Should I add insulation?

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drabina

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I have noticed that last winter, this part of the house had cold walls. I took part of the siding off and that's how it looks like. The black tarp is cracked in few places and the wall is pretty thin. The vinyl siding is attached to those vertical 1x2 boards. Would it be beneficial to add insulation (foam or styrofoam) between the vertical boards?

siding.jpg
 
It is done. I would remove the 1x4 and add the foam of the same thicknes and leave the J trim in place.
 
What's inside the walls? Foam board isn't going to add much insulation value (R-value) to the wall. Poly-iso would add an R-8 for a full inch, but adding that much is going to throw off all of your siding cuts. The fan-fold stuff the Vinyl-ologists (former Tinmen) will try to sell you is maybe an R-2 or R-3.

You might want to look at doing some blown in cellulose insulation into the wall cavity if it isn't insulated. Since you have vinyl siding you can pop it off and blow it in from the outside and then pop the vinyl back into place.
 
I am not an expert but it looks like from the inside there is sheetrock, fiberglass insulation (thin), then the plywood and the vertical boards with black tarp (or whatever it is called).
 
I am not an expert but it looks like from the inside there is sheetrock, fiberglass insulation (thin), then the plywood and the vertical boards with black tarp (or whatever it is called).

Tar paper is the words you are looking for.
3/4" foam board can be as much as R 4 added to what you have inside the wall would help I think.
As this is just one room you will be able to judge the effectiveness quickly.
The strapping is never behind vinyl like that so some one mad it easy for you.
And the cost will not be to high.
 
3/4" foam board can be as much as R 4 added to what you have inside the wall would help I think.

Would that be the pink foam I can get from home improvement stores? They also have something similar to styrofoam with aluminum lining on one side. Not sure which one would be better.
 
Poly iso boards have the highest R-value per inch at about R-8 per inch. A 3/4" thick board would fit in between your strapping. Anything thicker would throw off all your cuts.

Cellulose can be blown in if the existing fiberglass compressed and not doing the job. You can rent the machine but you're really better off just hiring this one out to the insulation guys. Doing it from the outside will minimize the mess and repairs since you have vinyl siding that you already know can be popped off and reinstalled.

Edit to add, looking at the picture the strapping looks like it might be a full inch thick. How thick is it? Is it nominal 1x2 which would be 3/4" thick or 5/4" which would be 1" thick?
 
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Would that be the pink foam I can get from home improvement stores? They also have something similar to styrofoam with aluminum lining on one side. Not sure which one would be better.

You want to go with what ever gives you the best R value. The face i think only if that foam would absorb moisture with out it.
 
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