Yeah, I hear you on the “deep gaps” problem—my place is a 1920s special and I swear sometimes you can feel a breeze right through the walls. We tried the spray foam and weatherstripping first, but it was like putting a Band-Aid on a leaky dam. Eventually, we had to go for the blown-in cellulose too. It’s wild how much of a mess it makes, but man, the heating bills dropped fast.
Curious—did you have to deal with any weird surprises inside your walls during the process? We found an old newspaper from the 40s stuffed in one cavity (and a petrified mouse that probably dated back just as far). Makes me wonder what else is hiding behind all that horsehair plaster...
Weirdest thing I found was a stash of marbles and a rusted pocketknife—guessing some kid hid them there decades ago. The cellulose is messy, but honestly, it’s the only thing that really worked for us too. Those old walls hide all kinds of stories... and drafts.
Those old walls hide all kinds of stories... and drafts.
You’re not kidding about the stories—or the drafts. We started tearing out the plaster in our 1920s place and found a stack of old newspapers stuffed in the cavities. Guess that was their version of insulation? I’ll admit, cellulose is messy, but I’m with you: it’s the only thing that actually made a difference for us. Fiberglass just didn’t cut it, especially in weird-shaped walls. The mess is worth it if you actually want to stay warm.
Guess that was their version of insulation?
We found the same thing—old magazines, even a couple of empty whiskey bottles in the walls. I guess folks made do with whatever was handy. Cellulose is definitely messy, but it really does the job. I actually tried fiberglass in one room and regretted it; the drafts just found their way through every weird angle and gap.
One thing I learned: insulating a house this old isn’t just about stuffing material in the walls. You end up chasing air leaks around windows, floors, even behind old trim. It took us way longer than we thought, mostly because every wall was a surprise. But once it was done, the difference was night and day. The house finally felt like it was holding onto heat instead of leaking it out as fast as we could make it.
Honestly, I’d take a little mess over freezing any day.
Old houses are wild, right? I’ve pulled out everything from newspapers to a petrified sandwich (not kidding) stuffed in the walls. I hear you on the surprises—half the job is just figuring out what you’re dealing with behind each layer. Drafts love those weird corners and old trim, and no amount of fiberglass seems to stop them. I usually end up sealing every gap I can find, then go heavy on cellulose. It’s messy, but once you’re done, suddenly you don’t need three sweaters just to watch TV in January. Worth every headache, honestly.