Insulate an Old House
Many people dream of buying an old house and restoring it to its original glory. A lot of this work can be completed a bit of skill and a lot of elbow grease. Many of the old places have remnants of the bric-and-brac and adornments that can be duplicated to replace destroyed originals. The only other major consideration is the heating system and how efficient is the old place.
Many of the ancient building had only a 4″ air space for insulation while others had an assortments of fillers including dried moss and seaweed. To make the home more energy efficient renovators look to blown-in cellulose and cementitious foam.
Blown-In Insulation: Rather than a batt this insulation is made up of around 85 percent recycled newsprint. In addition there is a mixture of borate and ammonium sulfate which a good fire retardants and their compounds resist rodents, insects, mildew and mold. The product comes in large, compressed bricks which are broken up in a unit containing an agitator and a blower. The blower sends the air-cellulose mixture through long vacuum cleaner-like hoses and the installer directs the nozzle of the hose into pre-drilled holes in the wall. The mixture quickly fills the wall cavities getting into crevices and increasing the R-value considerably.
Cementitious Foam: Foam products have been great insulators for years but the threat of health issues surrounding UFFI (urea formaldehyde foam insulation) deterred people from any foam product. Cementitious foam is a magnesium-based product that comes from seawater. Like UFFI this foam will work its way in and around obstacles but the difference is that it will not shrink over time.
When it comes to dollars and cents cellulose wins that battle. However, foam is not affected by moisture and will not settle as cellulose might after time.
Add comment April 1, 2008
