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Installed insulation in my attic last Saturday

HeroOfPellinor

HeroOfPellinor

Lifer
I blew in 40 bags of cellulose insulation. The average height in the attic is about 3' so I was crawling most of the time. I got a solid 8-10" over 100% of the attic floor. In some places all there had been was half an inch of old fiberglass.

Since then, we've kept the thermostat 4-5° cooler and the temperature is consistent throughout the house. I'd say we'll make our money back on this project before the year is up. 🙂

Earlier Saturday I also laid and mortered and filled 40 feet of concrete block, hauled 13 pre-made 6'x8' redwood fence panels from the curb to the back yard, and removed the remainder of a stump blocking the new fence line. I had one separate helper for each project.
 
I had extra insulation blown into my attic this past summer. You can really notice the difference both in temperature and the gas bill.

The only downside is that with our open floorplan, all the heat flows upstairs where it gets trapped. It is noticeably warmer upstairs than it is downstairs.

Edit: The other downside is that with all that blown insulation in my attic, I can no longer use my attic for storage. 🙁
 
Insulation:
40 x $7.50 at Home Depot = $300
Covered 1600 square feet at 8' deep

[Blower + 100' of hose:
FREE if you buy 20 bags of insulation. Fits in the back of a Volvo station wagon.

Delivery:
$50

Took 2.5 hours including a few stops because we tripped a circuit breaker a couple times and I needed to extricate myself from some tight squeezes.

----edit-----

The same insulation is cheaper at Lowes at $7, but I was using a 10% off coupon and wanted to get the wood for my new fence at the same time to save money and Lowes only has premade fence panels made of 1x4's instead of HD's 1x6's.
 
Originally posted by: Fausto
Cost of insulation and equipment?
Click to expand...

Last I checked I think the bags were about $7 a piece and are approximately 3sqft. Lowes will rent you the blower for free if you buy over 20 bags.
 
Originally posted by: Mwilding
itch much?
Click to expand...
"cellulose"

The old fiberglass doesn't sound like it was disturbed much, and you can minimize the effect of airborne fiberglass by wearing full clothing (with good gloves).
 
Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor
Took 2.5 hours including a few stops because we tripped a circuit breaker a couple times and I needed to extricate myself from some tight squeezes.
Click to expand...
Better than me. I fell backwards and sat on the bar that was holding a smoke detector. I still can't get the damn thing flush with the ceiling.

 
Originally posted by: rahvin
Did you properly vent your soffets before applying the insulation?
Click to expand...

Well, I'll tell ya. I was worried about that and even bought some sheet metal to fashion soffit vent protectors out of when, to my surprise, I saw that we had no soffit vents. All there is is a large vent on one end of the house. So a project within a month or two is going to be figuring out how to get the attic properly ventilated. 🙁

Ya, it was dusty as hell, by I wore a mask.
 
Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor
Originally posted by: rahvin
Did you properly vent your soffets before applying the insulation?
Click to expand...

Well, I'll tell ya. I was worried about that and even bought some sheet metal to fashion soffit vent protectors out of when, to my surprise, I saw that we had no soffit vents. All there is is a large vent on one end of the house. So a project within a month or two is going to be figuring out how to get the attic properly ventilated. 🙁

Ya, it was dusty as hell, by I wore a mask.
Click to expand...

Hindsight is 20/20, you should have bought some premade soffet vent extender things and put them in place for adding soffet vent later. If you get up in the attic now you are going to pack the insulation down and reduce the R-Factor.

The following link shows how to blow insuation into an attic, and Figure G shows the soffet vent extender things. BTW you made sure you keep the blow in insulation at least 3 inches away from any recessed lights?

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/he_home_i...ticle/0,2037,DIY_13895_2274825,00.html

The following link shows how to add soffet vents to a house that doesn't have them.

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/he_home_i...ticle/0,2037,DIY_13895_2275822,00.html
 
our 2nd floor is the attic... our bedrooms' ceilings is basically the roof... can't insulate it anymore. 🙁 Freezing in the winters up there. Cool enough for summer though...
 
