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Default Determine R-value of existing insulation

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


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Default Determine R-value of existing insulation

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


Hi,
Where do you live? Is the stud 2x4 or 2x6? FP place may be lot of heat
than heating the room depending what style.
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Default Determine R-value of existing insulation

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.
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Default Determine R-value of existing insulation


Hi,
Where do you live? Is the stud 2x4 or 2x6? FP place may be lot of heat
than heating the room depending what style.


I'm in the North East. Western NY area. That room is framed with 2x4's. So,
is the R value of the existing insulation 3.2 x the thickness of the
insulation?


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Default Determine R-value of existing insulation

Matt Williamson wrote:
Hi,
Where do you live? Is the stud 2x4 or 2x6? FP place may be lot of heat
than heating the room depending what style.


I'm in the North East. Western NY area. That room is framed with 2x4's. So,
is the R value of the existing insulation 3.2 x the thickness of the
insulation?


Hi,
Around 4 x thickness and if batt is compressed or moist it loses R
value. They don't build houses any more using 2x4 studs. It's 2x6 now.
I live in Southern Alberta. Rigid styrofoam panel has higher R value.
And if your FP is not air tight type I'd convert it for heat gain than
loss. Here we all use NG direct vent FPs now.




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Default Determine R-value of existing insulation


"Matt Williamson" wrote in message
...
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


It's probably an old off brand 3 1/2 inch R-11....Replacing it with Owens
Corning 3 1/2 will bump it up to R-13...The foam that is sprayed on would
get you where you want to go but it isn't cheap but compared to any framing
out or adding syrofoam panels and the wiring problems that might bring as
far as moving the boxes out , it might be worth it.....You won't have enough
wire in the box to extend it out more than an inch or so at MOST....I bet if
you did a good job with the R-13 including insulating behind and around the
outlet boxes , poking it around the windows good and foamed all the nooks
and crannies with a can of spray foam it would be fine AFTER you install the
Gas insert into the fireplace which I think is the reason your room is
cold..JMHO........

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Default Determine R-value of existing insulation

"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?


For w-NY you can sure use some more insulation in those walls. I
agree with the Canadians who suggested making the wall thicker &
re-doing the insulation.

But if this is on a slab- your first thought will be to dig around the
outside and put in some perimeter insulation. . . . And if it is
full of windows- you want to re-think them. . . . and if there is
no insulation overhead, you need to get some there.

THEN. . . do the walls.

Jim
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Default Determine R-value of existing insulation

On Aug 21, 8:57*pm, "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


It might be about R 10-12, minimum code might be R15 and optimal near
R 30, Best is R7" sprayed on foam for R 24 and no air leaks. The
fireplace is a looser up the chimney, I could not find a true sealing
door for under 1000 so I got a chimney cap that closes but still had
alot of cold air comming down. I took steel L channel and screwed it
to the frame, then R 14 foamboard and put on Magnetic Tape, I painted
foamboard to match and just remove it when I want a fire, just the
foamboard cover warmed the room noticably. Your room was designed to
minimal standards, you can redo it so you will save alot every month
heating and cooling it. Not all foam have the same R value, some are
R5"
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Default Determine R-value of existing insulation

On Aug 22, 7:41*am, ransley wrote:
On Aug 21, 8:57*pm, "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


It might be about R 10-12, minimum code might be R15 and optimal near
R 30, Best is R7" sprayed on foam for R 24 and no air leaks. The
fireplace is a looser up the chimney, I could not find a true sealing
door for under 1000 so I got a chimney cap that closes but still had
alot of cold air comming down. I took steel L channel and screwed it
to the frame, then R 14 foamboard and put on Magnetic Tape, I painted
foamboard to match and just remove it when I want a fire, just the
foamboard cover warmed the room noticably. Your room was designed *to
minimal standards, you can redo it so you will save alot every month
heating and cooling it. Not all foam have the same R value, some are
R5"


i agree about the fireplace being a major source of cold...don't
forget the ceiling as well.. you didn't say if it was 1 or 2
floors...

Mark
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Default Determine R-value of existing insulation

On Aug 22, 9:27*am, Mark wrote:
On Aug 22, 7:41*am, ransley wrote:





On Aug 21, 8:57*pm, "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


It might be about R 10-12, minimum code might be R15 and optimal near
R 30, Best is R7" sprayed on foam for R 24 and no air leaks. The
fireplace is a looser up the chimney, I could not find a true sealing
door for under 1000 so I got a chimney cap that closes but still had
alot of cold air comming down. I took steel L channel and screwed it
to the frame, then R 14 foamboard and put on Magnetic Tape, I painted
foamboard to match and just remove it when I want a fire, just the
foamboard cover warmed the room noticably. Your room was designed *to
minimal standards, you can redo it so you will save alot every month
heating and cooling it. Not all foam have the same R value, some are
R5"


i agree about the fireplace being a major source of cold...don't
forget the ceiling as well.. *you didn't say if it was 1 or 2
floors...

Mark


I don't see the significance of determining the R value of 2" of
existing insulation. You want to put the max amount you can fit into
the wall. Choices are either add to it, or pull it out and start
over.


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Default Determine R-value of existing insulation

On Aug 22, 8:37*am, wrote:
On Aug 22, 9:27*am, Mark wrote:





On Aug 22, 7:41*am, ransley wrote:


On Aug 21, 8:57*pm, "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


It might be about R 10-12, minimum code might be R15 and optimal near
R 30, Best is R7" sprayed on foam for R 24 and no air leaks. The
fireplace is a looser up the chimney, I could not find a true sealing
door for under 1000 so I got a chimney cap that closes but still had
alot of cold air comming down. I took steel L channel and screwed it
to the frame, then R 14 foamboard and put on Magnetic Tape, I painted
foamboard to match and just remove it when I want a fire, just the
foamboard cover warmed the room noticably. Your room was designed *to
minimal standards, you can redo it so you will save alot every month
heating and cooling it. Not all foam have the same R value, some are
R5"


i agree about the fireplace being a major source of cold...don't
forget the ceiling as well.. *you didn't say if it was 1 or 2
floors...


Mark


I don't see the significance of determining the R value of 2" of
existing insulation. * You want to put the max amount you can fit into
the wall. * Choices are either add to it, or pull it out and start
over.- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -


I guess to figure why he is cold. In cold areas the 3.5" he has to
work with he cant get a high R value with fiberglass and such, many
here now use 2x6 walls, and foam. Last winter I saw -20 and this is
the coldest summer, maybe a record, im not looking forward to my Ng
bills comming soon, Chicago is now 58, and its August.
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Default Determine R-value of existing insulation

On Fri, 21 Aug 2009 22:30:28 -0600, Tony Hwang
wrote:

Matt Williamson wrote:
Hi,
Where do you live? Is the stud 2x4 or 2x6? FP place may be lot of heat
than heating the room depending what style.


I'm in the North East. Western NY area. That room is framed with 2x4's. So,
is the R value of the existing insulation 3.2 x the thickness of the
insulation?


Hi,
Around 4 x thickness and if batt is compressed or moist it loses R
value. They don't build houses any more using 2x4 studs. It's 2x6 now.
I live in Southern Alberta. Rigid styrofoam panel has higher R value.
And if your FP is not air tight type I'd convert it for heat gain than
loss. Here we all use NG direct vent FPs now.

Styrofoam SM is R5 per inch - so roughlyR20 to fill cavity.
Roxul is R14 for 3.5" batt and moisture does not degrade it like
fiberglass.
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