I ve met a lot of homeowners in my years in this business and i think that without a single exception all of them who lived in homes with old exposed brick walls wanted to keep them that way.
Interior brick wall insulation.
A recent building science corp.
One common method for insulating the interior of solid masonry walls is to build a 2x4 frame wall in front of the brick and fill it with insulation.
Insulating the interior of a solid brick wall can be problematic for two reasons.
There are four main methods of installation the most common but not always the most effective is building a new stud wall to which insulation can be added.
Outer walls may be 4 inch thick bricks with inner walls of concrete brick or cinder block that is also 4 inches thick.
Most brick walls are covered on the inside to not only give the wall a finished look but to add insulation and reduce drafts through gaps in the mortar.
It s just such a nice look.
If furring strips were nailed to the inner masonry there is only a narrow 3 4 inch space to add insulation.
Internal wall insulation involves the application of insulation to the interior face of external walls in order to improve the thermal performance of the property.
Here are the steps.
The interior walls are plaster lathed directly against the brick with no insulation in between.
Exposing a small wall may not affect your heating bill much but exposing a large wall or multiple walls is going to reduce the energy efficiency of your home.
From the interior remove any drywall plaster or lath that is covering the brick wall.
Foam insulation is often sprayed in through holes in the interior walls that must then be filled and re painted.
Article on insulating brick bearing walls says that insulating on the interior with cellulose if ok in a hot humid climate brick should have a fluid applied 10 perm air water barrier coating on the inside face of the brick.
The thin furring strips that hold the inside walls to this material leaves little room for insulation.
Fortunately we have blown in insulation in the attic that is functioning.
How to insulate an older brick home can be a challenge.
Very old brick homes often have no space to add insulation as the plaster was applied directly to the brick wall.