[MassHistPres] Seeking insulation recommendations

[Garrett Laws]

Recomendation
1) Read, read, read and then read some more at
https://www.buildingscience.com/document-search There are some documents
with case studies regarding old houses and how they perform and what
effects insulation have in old houses.

2) Why do you think you need to reach the minimum R-49? It’s my
understanding that does not need to meet all of the building code
parameters.

3) As “there is no insulation in the entire house” I’d recommend verifying
that knob and tube isn’t in the house and then check Mass Save to see about
having wall insulation blown in, there may be a longer discussion about
this one...

4) To the attic question I’d go with the following. I would use rigid foam
sheets cut to fit the bays and install against the roof deck. The whole
house will have some level of air circulation so I wouldn’t wrap the beams.
I’d install either pink insulation or rock wool and then I would install
more rigid sheets on the face of the rafters. I didn’t do the math on the
different materials but it likely wont get you to R-49 but stopping /
massively reducing the air exchange will allow the insulation to do the job
properly.

5) If you install ridged and then spray foam and eventually want to reverse
the process OR add living space or a dormer, any area with spray will need
to be ripped out and then thrown into a dumpster / landfill. Installing
rigid / pink / rock wool insulation is a process / installation that can be
disassembled and the materials can all be reused in the future build.

6) See 1) and read, read, read some more.

Garrett Laws
Copper & Slate
781-893-1916

On Saturday, December 4, 2021, Marcia M Wengen <
mmwe at mmwe.digitalspacemail8.net> wrote:

> New owner of historic property has contacted Stoneham Historical
> Commission for advice. Any help would be greatly appreciated.
>
>
> Greetings,
>
> I’m looking for suggestions to insulate an attic as part of the living
> space of the building for a 130 year house.  The property is historically
> designated and as such I would like to avoid using any methods that are
> non-reversible (i.e., spray foam).  The house is located in Stoneham, MA
> (climate zone 5) and will require a minimum attic insulation of R-49.
> There is currently no insulation at all in the entire house and my
> immediate attention is on the attic space and will subsequently be the
> basement (walls of floors 1 and 2 will remain uninsulated).  The house is 3
> stories above grade with an unfinished basement and floors one and two
> currently livable space.  The attic is unfinished with the roof being
> constructed as a main gable and two smaller perpendicular gables, main roof
> pitch is 10/12 with 2x6 rafters spaced 24 inches all throughout.  There is
> 2.5 foot knee wall around the entire perimeter of the attic with no
> existing ventilation.  As indicated prior I would like to avoid using spray
> foam insulation directly on the rafters/roof deck and I’m looking for
> suggestions on how to insulate the space as I would eventually like to
> include a portion of it as part of the living area.  A couple of ideas I
> have though over include purchasing  polyiso sheets of insulation and
> wrapping each individual rafter and then attaching to the roof deck space
> in between and subsequently using closed cell spray foam on this assembly
> to reach the minimum insulation requirement.  I am also open to the idea of
> building out the rafter and wall space to insert mineral wool insulation
> and then finishing with a few inches of polyiso sheet insulation/plastic
> sheet as a vapor barrier but I will admit that this is not my field of
> trade so I may be wrong in my thoughts.  Any help will be greatly
> appreciated and if necessary I can make myself available for discussion.
>
>
> Marcia M Wengen Co-chair
> Stoneham Historical Commission
>
>


-- 

Many Thanks,
Garrett Laws

www.copperandslate.net
The Copper & Slate Company, Inc.
Fine Roofing and Historic Carpentry
238 Calvary Street,
Waltham, MA 02453
(781) 893-1916

*LEAD FREE SINCE 2008*
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