Insulating Extension

We have an old (1914) brownstone extension (approx 15×25) that is completely uninsulated, and it’s frigid when the wind starts blowing. Right now there’s just the exterior masonry and interior 2×4 walls with no insulation in between the 2x4s. And no insulation in the ceiling. Anyone have good ideas for insulating it? Right now options that we’re considering are (1) polystyrene or polyiso panels, with or without some fiberglass batt, in the ceiling (we’d drop the ceiling to allow for this), and (2) spraying in some closed-cell foam into the walls where we can – we can’t do it everywhere because there are areas with debris and other areas with old lathe still in the wall. Would love to hear if anyone’s tried either of these and how they worked, or any suggestions for other ideas. Thanks!

sprucenik

in Insulation 10 years and 4 months ago

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bklynazucar | 10 years and 3 months ago

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Sprucnik, We are in the same situation. Have you determined what you will do next?

Augustiner | 10 years and 4 months ago

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Given that this is an extension I would do exterior insulation because: – exterior insulation performs best, this is a fact not an opinion – minimal disturbance inside the house during construction – no lowering of the ceiling necessary – your exterior will look new (put at least 4″ EIFS on the walls, 4″ Polyiso on the roof under a new roof material) I have to note that the EIFS should be installed by a pro who does this all the time, otherwise it´ll just be a disaster. If exterior insulation not an option in your situation, then sprayfoam it closes all the little gaps in the brick.

riva | 10 years and 4 months ago

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Open and or closed cell blown in insulation is the way to go. Its the least intrusive, most efficient, comparably priced application. Energy test and estimates can be given with exact pricing per square foot. www.rivacontracting.net

rh | 10 years and 4 months ago

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It sounds like maybe you can’t blow in insulation because of debris, etc in the wall. How old is this extension? Is it just sheetrock? If it’s not too large or fabulous, I’d just tear the walls down and do it right. Wait until it warms up though. In the meantime, you can install a larger or better radiator or an electric baseboard until you deal with it.