We live in an older cement block home that is cement block from the basement to the top of the first floor and the roof system sits on top.The outside as been bricked and then strapped with 2x2,1"styrofoam and then siding. We are starting renovations to the inside and found out that the outside walls are not have insulation.The walls have only been strapped with 1x2,plasticed and the plaster was the finished product. My question is why was this not done with 2x4 walls, insulation,plasticed and drywalled. Should we be doing this the proper way when we are renovating the house,or was this done to save space.
Answer:
This is by no means a conventional system of construction and has not been since before WW II. With todqy's heating costs, combined with our ever expanding familiarity with various molds (some quite toxic), I would gut it, frame the whole interior and do a proper insulation and vapour barrier job on it before applying drywall.
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