How to find wall insulation efficiency?

[MoneyJohn]

Hello folks,

We live in a rented apartment in the neighborhood where there are not many apartments available (due to a very good school district). Although we hate the apartment, we do not have a choice but to continue renting until DS graduates high school. He is a 5th grader at the moment. So we have a long way to go.

Since the development owner (a company) is keenly aware of the shortage, they don't take any efforts to keep up with the invisible portion of the apartment maintenance. I was told by someone that the insulation in the walls does not last beyond a decade. The insulation in our walls is ~30 years old.

During winter, the walls are freezing cold to touch and our utility bill, due to electric heating (for 750 sq ft apt) is almost $400 during peak winter (and we maintain only 60F inside the apartment). I have tried to find and seal as many leaks possible. We put plastic sheets over the windows to prevent the heat loss. etc etc

My question is, how do I find out that the insulation in the walls is indeed useless now and not doing any job of insulation? If there is no easy way to find out, is there any DIY way to improve insulation?

Many thanks in advance.

 

[JLawrence08648]

Infrared gun/camera.

 

[skyactiv]

Apartments usually get the bare minimum insulation required by state and local codes. Then you have builders that don't build to code because of corrupt building inspectors and dumb building inspectors.

Apartments usually get the least efficient HVAC like say a 80% gas furnace instead of a 90+ or a 13 SEER AC system instead of something more efficient. Or they keep an old 10 SEER unit chugging on.
I was told there was a short time in the 70's or 80's when new housing wasn't built with gas heat and gas hot water?

Blown in wall insulation sometimes settles, making a top portion of the walls no longer insulated.

You can pop an outlet cover off on an outside wall and look for insulation.

Infrared works but you want the outside temp to be different than the indoor temp by several degrees.

Your housing situation sounds like a waste of Money, John.

 

[MoneyJohn]

Originally Posted by skyactiv

Your housing situation sounds like a waste of Money, John.

It is indeed, but we literally have no choice. In addition to the aforementioned reason, there are other factors to continue to rent the apartment as well.

Is there any way to address this by DIY methods? I thought of getting insulation boards and just attaching to the walls but it will look ugly. I even offered to get it done with my own money but the development manager denied it.

 

[JC1]

Originally Posted by JLawrence08648
Infrared gun/camera.


+1. That will show you the worst spots. Do you have electric heat or forced air?

I rented at unit in Connecticut with a forced air furnace that was on the patio in a closet. The first winter was brutal. I ended up discovering that the main trunk of the duct from the furnace had a 2 inch gap around it leading into the ceiling of the unit. I got a can of spray foam and filled up that void. I also put that window film on all the windows. That made huge difference the next year.

 

[Kestas]

He mentioned electric heat.

 

[philipp10]

I don't agree apartments are necessarily poorly insulated. Rentals are a competitive market. If the building down the street is more efficient he will be able to charge higher rents. Secondly, insulation, done right does not degrade over a decade. It should last indefinitely. Why don't you hunt for a better building in your school district. Or, move to a new district. Usually hyped up schools are just hype anyway.

 

[exranger06]

I've never heard of insulation that lasts 10 years or is no good after a certain number of years, assuming it doesn't get damaged by moisture or anything like that. You said you spend $400 on heat. Is that $400 per month, $400 per winter season, or...?

 

[Rand]

electric heat is super expensive.. esp floor baseboard where all your heat is going into the cold wall/window drafts etc.

 

[rubberchicken]

Your mid-long term solution is to move to a better complex. Is this unit on the end or a corner ? The interior units might be more efficient due to shared walls.
Its not an equal comparison, but I have a 6000 sq ft house that costs me about $250 a month max for heat (propane) and $125 for electricity, and the insulation is average.

 

[pandus13]

John,

first how handy are you?
can you make a hole in the wall look smooth and blend to look like the painted surface?

since I will assume $400 per month since baseboard electric,

how big is the apartment?
how many windows you have?
how many exterior doors? doors to interior building hall?
how many do you have to keep "open" during winter?
do you use the shrink wrap plastic from every corner's store?

switch to:
-plastic "bubble" packaging
-or painter's grade 6mil plastic and use double-sided tape
it will seal and hold heat inside better then the thin shrink wrap.

