Brick rows along Georgia Avenue
Spray Foam Insulation in Petworth, DC
Interwar rowhouses with porches, basements and flat roofs.
- Free on-site estimates
- Written quote listing material, thickness and R-value for every area
- Moisture and ventilation checked before anything is sealed up
Interwar Rowhouses and Their Roofs
Spray foam insulation in Petworth works on thousands of similar brick rowhouses, many built by Morris Cafritz and the D.J. Dunigan Company in the 1920s and 1930s. The neighborhood grew after a streetcar line was extended up Georgia Avenue toward the Silver Spring border in the early 1900s. The result is long blocks of porch-front rowhouses with basements and low-slope roofs.
Built alike, insulated alike
Because so many Petworth rows were built to similar plans, they tend to share the same weak points: a shallow roof cavity above the top floor, a basement with an exposed rim joist, a front porch roof that leaks heat, and rear additions or sleeping porches that were enclosed later.
Front porches and sleeping porches
Enclosed porches are often the coldest rooms in winter and hottest in summer. Foam in the ceiling and floor, and in the walls if they are open, makes them usable.
Basements
Many Petworth basements are being finished as rental units or living space. That is the time to foam the rim joist and walls before framing.
Basement apartments
Many Petworth owners are converting basements into separate units. Sealing the rim joist and insulating the foundation walls before framing makes the unit more comfortable and cuts sound and odor transfer from below. We also look at the ceiling between the basement and the main floor, where open-cell foam can help with noise.
What the quote shows
Each area, from roof cavity to porch ceiling to basement rim, appears as its own line with material, thickness and price, so you can phase the work.
Code
DC's 2017 IECC-based code for Zone 4A lists R-49 ceilings for new work. Get a free estimate
What to Know in Petworth
- Builders. Many of Petworth's thousands of similar brick rowhouses were built by Morris Cafritz and the D.J. Dunigan Company in the 1920s-1930s.
- Streetcar growth. In the early 1900s a streetcar line along Georgia Avenue to the Silver Spring border made Petworth more accessible.
- Estate origin. Petworth takes its name from the 205-acre country estate of John Tayloe III.
- Energy code. DC's residential energy code is based on the 2017 IECC for Climate Zone 4A.
Petworth Questions
Can you insulate an enclosed porch?
Yes. Foam in the ceiling and floor, and walls where open, is common.
I am finishing my basement. When should insulation go in?
Before framing. Foam the rim and walls first.
Are Petworth rowhouse roofs hard to insulate?
They can be shallow. We check depth and access before recommending loose fill or foam.
Do you work on both sides of Georgia Avenue?
Yes, throughout Petworth.
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