Building Envelope Solutions
Wall insulation in Manhattan
Cold outside walls are a common complaint in Manhattan townhouses and corner apartments. Whether we can insulate them depends on how the wall is built, so we check first.
Which walls we can insulate
- Framed walls: rear extensions, top-floor additions and interior furring walls. These have a cavity we can fill.
- Solid masonry walls: brick or stone with plaster on it. There is usually no cavity, so during a renovation we build a new wall surface with spray foam behind it.
Two methods
- Closed walls: drill-and-fill with dense-pack cellulose through small holes that are patched afterwards.
- Open walls during a renovation: closed-cell spray foam, which insulates the wall and seals the gaps around windows and floors.
Party walls and noise
Walls between units are about sound more than heat. For those we use mineral wool, see our Rockwool soundproofing page.
Working in your building
We coordinate with your managing agent, send the insurance certificates the building asks for, and keep to its work hours.
Common questions
Will I lose floor space? Drill-and-fill takes none. Furring out a masonry wall takes a few inches, and we tell you how much before we start.