Wall Insulation...

So, my 1974 house in Longmont is annoying me already as the weather warms up, again...

This house has so little insulation in it, that it's expensive to heat, and almost impossible to cool.

I added insulation to the attics, just blown in loose fiberglass, and that helped, but the walls are either empty, or what little insulation was there has fallen to the bottom and was so minuscule that it doesn't add up to much on the bottom of the wall cavities. The house gains a tremendous amount of heat in the afternoon when the sun is shining on the West face of my house.

Has anyone ever DIY'd adding insulation to the walls? From all the research I have done, dense packed cellulose or fiberglass seems to be the most cost effective / best value. The spray foam options seem risky if it doesn't cure correctly, and are expensive.

If no one has DIY'd this, has anyone had success getting this done to better insulate a house?

Thanks in advance!

Gross I hate insulation


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Cellulose is better on paper for r value but glass is better inside the walls as paper settles quite a bit. It's also much dustier to apply and in general.

I hope you like patching little spots in drywall. Every stud cavity needs a penetration. Also invest in a fiber optic camera boroscope, that way you can do am exploritory very small hole that's easy to patch before you punch a big hole saw in the wall.

Also consider going from the outside by pulling the siding, possibly replacing the siding and adding moisture barrier and properly sealing the windows and doors.

Another option to consider is the foam backed siding that's available. Along with new windows if you don't already have them.

Kinda depends on the budget.

Forgot to add due to the age you need asbestos testing especially the texture and tape mud

Sign up for a Boulder County EnergySmart audit. Costs about $100 and they come to your house with air leakage testing and IR camera equipment. Takes a couple hours and they will go through everything from furnace to attic. A couple weeks later, they give you a detailed report on where you can achieve the most cost-effective savings and recommendations on best options. You will get color thermal photos of every wall showing the actual heat leaks so you won't be guessing. And they give steep discounts and rebates on upgrades. Totally worth it.

There is a spray in foam option they poke holes in the drywall and spray it in, but it is better to hire it out as if you screw up it will push the drywall off the studs

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Grant H.

So, my 1974 house in Longmont is annoying me already as the weather warms up, again...

This house has so little insulation in it, that it's expensive to heat, and almost impossible to cool.

I added insulation to the attics, just blown in loose fiberglass, and that helped, but the walls are either empty, or what little insulation was there has fallen to the bottom and was so minuscule that it doesn't add up to much on the bottom of the wall cavities. The house gains a tremendous amount of heat in the afternoon when the sun is shining on the West face of my house.

Has anyone ever DIY'd adding insulation to the walls? From all the research I have done, dense packed cellulose or fiberglass seems to be the most cost effective / best value. The spray foam options seem risky if it doesn't cure correctly, and are expensive.

If no one has DIY'd this, has anyone had success getting this done to better insulate a house?

Thanks in advance!

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I installed an Attic Vent/fan with a thermal switch. It helped cool the attic in the summer, and in the winter I unplugged and blocked the hole with just some bedding insulation. I was SHOCKED at how much just a small vent helped. Might be a simple alternative to the summer, sorry no help for winter.

They have solar attic fans now. I put one in a barn of ours. I managed to get it on close out for $54


http://www.homedepot.com/p/Master-Fl...OLAR/100548465

Quote:

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Originally Posted by fly boy

I installed an Attic Vent/fan with a thermal switch. It helped cool the attic in the summer

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I had the roofers install one of these when they re-did the roof:
Attachment 70922
http://www.homedepot.com/p/Remington...-BLK/204225874

Unfortunately I can't tell exactly how much impact it's having on the house temps, because we had central air and new windows installed as well.

It definitely is keeping the attic space cooler, opening the access hatch on a sunny 80 degree day, and it seemed pretty close to the same temp as the house. Last year, on a sunny 80 degree day, the attic was easily over 100 degrees. So i'm sure it's reducing the interior temps a bit.