Originally posted by: rahvin
Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor
Originally posted by: rahvin
Did you properly vent your soffets before applying the insulation?
Click to expand...

Well, I'll tell ya. I was worried about that and even bought some sheet metal to fashion soffit vent protectors out of when, to my surprise, I saw that we had no soffit vents. All there is is a large vent on one end of the house. So a project within a month or two is going to be figuring out how to get the attic properly ventilated. 🙁

Ya, it was dusty as hell, by I wore a mask.
Click to expand...

Hindsight is 20/20, you should have bought some premade soffet vent extender things and put them in place for adding soffet vent later. If you get up in the attic now you are going to pack the insulation down and reduce the R-Factor.
Click to expand...
I figured I'd need to get up there anyway later to install the soffitts regardless. I have trwo bags left over I can use to cover my tracks.
The following link shows how to blow insuation into an attic, and Figure G shows the soffet vent extender things. BTW you made sure you keep the blow in insulation at least 3 inches away from any recessed lights?

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/he_home_i...ticle/0,2037,DIY_13895_2274825,00.html
Click to expand...
No recessed lights in the house. Though we will be adding some when we remodel the kitchen. I read all about this before doing it.
The following link shows how to add soffet vents to a house that doesn't have them.

http://www.diynetwork.com/diy/he_home_i...ticle/0,2037,DIY_13895_2275822,00.html
Click to expand...

Thanks for that link.
 
Used this type of insulation in the house I just built this past summer, and have been very impressed with the results. The house is 2200 sq ft , with vaulted/high ceilings and the average bill that I have gotten has been about $150 a month. Of course, we are using a 13 SEER Heat Pump and all of the appliances were energy star rated.
 
Our energy bill is usually....50 a month for a 3500 sq ft house that was built in the late 80's. We have added insulation and new windows to the house that have 3 panes are and filled with argon gas.
 
I'm planning the same for my attic this summer. How many people were working with u?

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor
I blew in 40 bags of cellulose insulation. The average height in the attic is about 3' so I was crawling most of the time. I got a solid 8-10" over 100% of the attic floor. In some places all there had been was half an inch of old fiberglass.

Since then, we've kept the thermostat 4-5° cooler and the temperature is consistent throughout the house. I'd say we'll make our money back on this project before the year is up. 🙂

q]
Click to expand...
 
Originally posted by: gscone
I'm planning the same for my attic this summer. How many people were working with u?

Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor
I blew in 40 bags of cellulose insulation. The average height in the attic is about 3' so I was crawling most of the time. I got a solid 8-10" over 100% of the attic floor. In some places all there had been was half an inch of old fiberglass.

Since then, we've kept the thermostat 4-5° cooler and the temperature is consistent throughout the house. I'd say we'll make our money back on this project before the year is up. 🙂

q]
Click to expand...

Just me in the attic and my brother-in-law outside dumping the insulation into the blower.
Click to expand...
 
Originally posted by: HeroOfPellinor
I blew in 40 bags of cellulose insulation. The average height in the attic is about 3' so I was crawling most of the time. I got a solid 8-10" over 100% of the attic floor. In some places all there had been was half an inch of old fiberglass.

Since then, we've kept the thermostat 4-5° cooler and the temperature is consistent throughout the house. I'd say we'll make our money back on this project before the year is up. 🙂

Earlier Saturday I also laid and mortered and filled 40 feet of concrete block, hauled 13 pre-made 6'x8' redwood fence panels from the curb to the back yard, and removed the remainder of a stump blocking the new fence line. I had one separate helper for each project.
Click to expand...


Make sure it is ventialted well. I have been taking out blown in for the last two years because of moisture problems. It also settles, so it is a good thing that you got it thick. And you saved a ton of money doing it yourself. 🙂
 
Originally posted by: Chadder007
Our energy bill is usually....50 a month for a 3500 sq ft house that was built in the late 80's. We have added insulation and new windows to the house that have 3 panes are and filled with argon gas.
Click to expand...


Wow, where do you live? I am on a budget and pay $210 a month for 2100 sq ft. I am near Rochester, NY.
 
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