Insulation issues with older houses...? (and $ issues in general w/ older houses) (Pittsburgh: how much, new home)

[Tiger Beer]

Do they seem to bleed the heat in the winter? Is it quite costly to insulate them more properly...how much would something like that end up costing someone?

Also, what other serious money issues comes up with older houses...cheaper houses...etc.

Finally, if someone was to look for the older/cheaper houses...is it best to completely avoid wood, etc. Look for the brick houses...any issues with the brick houses?

[Tallysmom]

They can, but insulation isn't all that expensive, and you might be able to do it yourself. If the windows haven't been replaced, you will lose a lot heat from there, and the easiest and cheapest thing to do is to tape up heavy clear plastic on the inside, around the window. Looks ugly as hell, but if money is a factor or you buy the house in the winter and you're freezing your butt off it's the way to go.

Then as you can afford it replace your windows. Make sure to insulate around them when you replace them.

You'll also leak air around your doorways -- you can weatherstrip them yourself cheaply.

Can you tell I am a DIYer? (Do It Yourself)

I like a the solid look of brick, somehow it makes me feel safer -- but here in California brick isn't safe at all. A brick house that hasn't been maintained or has been misused (like letting ivy crawl up the sides -- bad for brick) will be more expensive to re-do the exterior of than a wood frame house. Mainly because you'll have to call a mason to do it.

[marktheshark]

Alot depends on the building's construction. You might be able to install blow-in insulation, gut the walls to install fiberglas, or install styrofoam batts with a new wall over the old. The cost will vary according to what method you use.

Brick homes are generally better, but if you're looking to remodel and resell, you'll have to determine what is best for you after comparing work involved versus financial return on resale.

[Mrs. Burberry]

Originally Posted by Tallysmom

A brick house that hasn't been maintained or has been misused (like letting ivy crawl up the sides -- bad for brick) will be more expensive to re-do the exterior of than a wood frame house. Mainly because you'll have to call a mason to do it.

Here in the city, I see a LOT of gorgeous holder homes where people have allowed the ivy to grow sky high up the sides of the house. Who knows why? They must not understand how bad it is for the house. I was showing my friends a few homes that were being overtaken by ivy the other day, in fact.

I live in an older house...a very old house. We do have insulation issues. The house is quite expensive to cool, in particular. I try to double-team the central AC with a window unit in the summer so the central air is more efficient. In the winter, my bills are modest, thanks to covering up the windows, where most of the leaks occur. I rent, though, so even if I were skilled in home improvement, I'd be unable to do much anyway. The house is brick, and it's held up well. I would try to get your potential new home appraised and inspected before you buy. That will uncover any issues.

[Aran]

Blown insulation is cheap and easy to do. Probably going to do that this fall here to supplement the meager insulation our brick house already has.

[Katiana]

My dad had insulation blown into his "This Old House" brick home in Beaver County. He said it didn't help much with the bill. He probably should have replaced some of the windows, but he was getting older when he got more "green", and thought he'd never live to see the payback.

[Tallysmom]

Originally Posted by Mrs. Burberry

Here in the city, I see a LOT of gorgeous holder homes where people have allowed the ivy to grow sky high up the sides of the house. Who knows why? They must not understand how bad it is for the house. I was showing my friends a few homes that were being overtaken by ivy the other day, in fact.

I live in an older house...a very old house. We do have insulation issues. The house is quite expensive to cool, in particular. I try to double-team the central AC with a window unit in the summer so the central air is more efficient. In the winter, my bills are modest, thanks to covering up the windows, where most of the leaks occur. I rent, though, so even if I were skilled in home improvement, I'd be unable to do much anyway. The house is brick, and it's held up well. I would try to get your potential new home appraised and inspected before you buy. That will uncover any issues.

Well -- I can see why people let the ivy grow -- it's very picturesque. But it is HORRIBLE for the house.

Our house is 86 years old, and I just love it... but out here we don't have the hot summers. We are thinking of insulating and getting new windows, more because of the boom boom boom bass from around the neighborhood than the heating. I need more quiet as I get older, and sometimes I don't want to turn on the TV to escape the bass boom.

Bass is amazing in how it travels. I can hear it so clearly in the house to the point where all my windows are rattling, and when I walk outside, the actual music is barely audible, and a few blocks away...... I can only imagine what that's doing to their hearing.

[tranceFusion]

There's things in older homes that I would worry about costing me money far more than the insulation. Old plumbing, electrical systems designed when the only thing getting plugged in was a lamp, age of the roof which generally cost many thousands of dollars to replace, age of the furnace (also several thousand dollars).

Also, many homes (especially newer ones) with brick exteriors just have a cosmetic brick facade that is covering the wood frame behind it.

Get a good home inspector that can explain everything to you so you can get a good idea of what your near term expenses are going to be (or even have the seller replace stuff before you buy).

[onwardandupward]

I've had blown-insulation and/or insulation batting put into two brick houses, and it's made a huge difference - both in terms of gas bills and in comfort. You need to find a contractor who knows what he's doing - there are different forms of home construction that affect how the insulation is installed. The biggest heat loss occurs through the roof, so installing it in the attic and knee-walls is important. It's not really that expensive considering how much you pay to heat the house.

As far as other considerations, a big one with frame houses is the cost to paint the house periodically. A brick house saves you from that, though there will still be trim painting around windows, doors and porches.

[edetore]

I love the older homes in Pittsburgh and miss them terribly now that I live in the land of the cookie cutter subdivision.

Insulation would be the least om my worries when house hunting as it is something easily remedied (there is blown in insulation, you can roll your own in the attic, weather stripping doors and windows, and plastic over the windows in the winter).

What you need to really check for is the plumbing, structure, and electrical. Any good home inspector will let you know what you are in for before committing to a purchase. But as long as you know everything is up to modern codes I personally think the charm and space an older home affords you outweighs any trouble with adding a little extra insulation.