Anyone ever done blown-in on their own? Been putting that little project off for too long....Hoping to get it done and save some $$$ on AC cost this summer....Home Depot gives you the machine for free if you buy $100 (I think) of insulation....What do I need to know before I start spraying cellulose everywhere???

 

Depends on how old your home is. You may have fire stops in the walls, so you might need to shoot the insulation in at a couple heights to fill in all the way. Another, some older houses just have the cold air returns run in the outside wall, if you don't want to fill these in you'll have to figure out which studs they are between. Another, the cellulose is basically paper, they treat it with all sorts of nasty stuff to keep it from rotting and rodents from eating it. You'll want to have the family out of the house for the day or 2 you're doing it maybe, and for sure clean up any dust that makes it's way into the house immediately.

 

The main thing to know is what your overall goals are, I've never done it myself, but have seen it done. They use tape measures (not the king you are thing) more like one a seamstress would use, they staple them to the ceiling and then to a truss, this way they can see who much they've blown. No sense in stacking it over R30.
Oh, and don't fall through your ceiling.

 

If you do it that way then you have to go traipsing through your insulation to get your tape back. Just cut something (straw, piece of dowel, anything that'll stand up) to the same length as you want depth. Then cobble something together so it'll stand up, and won't tip over easy when you blow the insulation in. Then just blow it in until you can't see it anymore. Do that for as many spots as you think you need to make sure you get a uniform depth.

 

If your doing this in your attic, don't cover up your soffit vents. There needs to be air that circulates from the bottom of the eves to the roof/attic vents further up.
If this air doesn't circulate, heat will build up and cook the shingles off your roof. If you don't have any soffit vents, put them in. the more air that circulates the less the heat builds up and the less it will cost to cool your house....

 

Make sure you do your homework on cellulose before installing it. We have had problems with it here in the south. It absorbs moisture. I has a chloride additive to make it pass fire code tests. When it absorbs moisture it activates that salt which then attacks hurricane clips and other metal objects in the attic. I would recommend using the white fibreglass blowing material. Or, even using roll insulation - - very easy to use in an existing attic. Just roll it out over everything.

Bob

 

you can get foam ones to staple to the sheathing of your roof for less than $1 apiece at any box store. Just put them between each rafter, slide it all the way down to the soffit, and whack it with a slap stapler.

I knew I was forgetting some stuff, but didn't think it was this much..

 

I am remolding my house at the present time and the insulation is one of the things that are being replaced along with the roof, copper re-pipe, miles of network and RG59 video cable. I have spent weeks in the attic at night removing all of the old rock wool blown in insulation from the 1950's,
The old insulation has broken down and is about 1” thick and is sifting through the walls. When I turn on the attic ventilator it blows it outside. Along with the health hazards I wanted to remove it all. There are companies who remove this stuff but want allot of money, so I have a big industrial wet/ dry vacuum and I added 30' of 2 1/2" hose. I have started in the middle and have just about gotten all of it all sucked out and compacted into big trash bags.
Then I am laying down the bats to replace the old. I can only work at night even then the temperatures are about 75*-80* as I crawl around with full coveralls, mask, goggles and rubber gloves.
There are some inaccessible parts of my attic I might have to use the blown in type.
I too was looking at the system that Home Dept has but I was wondering about the long-term outlook for the cellulose as far as what chemicals will be released from it in a few years.
Jim

Some people go crazy when they blow in the insulation, I went to install a security system in a house and when I opened the attic access it was filled solid. It was like digging through a snow bank.

 

Very good advice. The only thing I can Add is USE A GOOD RESPERATOR. The dust is so fine that the normal paper mask is IMO, worthless.

Breath enough of this dust, and you will be suprised what comes out of your lungs.

One more thing to mention, Have a good helper to feed the machine. It will be outside and you will have a remote control cable to turn it on with and a hose. Both of you will be moving fast.

Ed

 

I am always in my attic running cables for new cameras and networking and the old insulation is like dust. In one of my bathrooms I have a commercial exhaust fan and when I turn it on it is so powerful, the door is hard to close. I noticed that when the door is closed it will suck the only air it can find which is under the door and all of the attic dust through the medicine cabinet.
I do a lot of work in medical buildings, evaporative coolers big enough to walk in, attics and under houses where a lot of nasty things have been living and sprayed.
Rodent poop is another nasty.
I have some simple N-95 surgical respirator mask I use most of the time and I also have a N-100 canister style mask that is awfully awkward in tight places to wear.

Even when you wear a mask you can still taste the dust in your mouth and nose. And you are like a cat hacking a hairball for a while.
I am always thinking about what the stuff is doing to your lungs as I am crawling through it.

Quote:
Breath enough of this dust, and you will be suprised what comes out of your lungs.

How about you would be surprised what GROWS in your lungs..
Jim