If you are handy, and you can blend in small wholes you can:
-buy on clearance some cans of insulating expanding foam and dump it in the walls starting from the top in short spurts (you don't want a big blob expanding and making a "belly")
-they sell a kit on the net for insulating expanding foam.


now i also remember some thread about a year ago about extreme humidity and mold during winter: did you took care of that?

 

[MoneyJohn]

Thanks everyone.

Since @pandus13 is covering most of the points, I am replying quoting his comment.

Originally Posted by pandus13
John,

first how handy are you?
can you make a hole in the wall look smooth and blend to look like the painted surface?

since I will assume $400 per month since baseboard electric,

how big is the apartment?
how many windows you have?
how many exterior doors? doors to interior building hall?
how many do you have to keep "open" during winter?
do you use the shrink wrap plastic from every corner's store?

switch to:
-plastic "bubble" packaging
-or painter's grade 6mil plastic and use double-sided tape
it will seal and hold heat inside better then the thin shrink wrap.

If you are handy, and you can blend in small wholes you can:
-buy on clearance some cans of insulating expanding foam and dump it in the walls starting from the top in short spurts (you don't want a big blob expanding and making a "belly")
-they sell a kit on the net for insulating expanding foam.


now i also remember some thread about a year ago about extreme humidity and mold during winter: did you took care of that?


Not way too handy but can do minor work around the house.

$400/month is for Jan-Mar usually, with baseboard heating.

The apartment is just 750 sq ft. One window every room so 3 windows and one bathroom window. All windows are sealed shut during the winter.
Only one exterior door, that opens in the living room. I installed foam seal last year around the door that only I can lock/open the door. This is a thicker foam in order to prevent all drafts around the door.
2 walls of every room are exposed to the outside. These walls are way too colder than the other two walls and hence I suspect insufficient/inefficient insulation.
The shrink wrap I got is of brand Duck (Window kit).


Thanks for the bubble wrap idea. I suggested this to DW but she wants as much natural light inside as possible and it looks 'ugly'. So this far that idea has been on the back burner but will give a try this year.
The thicker plastic that you suggest, do you install it the same way as shrink wrap or just install it without heating?


The expanding foam, I have used it around the bedroom AC unit, that is ill-fitted and hence drafty. The type of insulation in the wall is of pink bricks. Not too sure what they are called as but you just line them on the wall and put a dry board on the top, type. This expanding foam will work with such type?


As for the humidity, it is a work in progress.
I put a Vornado and a dehumidifier on a timer. It runs 15 minutes every hour. That keeps the humidity controlled and heat circulated. This helped to reduce the utility bill to about $325/month last year. The last winter wasn't too bad either so not too sure how much this idea helped. Either way, I didn't pay $400 last year.
The mold prone wooden (or wood-like) Ikea furniture that I have, I cleaned it up really well and just applied the paint primer. Didn't notice any mold on that area for almost a year now.
The drywall behind the furniture that used to get moldy, cleaned it up. It hasn't gotten moldy yet. I plan to apply car wax to the drywall in some areas this year to see if that helps.
I also made DIY dehumidifiers using snowmelt and put those buckets in most mold prone, away-from-the-light, low air circulation areas. That is helping. As an experiment, I didn't put this kind of dehumidifier in one of the closets and suitcase in that closet is moldy now.


For the IR camera, other than The Home Depot, where can you rent it? Local HD is renting it for $75/day, is that a reasonable price?

Thanks in advance.

 

[pandus13]

John,

the heavy plastic (https://www.homedepot.com/p/HDX-10-ft-x-100-ft-Clear-4-mil-Plastic-Sheeting-CFHD0410C/204711635) is not clear but "milky".
you will find it in the painter's aisle.
I found it by mistake while helping a friend with custom '70's long big windows where the regular 9feet shrink wrap could not do.
You have to pull it by hand after you install the double side tape, then cut in place.
the advantage is you can still re-use it or leave it for years.... it won't cook from the sun like the shrink wrap.

If you have 750 SQFT and it 's 60F with baseboard going non-stop, then we can assume your insulation for exterior facing walls is non-existent, or somehow the wall cavity is exposed to exterior air for various purposes ....

they make wall (cavity) heaters, but you cannot touch walls so my vote goes to 3-4 portable/on casters oil heaters.
less chance of an accidental burn or fire ...
and they may consume less then your who knows how old baseboards...