Blown in insulation DIY

[DC73]

Do you have to blow cellulose /fiberglass in? I saw a youtube video (This Old House channel) where they tore a bag open, dumped it in a cavity, and raked it around -- and then did that through a huge section of the attic.

Years ago you could buy large bags of loose fill cellulose or fiberglass which was very easy to spread around with a rake without blowing. I did one small house using that method. But, I don't know if you can still buy insulation in that form. The only thing I've seen and used in recent years are compacted "bricks" of insulation. These bricks have to be torn apart and then fluffed up for proper insulating. That is not something that is easily done by hand. I've tried it and don't recommend it. You need the blowing machine to un-compress the bricks.

DC

 

[Hubscrub66]

I found it better hired out to the local guys. I almost did it myself but talked my self out of it. still wasn't that expensive.

 

[dmcintosh]

I did my garage ceiling a few weeks ago. Like others have said, I actually saved about $80 by hiring it out. While I was at it, I had the company do my walls too. That was about a wash compared to buying materials and doing the install myself.

 

[Bamafan]

Menards sells "Shake & Rake", the kind where you don't need a machine. However, it is best for small spaces. If you have anything over 100-200 sq ft, get a machine. And always blow fiberglass. Much, much less dust and mess with far better coverage. And it doesn't settle over time.

 

[rburke65]

I calculated my materials and then called the local insulation gurus....there was about $100 increase to let them do my I tire shop....studs and attic. The best money I've spent. I made me a coffe and watched. I hadeverything moved outof here way....kept them in liquids.....they were extra kind to me in the attic area. Write the check.

 

[amalik]

Years ago you could buy large bags of loose fill cellulose or fiberglass which was very easy to spread around with a rake without blowing. I did one small house using that method. But, I don't know if you can still buy insulation in that form. The only thing I've seen and used in recent years are compacted "bricks" of insulation. These bricks have to be torn apart and then fluffed up for proper insulating. That is not something that is easily done by hand. I've tried it and don't recommend it. You need the blowing machine to un-compress the bricks.

DC

I found it better hired out to the local guys. I almost did it myself but talked my self out of it. still wasn't that expensive.

I did my garage ceiling a few weeks ago. Like others have said, I actually saved about $80 by hiring it out. While I was at it, I had the company do my walls too. That was about a wash compared to buying materials and doing the install myself.

Menards sells "Shake & Rake", the kind where you don't need a machine. However, it is best for small spaces. If you have anything over 100-200 sq ft, get a machine. And always blow fiberglass. Much, much less dust and mess with far better coverage. And it doesn't settle over time.

I calculated my materials and then called the local insulation gurus....there was about $100 increase to let them do my I tire shop....studs and attic. The best money I've spent. I made me a coffe and watched. I hadeverything moved outof here way....kept them in liquids.....they were extra kind to me in the attic area. Write the check.

I guess I need to keep shopping around, as GJ'ers are all basically saying contractor cost is not that different from material cost.

I'm in Denver and I feel these costs are a bit high. I am currently shopping around now.

My job is a little more tricky though with soffit venting and crawlspace insulation/vapor barrier in the same estimate as attic air sealing and attic insulation (I need it all done).

Here's the breakdown:

Insulate attic + air sealing (blown-in fiberglass, I would also ask how much cellulose is as I read it's better)

$2,958

Insulate crawl-space with closed-cell spray foam + vapor barrier

$1,980

Adding 10 soffit vents (I have good exhaust with a ridge vent, but barely any soffit venting around the whole house)

$600

$900 rebate from local energy company to subtract from the top-line

 

[akpingel]

Amalik did you end up going through with this? The reason I ask is my attic is in a very similar state and I wonder how effective this turned out to be, especially now that it's getting cold.

Thanks,
Alex

 

[justinthurn]

I have done several of my homes with fiberglass blow in. all with menards machines. the biggest trick to it is to set up a 4x8 sheet of plywood on sawhorses for a table and completely cut open the bales on the plywood. this will allow the insulation to expand before you put it in the machine and will significantly increase your productivity. no need for a stick or anything, just drop the stuff in by the armfull. I don't know what kind of prices you are seeing, but with menards on sale at $15.00 per bag after rebate, ill be doing my 3,000 SF shop at R49 for $1,300 plus my labor. it is normally priced at $26.00 per bag but goes on sale about 4 times a year to $15.00. of course, it is a rebate, but who doesn't spend money at menards! installers around here are about $1.00 per SF which is over double the price. ill take a $1,700 Saturday every time!

 

[D45]

Stupid question, how deep should the blown in be?

