A cottage without insulation
Jun 29, 2011 Home Improvement
When my wife and moved into a little cottage that was more than a hundred years old, we were so excited. It was spring time and we watched as the deer quietly ate apples from our large apple trees in the front yard. We enjoyed sitting in the shade of a large oak tree in a two person swing.
It was in a word, perfect, that was until summer rolled into town with 90 degree heat beating down on our home. It had central heating and air, but unfortunately it did not seem to matter. Just as rapidly as the cool air entered the room, it vanished again in an almost supernatural way.
We first realized that there was literally no insulation in the attic. The attic was nothing more than rafters that were crudely built in the late 1900’s and no previous owner had seen fit to install insulation.
So, we immediately covered the entire attic with insulation, installed an attic fan and saw the amount of energy escaping the house diminish. However, it still wasn’t enough. The walls were paper thin and did not have any insulation either.
After having some windows replaced, we realized that the only option we had was to look at installing exterior wall coatings that would further insulate the home. We had looked at installing insulation in the walls, but the price quotes we received were outlandish.
Exterior wall coatings actually insulate the interior of the home while protecting it from harmful water leakage that is so prone in older homes. Over all, we still enjoy our little cottage and we are glad that technology has helped make it comfortable.
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