[Greenbuilding] Insulating 140 Year Old Wood Framed Brick Facade Building

[RT]

On Thu, 13 Jun 2013 22:01:12 -0400, Sam Ewbank <g.l.ewbank at gmail.com>
wrote:

>  If we don't reinstall the sheething we would need to install
> some other sheer bracing (the sheething boards vary in width from 8" to  
> 30"
> and material including cherry, poplar and butter nut).
> What about air sealing? Trying to seal the existing sheething would be
> difficult to say the least. Would the gypsum plaster be adequate?

Sorry. When I mentioned that the plank sheathing should be salvaged, I
just assumed that it would be re-purposed or sold.

Whatever function it's currently serving in the structure can be done  
better
by some cheaper, 21st C sheathing material.

Old, wide, dry hardwood planks, never exposed to weather would probably be
the equivalent of gold in the decor market.

It was also assumed that the plank sheathing and wood lath (total
thickness 1.5" or so ) would be replaced with something that would provide
functions of continuous air barrier, shear bracing and possibly more
R-value. (You had mentioned rigid ins.)

If I were doing it, I'd consider creating the air barrier plane (possibly
OSB or board insulation + let-in bracing ... joints sealed) on the
interior face of the studs, taking care to ensure continuity across the
joists-balloon studs junction (ie moisture piggy-backed on air leakage
could be the Kiss of Death for the brick veneer. ie wet brick no longer
kept warm by heat loss would be subject to frost action that result in
spalling that could look like the building had been in a war zone and hit
by artillery fire.)

Then any services (plumbing, electrical)  that needs to go in the exterior
walls could be installed on the interior of the air barrier without any
concerns about sub-trades compromising the A/B's integrity.

3-coat, wet applied plaster can be an effective air barrier material but  
maintaining the continuity of the air barrier across the stud/joists  
junction would still be an issue that needs to be addressed.




-- 
=== * ===
Rob Tom					AOD257
Kanata, Ontario, Canada

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