LESLIE: Pat in Illinois has a question about insulation. What can we do for you today?
PAT: Well, I have a house with a double brick wall with about an inch-and-a-half cavity between the two walls.
TOM: Right.
PAT: I was wondering if it was practical to insulate between them, what type of insulation would be used and if it was worth the effort.
TOM: Probably not. The bricks themselves are so dense that they’re going to absorb the heat in the summer and the cold in the winter and there is air in between the bricks because there are a lot of air pockets; so, generally, you don’t insulate a wall like that. And if you try to insulate it now – you know, I’m wondering that there could be, perhaps, some sort of a blown-in insulation that might be put in there but the bricks are so damp that I’m afraid it wouldn’t actually do you much good because the insulation would end up getting damp anyway. So that’s an area I wouldn’t concentrate on insulating.
What I would make sure is that we have really good attic insulation and that you can also do a good job of draft-proofing everything around the windows and doors. That would be where I would concentrate sort of my energy-saving efforts – the attic insulation first and the draft-proofing second – but I probably would not insulate the exterior walls.
PAT: Alright, well thank you for your time and effort. I appreciate it very much.
TOM: You’re welcome, Pat. Glad to help you out with that question. Thanks so much for calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT.
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