what is your location?

is the house balloon framed?

crawlspace? basement?

need more info to even begin to
know where to start.

best of luck.

Since the plaster is gone, might as well remove the lathe, then tighten up the space with caulking and hand-held polyurethane spray foam on all joints. Then insulate to at least the minimum called for on IECC 2012, which now is Code in most US states.

Batts are so notoriously hard to get right that it would be useful to comparethe expenditure vs. using blown-in or netted fg or cellulose or "flash and batt", that is one-two inches of spray foam followed by batts. A vapour barrier may or may not be necessary depending on your climate zone.

If this is a solid masonry building, foam on the interior of the brick is the most successful strategy.

{{gwi:2137254}}

Here is a link that might be useful: Attic Air Sealing Guide

This post was edited by worthy on Sun, Dec 14, 14 at 19:39

this is what i read about balloon framing and insulation:

Because of where you live in the cold Northeast - I'm just above you in NH - it would be a GRAVE mistake to add insulation in the wall cavity.
The reason your house is still standing with no wood rot is simple. The balloon framing used in houses of that period - I lived in one back in Cincinnati, OH in the 1970's and 80's - allows water vapor that passes through the plaster and lath to be vented up into the attic of your home.
Once up there, it usually was able to dissipate out gable vents or through the roofing. Many older homes had roofing material and roof sheathing that would allow lots of air to pass through them, but not rain water back into the attic.
Balloon construction was probably invented to do this job as houses built without this open passageway probably developed rot in short time as the water vapor in the winter time would condense in the cavity and be unable to EVAPORATE quickly.
Read this column I just posted about Vapor Barriers vs House Wraps to give you more background.
If there was a way for you to install a vapor barrier to STOP the water vapor from getting into the wall cavity, then I'd say move ahead with the insulation. But I don't know of any TRUE paint-on or spray on vapor barrier that would provide enough of a seal.

Im very certain I have balloon framing

Im fairly certain its balloon framing, all the windows are stacked right above eachother from the 1st floor and 2nd floor and ive heard thats a characteristic of balloon framing. I have a full basement, about 6.5 feet tall, field stone, but there is probably an area thats 15x5 thats a crawl space that is connected to the basement, and the air form the crawl space just poors into the basement. Im located near Duluth, MN.

Ignore the ridiculous comments about balloon framing and vapor damage. Balloon framing can be insulated just as well as platform framing.

Spray foam is fantastic, but expensive. Blown-in fiberglass or cellulose is great. Batts, though difficult to install even in new, accurate framing, are sure better than nothing.

Given this is an old, old house, it probably has gaps and inconsistencies galore. I'd do my best to squeeze enough money out of the budget for blown-in insulation.

A dollar of air sealing is worth ten dollars of insulation.

so do you think after ripping out the lath, i should use caulk/foam spry to do a tight seal and then the blow in insulation or do the spray foam?

also, on the first floor of the house, there is tar paper and then in front of that is old blow in insulation. Should i leave the tar paper? or rip everything out?

so do you think after ripping out the lath, i should use caulk/foam spry to do a tight seal and then the blow in insulation or do the spray foam?

also, on the first floor of the house, there is tar paper and then in front of that is old blow in insulation. Should i leave the tar paper? or rip everything out?

http://www.lowes.com/pd_595670-2174-4006062600_4294858110__?productId=50179525&Ns=p_product_qty_sales_dollar:1&pl=1&currentURL=%3FNs%3Dp_product_qty_sales_dollar%7C1&facetInfo=

?

Ignore the ridiculous comments about balloon framing and vapor damage. Balloon framing can be insulated just as well as platform framing.

Tim Carter (and Bob Yapp) at it again, turning the results of poor workmanship into a misguided theory.

Sure, an uninsulated home will have few moisture problems. Everything just blows through it.

Balloon framing requires special attention and careto properly air seal. And with those long voids top to bottom it's not easy.