On Fri, 21 Aug 2009 21:57:17 -0400, "Matt Williamson"
wrote:

I have a family room in my house that is basically 3 outside walls. One wall
faces my uninsulated garage, another the side of my house and the back wall
is the back of my house with a florida room. The back wall also has a
woodburning fireplace. There is wood paneling lining all of the walls. The
room is very cold in the winter and I think more insulation would help. The
existing stuff looks very thin. It's maybe 2" thick and it looks like yellow
fiberglass type with foil backing. I'm ripping down the paneling and putting
up drywall and I'm trying to determine what the existing R-value is and what
I should add to make it a little better. I know the wood fireplace is a huge
air draft that just sucks heat out. I plan on putting in a gas insert to
make that more efficient. Here is a link to a couple of pics I took of the
insulation. http://mysite.verizon.net/vzev0tzm/id1.html Click the thumbs to
get a full size pic. What would be my best option for this room? Can I just
add more over top of the old or should I replace it with something better
altogether?

TIA

Matt

I'd pull it out and reframe inside - makes the room about 7 inches
smaller one way, and 3 1/2 the other - with 2X4s and put in new
insulation. Either rock-wool comfort batts or styrofoam SM and
rock-wool. Matts - not blown wool. (Roxul is the common supplier up
here in Canada) Fiberglass would be second choice. Blown urethane
foam is also an option - more expensive but "airtight".

Don't be tempted to leave the old crap in.