DIY or pay contractor for attic insulation?

[zurud]

I got quote for 1k for 15" blown fiberglass in 1000 sqft in the attic. Can I do it myself for cheaper using atticate blown in fiberglass from Homedepot. Rafter vent is additional $2 per unit.

 

[brownbagg]

no, its cheaper get it blown by contractor, beside they clean up the mess and haul the trash

 

[soapii]

You need to ask yourself if it is worth your time to even try and beat the quote they gave you. In my case it wasn't. Sure I could beat their price from a material standpoint (by only a couple hundred bucks) but instead I stood back and drank a beer while watching those guys sweat their *** off (in June) and they were in and out in 2 hours.

To rent I would have had to pick the unit up, haul it to my house (along with all the cubes of insulation), have someone come over my house to feed the machine while I was in the attic, staple in all the rafter vents, work in hot temps, get covered in blown in insulation, haul the gear back to Home Depot etc, you get the idea.

--Joe

 

[dmw56]

Your also going to need a good respirator and disposable coveralls. And you'll still get Fiberglas all over yourself and itch for weeks. No thanks.

 

[zurud]

Thanks. I guess I'll have them do it. The difference is only couple hundred bucks

 

[James-W]

Sometimes it makes more sense to just pay somebody to get the job done rather than to do it yourself.

 

[wrenchguy]

$2 per proper vent? I think they cost less than 20 cents!

 

[Jackfre]

I have found that it is better to do insulation by hiring someone to do it. I found this out when I insulated my own attic. I went up and shoveled all the old blown in insulation into bags and then put about r50 in batts up there. I was very happy with the performance and was happy to get rid of the old compressed blown in ****. It is miserable work and you won't save much by doing it yourself.

 

[RABRods]

I would pay to have it done. And I generally dont pay to have much of anything doen. From recent experience on my own home the wife and I did it ourselves, we spend about 50-60% of that cost they are charging you on insulation alone, two trips to get it from lowes, the blowing machine which didn't work all that well, and quite a dusty mess. It took us all day to, so figure in the value of your and a helpers time. For another few hundred, definately worth it in my opinion!

 

[LB-1911]

Thanks. I guess I'll have them do it. The difference is only couple hundred bucks

Good Choice.

They may very well be in and out in the time it would take you to source and transport the material and equipment to the site.

 

[AeroMoto]

On a related note, what needs to be done around light fixtures in the attic prior to blown in insulation? And if I paid a company, would they do this, or should I take the steps myself?

 

[rburke65]

Ask and talk to them before hand about these issues. Are you now having trouble with ceiling lights, etc. One hundred percent....let them do it all, without a doubt. I gladly pay for this job.

 

[cburnscrx]

I would pay to have it done. And I generally dont pay to have much of anything done. From recent experience on my own home the wife and I did it ourselves, we spend about 50-60% of that cost they are charging you on insulation alone, two trips to get it from lowes, the blowing machine which didn't work all that well, and quite a dusty mess. It took us all day to, so figure in the value of your and a helpers time. For another few hundred, definately worth it in my opinion!

^^^THIS^^^

I too avoid paying to have much of anything done. Mostly I either have the knowledge or can obtain the knowledge to do most things I want done. Enough so that am relocating my kitchen to a different part of the house.

All that being said, it's not worth the time, effort, or savings to do anything but pay somebody to put it in for you.

Good luck!