October 21, 2009

Weatherizing My Brownstone

I'm wondering if anyone has experience with weatherization (not windows, we've done that) but insulating roofs and other areas (what are they)? I'd love to know what you did, if it's helped lower heating bills, what contractors you used and if you know if there is any government assistance available to help with this.

Winterizing Cafe Windows

I just came into posession of a piece of property with retail space on the ground floor. This will be our first winter in the space and it has windows similar to the ones in the photo. I've come to discover that a fair amount of cold air comes into the windows around the edges. I'm trying to figure out how to winterize them without covering them competely. Any ideas?

October 15, 2009

Blower Needed with Cellulose?

hello,

i have some minor insulation work to do on the front exterior wall of my brownstone. i've recently had the whole front parlor floor door replaced, but have still not closed up the interior wall around the door frame. as it's getting cold, i want to get this wall insulated and sealed pronto.

as it's not very much wall area that'll need to be insulated (probably less than 15 cubic feet) and i have the interior wall completely open (exposed framing, no sheetrock), can insulate this myself with cellulose without a blower?

any tips appreciated!

thanks,
tracy

October 10, 2009

Blown In Insulation

Does anyone know, ballpark, how much it costs to have insulation blown in to a 20' wide brownstone's roof space?

October 2, 2009

Weatherproofing Below Windows

Not sure what its called, but the cavity from below the window sill to the floor. In my b'stone there is wood paneling in this area. One panel popped out and now we can see why our upstairs is so hard to heat in the winter...next to no insulation between the paneling and the brick.

Looking for advice on what type of insulation is best (green materials preferred) and what type of craftsman to hire for the job in order to maintain the delicate woodwork.

September 24, 2009

Asbestos That's Not a Ripoff?

Can anyone recommend an honest and fairly priced company to do asbestos removal? I've tried calling a few from old postings on this site but they appear to no longer be in business.

We have a small job: Remove fewer than 5 inches of asbestos from pipes in basement, vacuum dirt floor, and simply throw away a small amount of linoleum that is not glued to the floor.

Flat Roof Insulation Install

hi,

we wanted to get insulation installed in our flat roof, which goes from 33 feet or so at the front, to 6" or so at the rear. Does anyone know of anyone who would do this? Blow in or bats, I dont really mind.

June 20, 2009

Drywall removal-blown insulation

I need to replace some moldy drywall. Basically I plan to cut away about 3-4' from the floor and replace with new drywall. Maybe even use the wall to run some new copper water pipes.

Dilema: Beneath the drywall is some nice thick blown in insulation, which I want to preserve. I don't want a mess of removing it and the cost with replacing it.

I just want to remove the old drywall and put in the new stuff. Suggestions? Websites? How to?

May 24, 2009

ceiling soundproofing

Hi all,
It's a long story, but my plaster ceiling was torn out and replaced with sheetrock; some soundproofing boards were installed as well, but may not have been installed properly, and I have more noise coming from my upstairs neighbor than I'd like. I'm looking for recommendations on how to increase the soundproofing in the ceiling--I don't care about losing a few inches of ceiling height, just tired of being able to hear everything happening in my neighbor's apartment. I am just finishing 6 years as a graduate student, so hoping to keep the costs down. Thanks in advance!

April 21, 2009

Foam insulation systems

Has anyone done a foam insulation retrofitting to an older wood frame home? Experience? Cost? Anyone use Air Seal Insulation- they are a site advertiser. Any other recommendations?

thanks-

Forum: Insulation