Energy efficient home - insulation and heaters

[chi.james]

I want to make my home more energy efficient. I live in a 2-family,

3-story brownstone that is over 100 years old. I currently have a recently purchased gas furnace with little to no insulation in my walls or ceilings. I have 9 foot ceilings. I live on 2 of the 3 floors that have a total of 2,400 square feet of living space. I would say that the builing is 30 feet wide and 40 feet long. The windows are huge and have recently been replaced. Most of the walls are drywalls and a few walls are actually plaster.

The first thing that I want to do is install insulation.

1. Is it more cost effective to use foam (poured or spray) insulation or break down the walls to install typical insulation? What is generally the cost of each based on per square foot?
2. If I have foam insulation installed, what are the concerns? Do I need to be concerned about a vapor barrier, which I do not have right now? What other concerns?
3. Can I spray foam insulation by myself? Or should I use an installer? How much could I save if I did it myself?
4. I have an open layout in the 1st floor. Do I need to insulate the ceiling between the first and second floor?
5. Do I need to insulate the ceiling between the 2nd and 3rd floor? The 3rd floor is not my apartment.

Next I want to add baseboard heating and install a boiler:

1. What kind of boiler do I need?
2. Should I choose baseboard or radiator?
3. Is it worth it to install this system if I have forced air heat? My system doesn't feel adequate enough but maybe that is due to the lack of insulation.
4. Would it be difficult having each room with its own thermostat? 8 rooms altogether.

I have a huge front door with gaps around all four sides. Although I have a foyer door that eliminates some of the draft, what can I do to fix those gaps. The door is over 3 feet wide and around 8 feet tall. Conventional weatherproofing supplies don't fit. I am thinking of replacing the door altogether. But I wanted to save the front door if possible. I tried to place a rubber strip on the bottom of the door but there is still some space. I even have a mail slot that is not air tight.

1. What should I do? replace the door and frame?

I would also appreciate any other advice you might have. Thanks.

[chi.james]

I also need to think about whether I should repoint my exterior brick. The space in between the brick is very very thin. I can't tell if I need to repoint but a contractor mentioned it to me. Do I need to do this in conjunction with everything else?

[Bob F]

I had cellulose blown into the walls.

Bob

[nicksanspam]

Where?

Nick

[chi.james]

[chi.james]

[Bob F]

They drilled 1" holes from the outside through the siding to install it, and inserted plastic "plugs" to cover them. My house is older, with older oil paint on interior walls, which I understand is a pretty good vapor barrier. Then again, I live in seattle, which doesn't have the extreme temp differentials of most of the northern US, nor the need for humidfiers.

The house felt significantly less "drafty" after wall insulation, and bills went down.

Bob

[scott21230]

First off, your supposed to insulate first, then replace the furnace after doing the appropriate calculation to determine the size necessary (size should go down). You will end up with an oversized furnace that will be less efficient and short cycle.

And if you have a limited amount of space to insulate, go with the foam because it has a higher R value than anything else. That's even if you have wal cavities to fill in.

[scott21230]

installer? How much could I save if I did it myself?

There are kits available online for this. Search for them. Very few people try to insulate their house with foam.

ceiling between the first and second floor?

1. Do I need to insulate the ceiling between the 2nd and 3rd floor? The 3rd floor is not my apartment.

The main reason why you might want to insulate inbetween floors is if someone else lives on the floor above or below you. You want to put regular fiberglass insulation there or something else to absorb the noise. However, I have heard of people doing it just to trap heat, but it's not very common.

[barry]

Please note that sealing can be more important than insulation; I'd suspect it's an issue after 110 yrs.

There are all manner of seal material available- some can close 1/4" gap. Were I you, I'd research this thoroughly, given the potential of huge, immediate savings. And curtailment of waste. Insulated door wouldn't hurt, either.

J

[chi.james]

Most of my home is brick and there are some wood areas which probably have gaps. There might also be gaps in between the brick due to crumbled mortar. I could probably only seal the wood from the outside. And I would love to repoint but I hear that is very expensive. When I replaced the doors and windows, I tried to use as much foam sealant as possible.

What would you recommend?

[chi.james]

[mikesenergysolutions]

[Speedy Jim]

Wait. Brownstone = Row House?

Unless you have the end unit, there is no point in insulating the "party" walls between houses. Nada.

And there is only one ceiling to insulate. That is the one under the roof. Typically, the house will have a flat roof with very little space between ceiling and roof deck. And very little ventilation. This calls for strict attention to moisture control or you will have major problems.

That leaves only the front and rear walls. Unless they have been "built out" (or in), you probably have a 1" air space to insulate in.

Except for the roof (which may be a big BTU loss) you may be quite limited in what you can achieve.

Post back if I have the style of building incorrect.

Jim (formerly of Weehawken)

[chi.james]

[chi.james]

[chi.james]

[hallerb]

closed cell foam is R6 per inch, besides being a excellent insulator it deadens sound dramatically by stopping air leaks. its pricey. how long will you remain in building?

insulating the cieling of the top floor of your space will reduce YOUR utilty bill if the rental pays for their own heat.

what kind of wiring do you have? If any is K&T you cant insulate without replacing it first since its a very real fire hazard in a insulated wall.

[chi.james]

I'm not sure how long I want to stay. It depends on how the neighborhood develops. I would think at least 5 years. It's not that long but it is unbearable in the winter.

What is K&T? We recently got our house rewired with armored cable. I th> closed cell foam is R6 per inch, besides being a excellent insulator it

[mikesenergysolutions]