I have been wanting to look in my two attic spaces to measure the current depth

 

[texasprd]

I tried using one of those rental machines years ago to blow cellulose into an uninsulated part of the attic - my wife was outside opening the bales and dumping them into the machine. She didn't have any trouble loading the machine, but it was horrible in the attic. The roof pitch is fairly low, so in that area of the attic there is not sufficient height to stand up. Every time she turned on the machine, I was in a white-out cellulose blizzard in seconds. Couldn't see at all to direct the stuff.

Gave up on the blow-in cellulose idea. Scooped out the three partial rows of cellulose that I blew in and went with fiberglass batts/rolls instead.

I don't know if the machine just wasn't suited for the job, or if I needed to be in a space with more volume (i.e. room to stand up), but it didn't work for me.

 

[OH_Varmntr]

Stupid question, how deep should the blown in be?

I have been wanting to look in my two attic spaces to measure the current depth

Depends on what the material is you are blowing in.

AtticCat blown-in fiberglass, for example, is 16.5" deep at an R-49 value.

I'll be blowing in 3072 square feet of it this weekend at an R-49.

 

[leog]

My son and myself did a portion of his walls and attic last Saturday, he picked up machine and insulation from Carter Lumber and we were loading the machine back into his truck at 1:30. He had everything prepped to the utmost. Two guys is an absolute for this evolution one to point the hose and one to feed the Atticat machine. Owens corning did a great job designing this or DIY fellas. I am not privy to cost, but really enjoyed the time we spent together.

Hope this helps

LeoG

 

[D45]

Depends on what the material is you are blowing in.

AtticCat blown-in fiberglass, for example, is 16.5" deep at an R-49 value.

I'll be blowing in 3072 square feet of it this weekend at an R-49.

I would only guess and think mine is NO WHERE near that depth

Time to get out the ladder and access my two attic spots

 

[bpjr]

I haven't personally blown in insulation but had it done on 2 houses. Two things that I noticed. I'm in Florida and had blown in insulation in the ceiling and attic walls in another.

The R40 was blown in at just under 24" thick and 15 yrs later just covers the 2x4 trusses...after about 15 yrs it stabilized. I could not believe how thick they originally blew in but now know why. So compression was huge and something to check out if long term means anything to you. It calculated 7 yrs before payback on the extra cost.

 

[like2wheel]

I haven't personally blown in insulation but had it done on 2 houses. Two things that I noticed. I'm in Florida and had blown in insulation in the ceiling and attic walls in another.

The R40 was blown in at just under 24" thick and 15 yrs later just covers the 2x4 trusses...after about 15 yrs it stabilized. I could not believe how thick they originally blew in but now know why. So compression was huge and something to check out if long term means anything to you. It calculated 7 yrs before payback on the extra cost.

So 24" compressed to about 4" ??
Cellulose?

 

[rick carpenter]

You need four people. One to mind/feed the machine, one to keep him loaded up constantly, the spreader in the attic, and someone on the ladder to communicate between the machine and the spreader. Then you can really rock and roll.

 

[MushCreek]

I had stabilized cellulose blown into my attic. It has a dilute glue mixture, and goes in slightly damp. It settled about an inch, and hasn't moved since then.

 

[Lelandwelds]

You need four people. One to mind/feed the machine, one to keep him loaded up constantly, the spreader in the attic, and someone on the ladder to communicate between the machine and the spreader. Then you can really rock and roll.

I used the subpar HD machine with cellulose. It blew maybe 3 or 4 ft and was easy to handle. My attic was 140°F and it was a nasty job. The contractors will do it for less than you can. My job was too small to interest them.

My helpers were the biggest problem. They were constantly distracted by the tv, phone, and arguing amongst themselves. When they were paying attention, I was really moving!

Locally, the contractors are competitive and hungry today. If I was insulating a garage, I would at least talk to a wet cellulose guy or a foam guy. Up north, the inside vs outside difference is much greater. I would really insist on a job that didn't cut corners.

 

[mx500]

If you get the fiberglass, it comes out like snow and not dusty. i actually enjoyed it, in my pole barn. They say that the cellulose is a little better insulator, but I knew id be back up there running more wires, etc, and didn't want the itch or dust. Hell, i went back and did it again a few years later for more depth, all by myself. I would hang the hose up, and load a bale and go back up.. Seems like i bought 20 bags for my 32x50.

 

[bigdav160]

A buddy was having blown cellulose done in his house. While the contractor was there they negotiated to do his shop (1200sq/ft) also.

