# Insulation

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insulation/575300>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [March 20, 2011, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insulation/575300 "2011-03-20T00:15:31Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![Tymelapse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f6c823/32.png) [@Tymelapse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tymelapse)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insulation/575300/1 "2011-03-20T00:15:31Z")

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Did old Manhattan mansions have insulation in the walls?

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**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insulation/575300/2 "2011-03-20T03:11:57Z")

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Depends upon how old the structure is.

If it had knob and tube wiring for electricity then the walls probably were not insulated, to allow heat to disapate from the wires.

> **[Knob-and-tube wiring](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Knob_and_tube_wiring)**
>
> Knob-and-tube wiring (sometimes abbreviated K&T) is an early standardized method of electrical wiring in buildings, in common use in North America from about 1880 to the 1930s. It consisted of single-insulated copper conductors run within wall or ceiling cavities, passing through joist and stud drill-holes via protective porcelain insulating tubes, and supported along their length on nailed-down porcelain knob insulators. Where conductors entered a wiring device such as a lamp or switch, o Knob ...

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**Author:** ![Tymelapse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f6c823/32.png) [@Tymelapse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tymelapse)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 5:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insulation/575300/3 "2011-03-20T17:39:58Z")

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Fascinating, thank you.

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**Author:** ![cplif](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/48db29/32.png) [@cplif](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cplif)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 6:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insulation/575300/4 "2011-03-20T18:13:19Z")

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I’m not quite sure about what you qualify as old, but european based NY brick or brownstone construction was not isolated apart from wall thickness. Several reasons to this, the main one (since isolation materials were not readily available) being a fundamental difference in heating “philososphy”. today we demand equal temperature throughout the dwelling, with eventual warmer areas, in the recent past (up to circum 1950, 1930 in heavy urban constructions) heating was a “central point” idea, going back to the open fire; getting close to the source was warmer. Other non critical parts were cooler or cold (unheated)  
I don’t have the info for NY but mean temperature in high quality lodging in Paris, France 1935 was 15°C (year around). This clearly underlines a “warm area” close to a stove in the living room (the term takes sense here), and near glacial corridors and bedrooms. Individual cheminees could be present in rooms (subject to presence of domestic personnel, carrying wood or coal, lighting and maintaining fires, cleaning ashes)

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**Author:** ![Tymelapse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f6c823/32.png) [@Tymelapse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tymelapse)\
**Post date:** [March 20, 2011, 11:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/insulation/575300/5 "2011-03-20T23:03:53Z")

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Also fascinating. Boy, if anyone ever makes the mistake of bringing up this subject (which is unlikely) I’ll be ready for 'em!