On Saturday, March 27, 2021 at 4:27:10 PM UTC-4, Michael Trew wrote:

> The unfortunate part is that my 120 year old house is built with real
> masonry - outer layer of brick, and an inner layer of brick on which the
> wall plaster is directly applied. I don't think any of my walls can be
> insulated. The attic insulation needs beefed up for sure. There are
> gaps and cracks that need filled in the foundation as well; I can feel
> drafts heavily in the cellar in winter time.

My house is masonry, too. Concrete block veneered with split fieldstone.
We have some sort of lath between the block and the vintage-1947
sheetrock (which is skim-coated with plaster), but the gap is only about
1/4 inch. Certainly not enough to add insulation, but it provides a
little dead airspace. The walls are still pretty cold in the winter, with
only R1 between us and the outdoors.

In 2010 we sprayed foam insulation into the cavities at the top of the
foundation wall, and up where the rim joists would be if it were a
stick-built house. And we also added an additional foot of blown-in
insulation in the attic. Well worth the money and effort.

Cindy Hamilton