A couple weeks later the shop burned down (lost some nice cars). Cause: non contact can lights. Be careful

 

[redneckcharlie]

He must have had some very high wattage bulbs in to produce the type of heat to cause that. Ic cans are a good idea, but if u dont have ic rated cans, switching to led bulbs will eliminate the heat. The light is better to.

A buddy was having blown cellulose done in his house. While the contractor was there they negotiated to do his shop (1200sq/ft) also.

A couple weeks later the shop burned down (lost some nice cars). Cause: non contact can lights. Be careful

 

[MushCreek]

In the house, I built drywall boxes to cover them in the attic, then put foam board over them for insulation. Mine are IC, but I don't trust them. Ours are all LED, and they barely get warm.

 

[ForceFed70]

I've done it a few times no. Pretty simple easy job. I think most of this feedback has already been sent but to summarize:
- 2 person job
- Make sure you install the baffles to allow prevent blockage of soffit venting
- Feeding is a bit of an art. While the machine looks like you're supposed to just open the bale and stuff an end in, you usually need to break it up a little 1st.
- Try to eliminate as much vertical rise as possible (I've kept the machine in the back of my pickup to get some additional height) and try to keep the hose length as short as possible. It'll pay off with less chance of plugging the hose, farther "shooting" of the insulation out of the hose (less moving around and crawling into tight spaces), and allowing a higher volume of insulation which makes the job quicker.
- Dusty as all heck. Filter mask is a requirement. They sell disposable coveralls that work great for this. Avoid placing the machine indoors if you can.
- Overall a pretty simple/easy job. Usually done in an afternoon. Worst part is moving around in the attic. If you get to choose - be the feeder!
- Don't shut the machine off with insulation in the hopper/tube or it'll plug.
- Work out a communication process between the feeder and the man in the attic. It helps a lot when you need to re position yourself/hose in the attic or want to shut the machine off. I found that simply blocking the hose with your hand for a second works - the feeder can hear the change in pitch (like when blocking a vacuum hose). 2 short stoppages signaled the feeder to either start/stop the feeding.
- HD/Lowes will typically have a deal "Buy at least 20 bags and get a rental for a day". You can manipulate the process. If you buy 40 bags you should be able to talk them into 2 day rental. If you only need 10 bags but want the free rental - buy 20, get the free rental, then return what you don't need.
- If you have recessed lighting, check the make sure it's rated to be covered with insulation.
- Marking the depth is helpful. They do sell marker sticks, etc. I found that going around with a tape measure and a marker/spraycan is quicker and easier.
- Use a garden rake to level it out later if you have any high/low spots.

 

[MushCreek]

In my attic, I used a laser level, and marked numerous spots on the trusses. I didn't do my own; I did this to check up on the contractor. Sure enough, there was a large area that was some 6" short. They came back and blew in another 22 bags! Here in SC, the cost to have it done was about the same as the price of the materials from HD. It was a no-brainer to have someone else do it.

I want to get them back to do the garage ceiling, and I'm going to do the workshop end of my barn as well. Since there's a loft overhead, they need to insulate between the 2X10 floor joists. I'm going to staple geotextile to the underside of the joists, then they can blow it in from one end. After they're done, I'll put up a white metal ceiling.

 

[D45]

Just curious, but what are the typical costs associated with hiring this job out?

What are you guys paying?

 

[Pen & Wrench]

My wife and I did it. All I can add is that I set up saw horses with planks on them, so all my wife had to do is slide the bags near the hopper, cut them open and slide them into the hopper with very little lifting. I think we were able to stack about 15 bags on the saw horse-plank set up so she had an easy time keeping the machine fed. I would strongly suggest a respirator, just because they tend to fit better and you won't breath in any dust.

 

[OH_Varmntr]

I blew 71 bags of AtticCat fiberglass into my shop attic today. My shop is 48x64 and at an R-value of R49 it's 16.5" deep. That square footage called for 77 bags, but I blew a bit of it in on the lighter side because I blew a few spots in heavier and ended up using 6 bags less than needed for the R49 average.

I started at 9:30AM and ended at 3PM, with 1 hour of downtime for lunch.

So it took 4.5 hours total for 71 bags and cost me $1650 in insulation and the local insulation contractor that spray-foamed my shop wanted $1900 to do it.

An interesting tidbit of information is that when my brother blew the same insulation in his shop, he averaged 1 bag blown every 5-6 minutes. With my times, I averaged less than 4 minutes a bag, with the same make and model machine, from the same Home Depot (not the same machine though as they have two machines). So I'm guessing the more worn out and abused the machines are, the less efficient they are in doing their job. Interesting considering we were banking on this job taking 7+ hours to finish. That's quite a time savings.

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