What is the solution to improperly insulated cottage?
bluemarlin
| Posted in General Questions on
If a 100 year old building was insulated from the inside using bat insulation, then poly vapour barrier,then reinstalled wood panelling (therefore no airspace) how do you resolve? Five years have gone by and the exterior oil paint, overcoated with latex paint is blistering and peeling to bare wood mainly around windows and newer pine clapboard. How can you solve this problem from the exterior? A thought of tyveking the exterior then strapping then adding new siding…would this be good enough?
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Replies
Chris,
First of all, it is essential to know where this building is located. It's not at all clear that your cottage is "improperly insulated"; in some climate zones, it's perfectly acceptable to use interior polyethylene.
When insulation is installed in the walls of an older uninsulated house, it's not unusual for the exterior paint to fail (or for there to be a need for repainting on a more frequent schedule). That's one of the downsides of installing insulation, but it's a reasonable tradeoff for most people.
If you want to make the paint job on your painted siding last longer, it's always possible to remove the siding and to create a rainscreen gap between the sheathing (or WRB) and the back of the siding. This work is effective, but it isn't cheap. For more information on this approach, see All About Rainscreens.
Thanks for your response. I have read all of your blogs and think all of your responses are bang on. I have been involved in construction for 30 years. I am trying to point out problems of cottages in Zone 4 (Ontario Canada) from a painters perspective. I recommend people hire consultant engineers prior to hiring handymen to do tasks that they don't fully understand (of course nobody wants to spend money to do things the right way). If there could be a time that I could phone you I would greatly appreciate 5 minutes of your time. I find emails difficult to convey all of the scenarios. Is this possible? Thanks.
Chris,
Regarding your follow-up questions: I have sent you an e-mail.