Wall Insulation in Cincinnati, OH

Wall insulation is a bigger question in Cincinnati than in most cities because so many houses are old. ACS data on Point2Homes shows 40.8% of the city's housing units were built in 1939 or earlier, and a large share of the rest went up in the 1940s and 1950s. Many of those homes were built with nothing in the exterior walls, or with a thin layer that has slumped to the bottom of each cavity over the decades. Cold exterior walls, drafts at outlets and rooms that never feel even are the signs. We insulate closed walls from outside or inside without tearing them down, and spray foam into walls that are open for a remodel.

Closed walls: dense-pack fill

For finished walls, the usual method is dense-packed cellulose or fiberglass blown through small holes. The holes are drilled either through the siding (often after removing a course of siding so the holes are hidden) or through the interior plaster or drywall, then patched. The material is packed tightly enough that it fills the cavity, resists settling and slows air movement through the wall. Each cavity gets checked for fire blocking and obstructions, because a blocked cavity has to be filled from above and below.

Open walls: spray foam

When walls are open during a remodel, an addition or after water damage, spray foam is a strong option. The Ohio residential energy table lists R-20, or R-13 plus R-5 continuous, for wood-frame walls in both climate zones around the city. In a 2x4 wall, closed-cell foam gets more R-value into the shallow cavity than other materials and adds an air seal; open-cell fills the cavity for less money with a lower R-value. We size the choice to the wall and the budget.

Brick and masonry need care

The city's oldest neighborhoods, like Over-the-Rhine with its 1860s to 1880s brick, are full of solid masonry walls rather than frame walls with brick veneer. A solid brick wall depends on drying to the inside and outside. Spraying foam on the interior side can keep the masonry wetter and colder in winter, which raises the risk of freeze-thaw damage to the brick and mortar. For those walls we often recommend sealing air leaks at windows, outlets and floor lines, and putting the insulation budget into the attic and basement instead. We look at how the wall is built before making a recommendation.

Balloon framing

Many pre-war frame houses are balloon framed, with studs running continuously from the sill to the roof. Without fire blocking, each stud bay is an open channel from the basement to the attic, and warm air rises through them all winter. Sealing the tops and bottoms of those channels with foam is often the first step before filling the walls, and it can make a noticeable difference by itself.

Before we fill a wall

We check for knob-and-tube wiring, which should be evaluated by an electrician before insulation surrounds it. We look for signs of water entry such as stained plaster or soft siding, since insulation in a wet wall holds moisture against the framing. And we check that the exterior cladding has a way to shed water, because a wall that was drying freely can stay damp longer once it is filled.

Tell us about the house and which walls feel cold. We will look at how they are built and send a written price. Get a free estimate