Insulating a house

I'm in the beginning planning stages of a massive remodel. Like taking the whole second floor off, raising the first floor ceilings, and building a new second floor and roof, and gutting and redesigning the first floor.

One of the biggest problems with the house though, is insulation. The first floor is block on slab, and barring any major slab problems yet to be found, will remain that way. The upstairs is stickframed, and will be again.

What are the best ways to go about insulating such a building?

We're talking about wood or laminate floors instead of carpet downstairs, because carpet just seems to suck up humidity. Is there some fancy under flooring insulation available these days?

I'm personally leaning towards that injected foam insulation in the walls. It looks like it should do a great job, but I don't know the ins and outs of it. Any horror or success stories with it? Is it worth the money? Would it even work downstairs between the block wall and interior?

Before you get all scared, you've seen my work, I'll be contracting everything but the demolition, plumbing, and electrical out, but I'm trying to get an idea of what materials I should be looking at or methods to make sure are used.

I just came here because I initially read it as insulting a house and I'm going "your gutters are crooked!" And "your siding is saggy!"

Insulating the block cavities is probably not worth your time or money. You either need to fur out on the inside or put sheets of insulation on the outside.