Insulating advice – Circa 1850 Limestone
![](https://secure.gravatar.com/avatar/a82525dd7e8095fd99545a7480351854?s=52&d=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.finehomebuilding.com%2Fapp%2Favatars%2F200x200%2Fs.png&r=g)
I am interested in member opinions on the best way to proceed with my renovation.
About the project
- Location = Ontario Canada
- Structure is circa 1850 Limestone 1.5 storey.
- Walls are 20-24″ thick limestone
- Uninsulated full basement with cement floor
- gutted the structure down to the stone on the inside. All that currently remains is the flooring.
I am looking for suggestions on the best way to insulate the structure. Some of the issues and parameters that I am considering in my decision are as follows:
- Respect for the structure – It is 150+ years old and deserves some respect
- We will be 2x wood framing to ‘square’ and apply drywall
- This is a DIY weekend project/residence for now so costs have to be responsible
- The structure is quite small so we want to maintain as much floorspace as possible
Some of the suggestions and input that I have received so far have lead me to:
- Using a housewrap product to apply to the walls (before framing) to combat the moisture that will wick through the exterior walls because of the nature of the masonry. The theory would be to prevent the moisture from rotting the framing and still allow breathing for the humidity to dissipate. Some that I have talked to have expressed concern that the moisture should be allowed to pass through – rather than being barriered in the stone, then freezing and expanding. Reading this months FHB about dry basements got me wondering about EPS – but the organic nature of the structure might make the application of a rigid product difficult?
- Building typical 2×4 framing and using Roxul insulation, vapour barrier and drywall.
Advice, comments and suggestions would be most appreciated.
Thanks
Edited 2/1/2005 9:02 pm ET by SMSHARP
Replies
where in ont are you located
I live in a stone home in eastern ont and did all you are contemplating ultimately turned project into a business
you must block all drafts behind new studs using insulation of one kind or another
the new sprayed in insulation sounds very interesting for this specific task as they claim it is unafected by moisture and will cling to the rock ,it was unavailable for any i have done in the past
ultimately you usually need to repoint the stone exterior in most cases i have found when dealing with stone bldgs
I am located in Stirling Ontario (north of Belleville).
I am considering using spray urethane foam for the roof/attic area but am hesitant on using it for the walls. My hesitations are
The moisture barrier qualities of spray urethane may be a negative in my scenario. Even the contractor that has quoted me on spraying is not convinced that this product is appropriate for this job. The problem being that the moisture will be trapped in the masonry and will freeze causing expansion and breaking of the joints.
The permanent nature of the product. While nothing is forever - urethane almost is. Any future work, expansion, or a future renovator may curse the urethane as it has permanantly bonded to the stone and is virtually impossible to remove.
Cost - the urethane is a premium product and I am convinced of the value that it offers. BUT...gotta watch the budget! I think I can invest in materials and sweat equity that may preform well for less $$.
I agree that repointing is very important. Fortunately the stonework is not in too bad of condition. We are practising our repointing skills in non-obvious areas but are leaving the areas that show to a professional masonry contractor. Our contractor who does residential and commercial historic masonry projects throughout Ontario is also not a fan of the urethane foam on this type of project for the above reasons.
Here are a couple of pics.
First an exterior shot just after finishing our soffit and fascia replacement.
Second an interior shot of the current interior space
Sweet little place. Does your exterior wallls have weep holes for the moisture to escape?
I would consider putting rigid poly iso boards aginst the interior walls. The irregular stone will provide some air space. This would provide a thermal brake to the interior studs. Or you could cut the boards to fit between the studs and foam the edges.
Thanks - it's coming along. There has been alot of cleanup with my chainsaw and backhoe to get to this point.
I have considered polyiso. I like the additional R value. I suppose a sheet <1" would provide thermal break and R value advantages without sacrificing too much floorspace.
I haven't noticed any weep holes. I assume this would be intended to allow moisture condensing down the wall to escape from the bottom to the outside? Since the basement is not going to be living space I was wondering if I could leave space between floors so that any signifcant moisture could travel down to the basement where I can use a dehumidifier.
Any thoughts??
very sweet appearing shelter, thanks for the picts - reminds me of the 'log cabin' venacular of the US midwest in size and proportion -
would it be reasonable to have an inch or so of foam sprayed on the inside and then an applied stucco type of surface for finish?
were it not so beautiful, I'd say insulate and side the outside and keep the thermal mass and beauty for the interior, but I don't think it's appropriate in this case.... "there's enough for everyone"