When it’s time to upgrade your old house, getting your insulation project right can be the difference between a good and an excellent upgrade project. Proper insulation is crucial for homeowners looking to improve energy efficiency and comfort throughout their old house. This is because older homes weren’t built for energy efficiency. Back then, energy was cheaper, walls were solidly built, and drafts were an acceptable trend for allowing breathability, which today can also lead to high energy expenses.
When insulating an old house, it’s easy to overlook some important factors and fail to achieve the intended outcome. Below, we’ll explore the most common insulation mistakes homeowners make when upgrading an old house so you can avoid them.
Blindly Insulating a Stud Cavity Wall
Most old houses are built with solid walls without a cavity space in the wall, making it difficult to insulate them. One of the best insulation solutions for older homes would be building a stud cavity wall and insulating the space in between. The insulation process involves cutting a small hole into the existing wall and filling the cavity with foam as a way to minimize invasion and save cost.
While this is an effective method of insulating solid walls, it’s not always a straightforward process, as many homeowners tend to believe. You’ll need a surveyor to thoroughly inspect your home to ascertain its suitability for cavity wall insulation. Once you have the green light to continue, the insulation should be applied evenly and sufficiently to ensure no gaps or cold spots are left in the wall.
Cold spots and gaps can attract air moisture, leading to issues like black mould, which can cause health complications.
Using the Wrong Type of Insulation Material
While there are several types of insulation and insulation materials you can consider for your old house upgrade project, they don’t all offer the same results. Choosing the wrong type of insulation material for any space can reduce efficiency and lead to expensive issues down the line. You can choose the right insulation material by first inspecting where you want to install or add the insulation, then checking the insulation material’s resistance to heat flow (R-value).
Some insulation materials, like fiberglass, polystyrene, and plastic film, work well on ceilings and floors, while others, like foam board and cellulose, work well on walls. By understanding the type of insulation and materials needed for a project, you can achieve success with the first attempt, minimizing losses.
Ignoring Air Leaks
Old houses are constructed with a lot of ventilation to allow for maximum airflow in and out of the house. This simply means you can’t ignore air leaks when insulating an old house. When air leaks aren’t taken care of during an upgrade project, the whole insulation project may not amount to much. Don’t focus on only adding more insulation without addressing the gaps around the doors, windows, and other openings in the house that are responsible for drafts.
It’s important to start with the sealing process first before insulating any specific area in your house. You can seal these gaps with caulk, weatherstripping, or spray foam to ensure your insulation works perfectly.
Spending Resources Pulling Out Existing Insulation
While it’s true some old house insulation may not be of much value today, spending money and time pulling it out can be costlier and even risky. Since you’re dealing with a home built around the 50’s and 60’s when asbestos was commonly used on roofs, pulling down the existing blown-in insulation can disturb the asbestos. When these asbestos particles rise into the air, they can be a potential health risk, exposing everyone to cancer-causing substances in asbestos.
If you suspect that your attic may contain these materials, it’s important to consult an expert before proceeding with the replacement of old insulation. In most cases, you’ll not need to remove the old insulation, as you can simply add a new layer over the old one to keep you warm.
However, you should always inspect to see if the old insulation should be discarded or reused in your new insulation project. You can always pull down insulation sections that look rotten or in bad shape, provided you’re doing it safely and within budget.
Doing Everything Yourself
While you may have some admirable DIY insulation experience, you may not excel alone in an old house insulation project. Working with old house insulation professionals can help you complete complex insulation work and increase the chances of success on the first attempt. You might help in a few less-demanding areas while leaving the complicated insulation tasks for the experts.
Upgrading your old house’s insulation is a significant investment, but it’s crucial to get things right while at it to avoid incurring additional expenses. By avoiding the mistakes above, you can optimize the benefits of your insulation project and live in a comfortable old house with modern finishes.