# Blown-in insulation ??????



## V-Bottom (Jun 16, 2007)

Tell me all U know about this technique please.


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## speckle-catcher (May 20, 2004)

I put 35 bags in my house just a month or so ago. I've gotta run a quick errand then I'll post again.


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## V-Bottom (Jun 16, 2007)

I should have mentioned ...that stuff (paper ??) one blows in the attic about 6" thick..DIY ???


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## speckle-catcher (May 20, 2004)

Lowe's and HD both sell the same stuff. Made from recycled paper I think.

estimate the square footage of the area. there's a chart on the packaging that tells you how many bags you need for the finished thickness after settling.

it's a 2-man job to install, 1 in the attic and one outside feeding the blower.

if you're in the Houston area, shoot a PM to Long Pole - I hired him to come help me. I was in the attic, he fed the machine.

I would recommend a tyvek suit and respirator for the attic person 

It's not hard to do, not very time consuming - but it is kinda messy. If you want to tackle it yourself, send me a PM with your number and I can give you more tips.


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## djwag94 (Nov 19, 2009)

It's quick & easy, I did it a few years ago & it did help.

Having said that, the cellulose will find its way into your home via the HVAC system, recessed lighting, vents etc; We see it on all the furniture, bathroom fixtures and even airborne when the sun shines on a room. It's dispicable and you can only imagine what it would cost to remove from attic.

If I had it to do over I would use something else. IMHO!


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## V-Bottom (Jun 16, 2007)

No problem w/ the A/c..don't have any!!


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## cjrsktr (Jun 18, 2009)

The wife and I did it last summer in the middle of August. Kinda stupid but was well worth the work. It's quick and easy and I did it myself at 51 years old. The savings we noticed in our 35 year old house was immediately at least $100/month and our house cools and heats much better. We sprayed only over our bedroom ceilings and it took about 30 bags to spray about 15 inches thick. As someone else said in a previous reply we have noticed an increase in the amount of dusting we do now as compared to then but I still think it was well worth the time and effort. We got our from Lowe's and they loaned us the machine for free. It took about 3 hours to cover 1/2 of my attic. Good luck.


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## Team S.A. Blue (Sep 8, 2004)

*attic insulation*

DO NOT bring that machine in your house. I rented the one from Home depot and they only had the 50ft. hose. What a mistake!! I had that dust all over the place even though i taped plastic all over the stairwell where i had the machine.
Try to rent the bigger machine that will pump with the 100ft. hose. 
I didnt notice any dust coming through the ducts from the a/c. If your getting dust then the return air duct or your supply ducts are not sealed correctly. 
Wear a mask and cheap suit for sure. If it goes in the hopper correctly then it will spray real steady, If not then your going to have lots of problems like i did. Its all about whos feeding the machine. Good luck and let us know how it turned out.


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## axespino (Jan 10, 2005)

*Insulation*

I seen on one of the DIY shows that used strips of mylar that was blown in for insulation. I posted on the TTMB forum but did not get any responses if anyone has used it before. It sounds like it would be better than paper insulation because of the dust.


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## Old Whaler (Sep 6, 2005)

Don't blow in anything other than formaldehyde-free fiberglass. Cellulose has borates in it and it breaks down and you will have a dusty mess in the house.


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## Aggie Chris (Jun 5, 2005)

I used to spray this stuff for a living when I was in college. Not sure about the rental units at Lowe's/home depot, but the stuff we used was sprayed with a water and glue mix at the hose nozzle which would bind the tiny fibers. This kept it from settling over time(big complaint with cellulose) and keep the dusting down. Walls were alto more interesting as you shot it fairly wet and trimmed it to the studs with a two joist span roller brush powered by a drill. The stuff you trimmed was mixed with dry and shot through the machine again.

Its not a difficult job but would suggest you attack it in the winter. You can imagine how much fun a couple hours in a summer time attic can be. On the other hand, lost a lot of weight working that job. I would suggest you plan your attack and work your way back to the attic entrance. Not fun spraying yourself into a corner and none of the joists are visible. 

The Tyvek suit isn't necessary as its just shredded paper and cardboard. The stuff we used would knot up on your arm hair and usually ended up having to be pulled out. A plain paper mask will work..not dealing with anything caustic. Definitely do NOT run one of those machines in your house....couldn't imagine how long it would take to get the dust out.


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## CAPT. DORADO (May 28, 2010)

im in the process of building a house and will be doing the radiant barrier, and then my insulation. and have thought i might do batts in the celings and then spray on, on top of that. will that stop that dust problem everyone is talking about...any tips would help...


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## HuntNFishNick (Jul 13, 2007)

*Why are yall using Cellulose?*

It is a proven fact that you will have to redo it all over again in 5 to 10 years. They even admit to it. Use Owens Corning Fiberglass insulation. Easy to use. You can bring the insulation blower in the house or where ever cause theirs no dust and the fiberglass is not what the old fiberglass used to be. No itching and **** like that. Might end up being $200 more but you only have to do it once and their is no settling with fiberglass. All new homes are using fiberglass of some sort so why would anyone use the recycled news papers insulation that varmints like to live in and stay in.


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## Hooked Up (May 23, 2004)

Anybody here do this kind of work? We're real interested in getting it done at our place relatively quickly. PM me if you do it or have a recommendation for somebody who does please? Thanks, Hooked Up


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## Hunt777 (Aug 4, 2009)

I have an insulation company with locations in all of the major texas cities. We have been insulating homes since 1940 and are still family owned. Call my office and speak to Joe or Charlotte and they will take care of any insulation need you may have. They can also answer any questions regarding the type of material we recommend. We have insulated quite a few homes for 2 coolers and they were amazed by our professionalism and cleanliness. We can get in your attic and blow the entire flat in less than 20 minutes for 1/2 of what you would pay at one of the box stores. We offer Blow In, Batts, Foam, Cellulose, Energy audits, blankets, and energy sealing. 
Fiberglass Insulators - 713-868-5541

Eric Gonzales


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## llred (Jun 30, 2008)

I used the ownes corning blow in system from HD. Make sure you make a little barrier to keep it from blowing in over your soffets. They gave me some measuring tabs that I put up every 3-4 studs to make sure I was getting the right coverage for the R60 rating. If you go to the owens corning website they have some great tips for their blow in system.


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## InfamousJ (May 21, 2004)

rather than start a new post I will bring up this one since it is relevant to the topic...

if you have old rockwool in the attic, is it ok to blow in fiberglass over all of it or should I try to take out as much rockwool in the attic as I can before blowing in the fiberglass? 

should I spend the time removing it, vacuuming and cleaning attic as best I can, before blowing in the fiberglass? the rockwool is old, has had some roof leaks in areas before i replaced the roof, and old cedar shingle trash from a reroof is laying around in various areas... should I just blow insulation over it all and be done with it? 


for my buddies, here's a picture of the rockwool.. LOL


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## TomCat (Jan 6, 2006)

"cellulose", that **** worked for about 10 years then it settled compressing the blown in fiberglass under it. Now it's about 2 to 3 inches thick and is almost useless. My next major project will be reinsulated.


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