Insulating double brick wall home. Via the inside.

ArchTech · 05-18-2010, 04:19 PM

The best way to do it if you are in Toronto is to pull the wall out and add R20 insulation. I`m an architectural technologist and if you were my client that is what I would recommend. Double masonry wall by itself is of course perfectly adequate however it comes down to your own preference.

Jeff,

I caution the spray foam now adays. There have been cases were vermiculite insulation has been found within it recently. Please be cautious about any decision you make. Batt insulation is still the more prefered choice.

Ron6519 · 05-18-2010, 05:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArchTech

The best way to do it if you are in Toronto is to pull the wall out and add R20 insulation. I`m an architectural technologist and if you were my client that is what I would recommend. Double masonry wall by itself is of course perfectly adequate however it comes down to your own preference.

Jeff,

I caution the spray foam now adays. There have been cases were vermiculite insulation has been found within it recently. Please be cautious about any decision you make. Batt insulation is still the more prefered choice.

What are you speaking of when you caution about spray insulation? Which spray insulation? Where was vermiculite found?
What's an architectual technologist?
Ron

stuart45 · 05-18-2010, 06:19 PM

If it's a cavity wall ( brick external wall/ 2-3 inch cavity/brick or block internal wall), the usual way is to drill holes in the exterior wall and inject insulation such as mineral fibres or polystyrene balls. This is quite a simple and cheap method. I wouldn't recommend ripping down a wall to put insulation in the cavity.
http://www.thinkinsulation.co.uk/cav...stallation.htm

Wildie · 05-18-2010, 09:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stuart45

If it's a cavity wall ( brick external wall/ 2-3 inch cavity/brick or block internal wall), the usual way is to drill holes in the exterior wall and inject insulation such as mineral fibres or polystyrene balls. This is quite a simple and cheap method. I wouldn't recommend ripping down a wall to put insulation in the cavity.
http://www.thinkinsulation.co.uk/cav...stallation.htm

Just for the record, this thread is more than a year old and the OP has probably completed his project!
The wall only had a 3/4" cavity and the R value payback for injected insulation wouldn't make it worth while!
My present home had a 3 1/2" wall cavity and I did have cellulose insulation blown in! It would be a waste of time and money to do so with a 3/4 cavity!

Wildie · 05-18-2010, 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ArchTech

The best way to do it if you are in Toronto is to pull the wall out and add R20 insulation. I`m an architectural technologist and if you were my client that is what I would recommend. Double masonry wall by itself is of course perfectly adequate however it comes down to your own preference.

Jeff,

I caution the spray foam now adays. There have been cases were vermiculite insulation has been found within it recently. Please be cautious about any decision you make. Batt insulation is still the more prefered choice.

I doubt that anybody would be happy about losing 6" of room space so as to install R20 insulation!
Usually rooms in these old houses are small to start with!

stuart45 · 05-19-2010, 09:16 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wildie

Just for the record, this thread is more than a year old and the OP has probably completed his project!
The wall only had a 3/4" cavity and the R value payback for injected insulation wouldn't make it worth while!
My present home had a 3 1/2" wall cavity and I did have cellulose insulation blown in! It would be a waste of time and money to do so with a 3/4 cavity!

I didn't notice the date as there already had been 2 replies yesterday, although it usually takes at least a year of the wife's nagging before I start a job.
I may have read it wrong but I took it that there was an air gap/cavity between the 2 wythes which was unknown in size. The type of insulation I was talking about goes into that gap. The gap needs to be at least 2 inches for a contractor to fill it.
As I understand it the 3/4 gap was between the wall and the plasterboard. I may have got this info wrong.