November 1, 2002, Newsletter Issue #42: Insulation question

Tip of the Week

Dear Guru;
My home was built in 1903 and constructed with 6" concrete walls with
> brick on the outside the interior walls are also all concrete, I am
> wondering if there is anything that can be done to improve insulation or
> is that impossible? I know if it was wood frame I could blow it in but not
> sure about concrete. Thank You

Dear DIY`er;
Your house sounds very unique! I would love to see it.
From your description, the only way to insulate the walls would be to furr
out the interior walls, insulate between the furring strips with basically
Styrofoam sheets, and then sheet rock the walls. That would be a pretty
major project.
Are the concrete walls sound, without cracks? If so, you may not need to
insulate the walls. The problem may be with the windows and doors instead. A
100 year old house must have done some settling, making the doors and
windows at least somewhat out of square. Check around each door and window
to see if there is any air infiltration. If your budget allows, you might
want to consider replacement doors and windows, which are much more
thermally efficient. Without replacements, you can caulk around the doors
and windows to eliminate drafts.
Another possible cure would be to add insulation to the attic. Quite a bit
of heat is lost (or gained) through the roof.

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