Old houses: Are they insulated?
by
CK
+23
When looking at historic homes for sale, other than asking the home owners (which may not be possible), how can you know for sure if these old beauties have insulation? When they were built (this one was 1901) usually there was no wall insulation...If there was anything at all, it may have been straw in our area of the country. Ideas how to check for insulation?
9 answers
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over here in Australia ,wen you buy a house the saler must fill in a owners disclosure form and it must say is or is or isent ,other than that, builders inspection or you get in roof and see your self.
Peter Evans
on Apr 02, 2015
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When we bought our house (1963), it did not have insulation as it was well over 100 yrs. old. We hired a reputable insulation company and they blew the insulation in through small holes that were then recovered. We were happy with the result and still live here.
Jackie Drown
on Apr 02, 2015
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Get up in the attic to check for insulation
Ashley Freeman
on Apr 03, 2015
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Love that house. If yours is like mine (built 1951) the insulation has probably deteriorated to dust. I have recently renovated a second floor room and because it was always too hot in summer and too cold in winter I took down the walls and ceiling. The facing looked intact but once that seal was broken out came nothing but dust. A respirator (or at least a N95 mask) will be required to remove it. Good luck, I love old houses.
Robert Heede
on Apr 03, 2015
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I've got an 1872 farmhouse in cold cold Canada. Check the recent heating bills, then go up to the attic and check for insulation. Equally important, if you've got original windows and doors, check to see how tightly sealed they are. If there is newer double glazing, you won't be able to tell if they are still good unless it is cold outside; then you'll see condensation form if they are bad and not insulating properly. New windows will cost a lot - possibly more than you'll ever recover in savings on heat! Its best to go into this with your eyes open!
Duv310660
on Apr 03, 2015
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Still looking for information about checking for insulation....specifically wall insulation. I know how to check for attic insulation :-)
CK
on Apr 03, 2015
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The attic may have insulation but the walls probably have lath and they didnt insulate them in the past. If they have original windows, those probably leak too. I too love the older homes because character. But up keep scares me.
Diana R
on Apr 03, 2015
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Since it seems to be such a necessity to know why don't you try to convince someone to drill a hole somewhere and stick a wire hanger in there and see if it gets caught up on any insulation. Put a hook at the end maybe and try to grab some. Obviously be very careful not to hit anything else. Maybe there's a spot nobody will even notice a small hole like behind a cabinet or casing somewhere. My guess is it doesn't have any since the age. At least not anything useful left. An old home needs nothing but work. Good luck. Diy can only go so far when it comes to old structures.
David Gnida
on Apr 03, 2015
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Connie, remove the electrical walls cover plates and take a look. Usually there's just enough room between the electrical box and the finished wall to see into the cavity. Many homes built prior to the 1930s and 40s used a construction method known as balloon framing. The lower portion of the wall cavity was open and the wall studs sat directly on the foundation's supporting beams. If you have access under the house and are feeling brave, get yourself a mirror and a flashlight, get under the house and see if the wall cavity is open. If so take your small mirror and look up inside the cavity.
D & K
on Apr 03, 2015
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