One home weatherproofing step I am taking is to add foam insulation inserts behind the plastic covers on power outlets in my home.
Mine is a 120 year old brick Victorian, the end unit in a row of four.
Question: I can feel the cold (this is Canada) on many of the outlets, especially those on the outer walls. Is it worthwhile or necessary however to insulate the other ones, the ones on internal walls, the walls between the houses and between rooms? Is there heat loss there too?
Thanks,
Peter
The "gaskets" are NOT a good idea. The cold air comes in THROUGH the receptacle then, and warm moist air gets out the same way. The PROPER way to do it is to spray "great stuff" low expanding urethane foam into the wall cavity around the box. That seals the entire outlet and avoids the damage caused by air going through the receptacles as well.
Yes, it is necessary to do the interier walls too. The walls are not airtight and leak air into the attic. There has to be a hole through the header to let the wires out, doesnt there?
If you cant do whats succetes above, also use those plastic outlet caps that plug into unused outlets to keep air from leaking out the slots.
You'd also do good to go along your foundation sill plate and caulk/seal the sill to the concrete foundation. An incredible amount of air usually leaks through that.
the inside walls of older houses are many times very much open to the attic. There are no 'headers' to speak of a lot of times. While this makes rewiring a breeze, it also makes a BREEZE down the wall from the attic. I'd put the insulators on all the covers if i were you.
steve
Look into EnerFoam? I believe it is - a new foam insulation for use in these older homes. I'll bet it's double brick (no wood framing on the outside walls)
My brother has a single detatched home of roughly that age in Kitchener and is slowlu insulating all the outer walls with injected urethane foam from the inside as he redoes each room. He drills a bunch of holes through the plaster, injects the foam, and patches the holes in the plaster with a mix of plaster of paris and polyfilla.
has the wiring been updated? K&T should never have insulation added, its a fire hazard
re: "There has to be a hole through the header to let the wires out, doesnt there?"
uh...no.
Unless you've got wires running through windows, doorways or other openings, I doubt the wires run through any headers.
Now, had you said "There has to be a hole through the top plate(s) to let the wires out, doesn't there?" you would have been closer. Of course, if the wires come up from the basement, then the hole might be in the sole plate, not the top plate.
And if he has K&T in Canada he'll have a heck of a time getting insurance. PERIOD.
And if he has K&T in Canada he'll have a heck of a time getting insurance. PERIOD.
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