Insulating a brick home
Hi All,
I am a contractor in St. Louis, MO, where we have a large stock of 100 year old brick homes. We are very interested in improving the efficiency of the homes that we work on. The issue I am struggling with is finding the best method to do so without compromising the brick. Exterior insulation and a new facade is the best option but no one is going to go for it. My worry about putting insulation on the inside is that we are decreasing the drying potential of the brick, which is absorbent, by preventing heat from the interior from reaching it, which will lead to more frost/thaw damage. We have considered sealing the outside face of the brick to make it less absorbent, but that would then require regular maintenance of all future homeowners, which we can’t guarantee will happen. Does anyone have any good solutions?
Thanks!
Sean
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Replies
I am an owner of an old brick home like you're talking about. Instead of insulating the exterior brick, I've thought about: 1) digging up the foundation from the outside, 2) adding exterior insulation and water proofing (every old house is a bit damp in the basement in my area), 3) back filling, then 4) and air sealing the basement joists from the inside.
If I did that, the basement would be much more comfortable and the stack effect would be reduced (I think).
That would definitely a good solution and would help the over all efficiency. A lot of the houses around here are built on the property line and within 5' of the next house (some of the lots are only 25' wide), so it may not always be a possibility for us, but it is a good technique to keep in mind. We have done waterproofing and insulation on the inside of basements, which has been less concerning because they are somewhat protected from the frost/thaw cycles by being underground, but still potentially problematic. Thanks for your input.