneer with an interior framed wall you could have insulation blown into the wall cavity. They would only need to drill some holes in the wall that are easily patched and re-painted.