Question About Insulating Exterior Of Balloon Frame Home

healthyhomes

I will be tearing off the original wood siding of a 1906 balloon frame structure.

The plan is to replace any rotten shiplap, and then sheath over with sm board or rigid foam insulation. Seams will be taped, a typar wrap applied, and then furring strips over top for vinyl siding.

Am I on the right track here? I am worried that I may not be doing this right, and am finding it hard to get a definitive answer.

My worry is because there is no vapour barrier on the inside, and no insulation in wall cavity, I will be trapping the moisture in the wall cavity...

Any advice... I know blown in is a bad idea in these homes because moisture is trapped because of lack of vapour barrier.

Any advice from some old timers on this one?

Thanks

Cory

neolitic

As far as vapor barriers go, if
you can seal any penetrations,
i.e. caulk around electrical boxes
and so on.
There is usually so much paint
built up on the plaster that it
forms it's own vapor seal.
I would think that it is a bad
idea to wrap the exterior with
anything not breathable.

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healthyhomes

Do you know of any good breathable insulation wraps, sheathing?

neolitic

Sorry, on the way to bed.
Fine Home Building had a really
good article on how to select them
a while back.
I'm sure you can do some Googleing
and find up to date info.
Can't recall the name of the OC product
right now.

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KennMacMoragh

From what I know about water/vapor barriers is that there are only a few materials that block water and vapor. Stuff that blocks water and vapor are metal, kraft paper, plastic (visqueen), PVA (Polyvinyl acetate). Water barriers meaning stuff that blocks water but not water vaper is any sort of house wrap, tyvek, felt paper or whatever. I have never heard of foam stopping water vapor. If it did then yes you would get condensation inside your walls.

So you can water vapor the inside of your walls anyway you want, you have three options, use faced unsullation batts, staple plastic over the whole wall, or use PVA. or you can use a combination of two of them if you really want protection.

Not sure what you mean about your furring strips for your siding. When I've done foam, we use the light blue stuff, call it blue board, don't know the technical name. We just make sure we hit a stud every time.

TimNJ

Not sure how your inspectors are up there, but if I was doing that job here, the inspector would want firestops added between the floors.
As Kenn says a use faced insulation for vapor barrier.

DavidC

I think you could blow cellulose into those walls using the paint inside as your vapor barrier. But before I did it I would check out www.buildingscience.com to make sure I was right. Great articles there that help you know where the different condensation points are for various assemblies.

Good Luck
Dave

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neolitic

Maybe you can find some help here.

http://www.taunton.com/finehomebuild...ousewraps.aspx

http://www.taunton.com/finehomebuild...33&ac=ts&ra=fp

When you do the blow in, be aware
there may or may not be blocking
at the floors (probably not), but
there will be blocking half way
between the floor and ceiling
on each level.

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genecarp

Cory, you have two issues here, prep for vinyle siding, and insulation, if it where my job i would have the ext drilled and blown in insulation between the bays, holes get plugged, patch in your bad siding first. then 3/8'' rigid ins board, this will add extra insulation and level out the shiplap to accept the siding. even if you where not going to update the insulation, i would prep the ext in the same way...G forget the furring strips, waste of time , the shiplap is your nailing surface...

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dkillianjr

I would pretty much do the same as what Gene said. If you wanted you could run some tyvek over the foam board. Deffinetly skip the furring strips, they are just a waste of time and money.


Dave