[karostay]

Curious if anyone has had foam added to their block home ?
What were the results ? Seems logical adding extra R Value to exterior walls would make a noticeable change.
Is it worth the added cost ?

[Chatbrat]

Get a list of the contractors customers and ask them what changes they have actually seen, ask to see utility bills before & after

[stan the man]

Try google

[leftyf]

We had it done through Duke Energy. The biggest thing we saw was the reduction in noise. It did help on the electric bill too.

[karostay]

Originally Posted by leftyf

We had it done through Duke Energy. The biggest thing we saw was the reduction in noise. It did help on the electric bill too.

What about cooling and heating any noticeable changes
I would guess if your electric bill went down the answer would be yes

[villagetinker]

We have a 2013 vintage concrete block house, and it appears to be insulated well enough that I doubt there would be enough savings to offset the costs.

[karostay]

Originally Posted by villagetinker

We have a 2013 vintage concrete block house, and it appears to be insulated well enough that I doubt there would be enough savings to offset the costs.

R value block home is 7 to 8 at best
2 to 2.5 for block and 5 for the foam board

[rjm1cc]

When I built a block home I had the option of adding foam. The designer I was working with said it would not pay for itself and I did not add it. The home seems to be more on the hot side in the FL winter and I run the A/C (don't know if the windows open) to cool it down some times. I do not see a problem in the summer. I think the answer depends on how well the home is constructed. You might not need it in a well constructed home.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by karostay

Curious if anyone has had foam added to their block home ?
What were the results ? Seems logical adding extra R Value to exterior walls would make a noticeable change.
Is it worth the added cost ?

I think that adding foam to a block wall would be a waste of money. First of all, many of the fillable cells will not get any foam because of the excess mortar, steel rebar, wire mesh, and other junk that will prevent access for the foam to get in. Masonry installers use a lot of mortar and much of it gets into the cell voids. The foam insulation value will be minimal. And, secondly, it will not provide any sound proofing because the sound will travel directly around the foam and through the concrete webbing.

[John_W]

If you have a masonry CYV, they are constructed using forms and are solid poured concrete. Our 2BR 2BA Durham average SECO electric is $75 to $85, the highest ever was $92. Also it's great for my surround sound, I play my 5.1 system very loud with my 75" TV and you can go out to the driveway and not hear anything.

[retiredguy123]

Originally Posted by John_W

If you have a masonry CYV, they are constructed using forms and are solid poured concrete. Our 2BR 2BA Durham average SECO electric is $75 to $85, the highest ever was $92. Also it's great for my surround sound, I play my 5.1 system very loud with my 75" TV and you can go out to the driveway and not hear anything.

I agree. But, the sound proofing is achieved by a dense, air tight, solid concrete wall. That is totally different from a concrete block wall, that is not very dense, and has voids and air gaps, and cannot be made more dense by adding a lightweight foam.

[stadry]

interesting - always thought sound proofing's achieved by insulation - eg, interior walls w/offset 2x6 studs & f/g insulation, foam on walls, etc,,, NOT like noise level at lopez' legacy restaurant where 1 needs to sign,,, cmu walls lack voids facing source of sound,,, we blt some structures using insulated conc forms ( essentially foam cmu ),,, terrific payback in utility cost, strength, & low noise,,, they don't use icf's in tv & not aware there're any poured conc walls in anything down here,,, are there ? where ?

[sdeikenberry]

Your money is better spend increasing the R value of your attic insulation. And don't stop at the recommended R value of 38. Try to double that...you'll see decreased HVAC bills and be more comfortable. After moving here in '14, we upped our attic insulation to R60 after six months and noticed a marked difference in utility cost and comfort.

[biker1]

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[toeser]

I have been shocked by our 1996 cement-block 2,150 sq. ft. Villages home. It is the most energy efficient home I have ever owned. I consider our utility bills cheap.

The one huge improvement TV could have done, too late now, is to have insulated the water pipes. There is a huge energy waste pumping hot water through bare pipes in concrete. If I shut off the water to lather up in the shower, the water is cold again when I turn it back on and I have to heat it up all over again.