Insulation for Brownstone

I’ve posted about this before, but didn’t get a lot of response, and this seems like a good opportunity to bring it up again. What’s everyone’s feeling on toxicity issues? It “feels” like loose fiberglass fibers should be a bad idea (feels inevitable that it’ll be an asbestos-like issue down the road), but then the fire retardant chemicals that cellulose is treated with seem terrible too, and expanding foam offgasses petrochemical nasties. We need to insulate our cockloft as well as in the ceiling between our unit and the rental for soundproofing . We have kids, so this is a concern.

smadargolan

in General Discussion 7 years and 8 months ago

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sjq2102 | 7 years and 8 months ago

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Hi everyone,

Our home in Park Slope is very drafty in the colder months, and I am wondering if there is a full-service firm anyone can recommend to help insulate our home.

A lot of the issue is very obvious. For instance, 1. the doors are quite drafty, 2. there is a gap between the windows and the home where the caulk has come undone allowing cold air in, and 3. there is a draft in the baseboards.

I’ve thought about fixing some of it myself but it seems like too big of a job. For instance, I can’t quite re-caulk the windows given many are on upper levels of the house which makes it hard to reach. I’m just wondering if anyone has any suggestions on the best approach.

Are there any good insulation firms one can recommend for a full service job? Or should I hire a handyman to help me fix the very obvious issues (windows, doors) and go from there?

Much appreciate any help in advance!

BobMarvin | 7 years and 8 months ago

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IMO a handyman would be preferable to an insulation company for caulking and weather-stripping. However . if your cockloft isn’t insulated you’d be well advised to get an insulation company for that; there’s a LOT of heat loft through an un-insulated roof. Other types of insulation [i.e. walls] are problematic because of condensation issues [unless you’re opening all the interior walls, in which case you could have a vapor barrier installed].

sjq2102 | 7 years and 8 months ago

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Ok thanks. My only hesitation to using just a handyman was that he quoted me at $600 just to re-caulk the windows, because he said he needed to put up scaffolding to reach the top windows which seemed surprising to me. The home is only a two family (garden street level) then parlor staircase outside and second floor above that. To me that seemed too expensive.

BobMarvin | 7 years and 8 months ago

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Why not speak with your neighbors and get recommendations for other handymen?

landlord | 7 years and 8 months ago

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I second BobMarvin – There is a lot of heat lost through an un-insulated roof. The cockloft of my brownstone had 3 foot of space to fill. I had blown insulation put in as well as a couple of vents.

sjq2102 | 7 years and 8 months ago

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Great, thanks for your help and ideas!

imaredhooker | 7 years and 8 months ago

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don’t think you need scaffolding – just a ladder.

avazimPS | 7 years and 8 months ago

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Landlord, did you use blown-in fiberglass or cellulose insulation for your cockloft? Also, what were the roof vents for?

BobMarvin | 7 years and 8 months ago

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I don’t know which material “Landlord” used, but the vents, which I also have, are to eliminate condensation, which would wet the insulation. They’re needed because there’s no vapor barrier used.

avazimPS | 7 years and 8 months ago

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Thanks for the insight–it does seem counterintuitive to create vents in a roof when trying to keep water out. I get that it allows for moisture to leave as well, but cutting more holes in a roof seems like it could lead to more water entering.
Can you recommend a cockloft insulation specialist?

EJR | 7 years and 8 months ago

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Federal conservation group for blown in insulation (800-675-1660) seems to be the most recommended on B’Stoner. I am meeting tomorrow morning with the owner to discuss insulation of my cock loft. I will report back.

workisfun | 7 years and 8 months ago

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Federal insulated my entire sill plate and blew in Insulsafe (BIBS) in 3 exposed walls. They did good work, were pleasant, and I really like the product. Anti-mold, anti-bacterial, etc…

BobMarvin | 7 years and 8 months ago

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FWIW the two mushroom vents I had installed on my roof when I had insulation blown in 40 years ago don’t leak.

avazimPS | 7 years and 8 months ago

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So Bob, what’s your insulation material of choice? 🙂

BobMarvin | 7 years and 8 months ago

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I had insulation blown in about 40 years ago and didn’t really have a choice. It was done through the late, lamented, Brooklyn Union Gas Company, a strictly local utility that was big on supporting the “brownstone movement” and energy saving (which was an even greater concern in the ’70s than now). The contractor was supposed to use fiberglass, but substituted cellulose because their was a shortage of the former material. In retrospect I’m glad they made that substitution because, every once and a while, a small amount of the material filters down through cracks in the woodwork and fiberglass is very irritating. My only worry was that the chemical fire-proofing of cellulose might somehow wear out. However, a few years ago I had some work done that resulted in a handful of the old cellulose falling out. I piled it up and tried to set it on fire without success, which was a relief.

Of course there might be newer materials that are better than cellulose, so do some research.

landlord | 7 years and 8 months ago

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avazimPS – I used blown in fiberglass. They had a very long hose that reached the roof and was hooked up to their truck. The vents are needed once you add insulation. This is to prevent condensation and prevent the top floor from getting too hot during the summer (from what I was told). They cut a 3 foot square hole in the roof and a worker went in with the hose. Took about 4 hours.