Hello all. This is the first level of a two story building in Chicago. The exterior construction is split faced block. It was built as mixed use, with office space on the first floor and an apartment on the second. We're using it as a two level home, with the open first floor as a work and entertainment area (music, movie nights, etc). On the first floor, that open room has two soffits, both containing HVAC supplies, and the longer one running the length of the room also contains hot and cold water supply and drain for the second floor. The longer soffit also encompasses the area directly above the bathroom.
My question is: are these areas (i.e., the soffit interiors and the area above the bathroom) candidates for blown insulation? We definitely want to insulate the pipes somehow, as the copper pipes to the second floor kitchen are totally uninsulated, right up against the block exterior, which seems like a recipe for frozen pipes. Additionally, insulation in those spaces will help with the acoustic properties of the room. My concern is condensation from the HVAC supply duct--- I am a rank amateur and don't really understand under what conditions that becomes a problem.
Please let me know if there's any other information (or pictures) I can provide, or if there's a good answer to this elsewhere. Thanks!
-Erik
My question is: are these areas (i.e., the soffit interiors and the area above the bathroom) candidates for blown insulation? We definitely want to insulate the pipes somehow, as the copper pipes to the second floor kitchen are totally uninsulated, right up against the block exterior, which seems like a recipe for frozen pipes. Additionally, insulation in those spaces will help with the acoustic properties of the room. My concern is condensation from the HVAC supply duct--- I am a rank amateur and don't really understand under what conditions that becomes a problem.
Please let me know if there's any other information (or pictures) I can provide, or if there's a good answer to this elsewhere. Thanks!
-Erik