Posts: 1,872
Threads: 0
Joined: Feb 2008
It's an afternoon project for 2 men after the depth gauges are set and mat'ls/equipment on site. Lay a large tarp down outside for your work area before the machine is unloaded from the trailer. You should have enough hose for it to stay outside. I tarp the floor and hang poly to enclose my work area around the attic access. With an 8' plastic pipe (or three shop vac extensions taped together) I can reach most areas of an attic from the access, so I only have to actually be in the attic to accurately place insulation at the eaves and far corners. Plan on being there for up to an hour with no bathroom breaks, and bring your cell for communication to your ground guy. Most units have a remote start/stop but it's nice to relay progress/problems as you go. A light pitch fudge can help break up clumps in the hopper as you must resist all temptation to reach in and turning the blower on and off frequently can cause a hose clog. (That's when you swap ends a few times.) Things can get messy real fast, but it's not really a difficult D.I.Y. project. When the first bundle misses the hopper, just grab a snow shovel and keep feeding; it's one of the best energy improvements you can do.
Sign at N.E. Vocational School Cabinetmaking Shop 1976, "Free knowledge given daily... Bring your own container"
Posts: 12,452
Threads: 0
Joined: Aug 2003
Location: Wapakoneta, OH
It's not difficult for 2 folks, but it is as dirty and nasty a job as you'll find for DIY. Having done 2 shop buildings before moving again, the third time I hired it out. Interestingly, when i was talking to both Lowes and HD about them doing it it turned out (this was 5 years ago) they only did fiberglas (I wanted cellulose) and Owens Corning was the subcontractor....and they were very expensive. I did find an independent insulation contractor who did the job.
I started with absolutely nothing. Now, thanks to years of hard work, careful planning, and perseverance, I find I still have most of it left.
Posts: 23,784
Threads: 0
Joined: Jan 2004
Good suggestions so far.
Insulation contractors are insanely cheap compared to home depot prices.
I also own a Pest Control company and do insulation work. We have an 18 foot trailer rigged up with a 23hp insulation vacuum, and a blower rated for 2200lbs of cellulose/hr. I have trouble believing we'd be cheaper than an insulation contractor.
Go with cellulose. Blown in fiberglass is a dream to clean up after, but it does not air seal and has questionable resistance to heat transfer also. We keep the blower in the trailer to keep our mess to a minimum.
Matt
If trees could scream, would we be so cavalier about cutting them down? We might, if they screamed all the time, for no good reason.
-Jack Handy
