Could that cause problems? Should I seal the exterior before adding insulation or vice versa? Should I close the gaps from the basement to the exterior walls before insulating the attic?Ģ. It may be years before I'm able to gut and then seal/insulate the second and first floors. How should you order the steps of sealing and insulating to avoid problems? Say this year I do a good job of sealing and insulating the third floor and attic above. Kitchens and bathrooms don't have exhaust fans but hasn't been an issue because the house is so not tight.ġ. Hipped roof has vents that look to have been added with new roof a couple decades ago. Chimneys all repointed and capped but not closed.
Hoping to install new high-velocity HVAC system upstairs to serve third and second floor. Two old furnaces that draw from basement and serve first and second floor. No evidence anywhere I've seen of moisture issues in walls. No major sources of water (roof and downspouts recently repaired, basement completely dry, dehumidifier in basement). Pittsburgh 1904 classic American foursquare. But I still have questions.įirst, quick info on house. I've been reading everything I can on insulating old houses, including Nash, Old House Journal, this place, and lots of other stuff the internet gives me. After struggling with disappointment and guilt over tearing out hundred-year-old plaster (I had been so excited to order plaster washers), I realized it was a big opportunity for electric, HVAC, and-gulp-insulating. But then it turned out that the plaster was in worse shape than I anticipated, and now I'm in the process of gutting my third floor. Plus I didn't want to drill holes through plaster walls or cedar/brick exterior. My plan had been to just focus on sealing, because I was terrified of the insulation horror stories. My house right now is uninsulated, full of holes, and bone dry. I have a hard time believing that if you mess with just some of the air, moisture/vapor, and temperature, you won't cause problems for yourself. But you can't do that in an old house, even in ideal conditions. Well, more accurately, insulation makes complete sense to me in a new house where you can control air, moisture/vapor, and temperature.