08 December 2008

I'm alive, I promise

I'm so bad about updating progress on the house. Two major accomplishments recently:

1. We have heat! After $4000 in supplies and $1000 in labor, we have 2 fully functional heating systems. Even without any insulation in the house, it cycles on and off, which means it's working pretty well. We've tried to stuff insulation in any place where there is a gaping hole (usually a missing brick or nailing block, and fortunately these spots are few). Not having to worry about frostbite makes working a bit more enjoyable.

The great tentacles of our octopus HVAC.

2. We (finally) finished sistering the joists on the east side of the house. That means that we're starting on attic decking! Walking in the attic feels much safer with the new, stiffer lumber. The old joists seemed a little spongy, if that makes any sense.

Our attic is really dirty.

Doing all that work on the joists was pretty time-consuming because we had to cut notches in every one that went up. We should be able to get a substantial portion of the OSB decking up next weekend. In the meantime, I'll continue patching "cold spots" in the brick with the half-ton of mortar-repair caulk I bought in anticipation of finally putting some insulation on the walls.

3 comments:

Rebecca said...

You might look into blow-in insulation. I don't know how expensive it is, but it is used for already established homes in need of insulation. If you already have holes in the walls, then even better. This job requires holes to be cut into the walls between the studs.

Sarah said...

Blown-in insulation is better for jobs where walls are already finished with drywall. You don't necessarily have to cut holes in the wall if you can access the cavity from above. It's a bit more expensive than regular batts, and it also requires special equipment for installation. We might do expanding spray insulation for the attic, since it acts as both a vapor barrier and insulation.

Rebecca said...

Oh, I thought you already had dry wall downstairs. But I guess you were already aware of your options.