What is the best way to insulate a concrete block house?
I purchased a home built in the 50's. The exterior is brick. I removed some interior paneling expecting to find a wood frame celtex and empty wall cavities. I found concrete block. Now I longer worry about tornadoes but I need to insulate my home. I am planning a complete gut including the ceiling and the 4 inches of cellulose in the Attic.
For the Attic I am planning on two layers of fiberglass R19 and R38.
For the walls I was planning on attaching foil bubble wrap to the existing furring strips for a radiant and moisture barrier. Then stud out the inside and R13 insulation then dry wall.
Thoughts?
What is your climate zone? Experiencing tornadoes is a clue, but closer is better. A foil bubble wrap will for sure act as a vapor barrier, but that should only be installed in a cold climate, so I’m assuming you’re a bit to the north.
Foil will reflect some heat, but not usually enough to account for the added cost.
Block foundations in general are best insulated from the exterior to keep them warm, but it doesn’t sound like that is your plan. You need to be careful when insulating the interior of a block foundation or wall, at least in a cold climate. Without insulation, the blocks have been warm all this time, so suddenly being exposed to the freeze / thaw cycle can on occasion cause walls to crack. Concrete block walls are not as strong as poured concrete, since they are only held together by the mortar between blocks.
Kent, did you ever come up with a proper solution? What did you decide do, if you don't mind sharing?