Adding Insulation To Interior Walls

Retrofit wall insulation is a debatable subject because there is no single right answer for all homes and homeowners.

Adding insulation to interior walls.

As is the case with most remodeling projects many of this house s walls were going to remain intact so tom had to consider how best to retrofit the. There are various grades of insulating batting for different locations in the house so you ll need a different insulation for interior exterior attic or basement walls. Many solid walls including double brick walls see figure 7 1 have a small cavity generally less than 25 mm 1 in which is a drainage plane that collects and drains water out of the wall. The r value of the batt measures the thermal resistance so the higher the r value the more effectively.

So if your house was built before insulating walls became standard you can potentially save a great deal of energy by insulating. Most communities have building codes that require a minimum amount of insulation in a house s exterior walls and ceiling. Insulation in house exterior walls is one of the primary defenses against heat and energy loss. In an existing home adding insulation to the exterior of the basement walls is impractical.

The only option is to add insulation to the exterior or to the interior. With a small hole and a pump you can insulate your existing walls with minimum fuss. Choose fiberglass insulation batting. Fiberglass is a great way to insulate an existing wall.

Interior basement wall insulation has the following advantages. It s possible of course to install batts between the horizontal strapping if you want to do that type of fussy work although it would be hard with 1x3s. Achieving greater r values in exterior walls in exterior walls add insulating sheathing to achieve a greater r value in your wall system. Interior wall insulation in an old house.

It is much less expensive to install than exterior insulation for existing buildings. Insulating interior walls isn. Conserve room area relative to installing insulation on the interior. You can achieve better thermal performance in your attic by adding an additional layer of insulation.

Almost any insulation type can. The grade of batting will vary depending on the wall that you re insulating. If a house s attic or roof is already fully insulated adding insulation to the walls may be the single best way to reduce heating and cooling costs. In some cases the cost of adding insulation may exceed the cost of energy needed to heat or cool it.

Unfortunately however builders didn t insulate the walls of most homes built before the 1980s. Most mooney walls use blown in insulation so that you get added r value from the depth of the horizontal interior strapping. Only a cost benefit analysis in relation to your own situation can help you arrive at the right answer.