I've used this machine before. 10 bags is ALOT of insulation. What my Lowes store told me was to buy 10 and return what I didn't use. They wouldn't charge me for the machine that way. Tip to others.
I just did my 2000 sq ft shop this past weekend. I have a few tips that probobly have already been covered in other comments but I stopped reading after 5 minutes. 1. Buy enough bags to get the bulk price and return the ones you don't use, you will still get the bulk price. 2. If you buy 100 bags like I did, just pay for delivery, they will unload the pallets anywhere you want that the fork truck can go (in my case they went in my paint booth). 3. Don't bother with their machine if you buy cellulose. We clogged up immediately, after searching online for the instructions for that machine I found that it will void the warranty if it's not used with their insulation. 4. Insulation makes a mess! If your bread and butter is automotive paint, don't setup the machine in a paint booth thinking the ventilation fans will magically make it more comfortable for the "stuffer". You will spend an entire day cleaning. 5. Spray paint lines on truss webs at the height you want before you begin. lastly, take a nice sturdy piece of lumber up to move around on. Moving from truss to truss when spaced 48" is not fun, stepping on a loosely attached piece of lumber is also not fun when it gives out and you have 12' of distance and a .5" piece of drywall between you and a concrete floor...always be ready to grab something even if you think you are on a secure framing member.
Duct tape a broomstick to the end of the hose for additional reach; it’s great for low pitch roofs. Another good thing to have is walkie-talkies to signal the loader when to start and stop the machine; you will keep your living space cleaner when the loader can be in the garage or outside.
I am a single mom and own my home and want to do this. I know I can manage it just by watching your video not too intimidated at all. I got this!!! Thanks so much for the video.
My wife, son and I did this years ago with cellulose. No directions on the machine. We used 18 bags. I was in ceiling, my son was managing the hose up to me and my wife was feeding the machine. We worked non stop until done. When finished I came down out of the rafters and died laughing. My wife was completely COVERED in cellulose! I asked her why she did not say something as we worked. She said she wanted to but realized we were making such good progress she did not want to slow us down. Glad she had a mask on! To anyone considering doing this, DO IT. Made a big difference inside the house.
Jeff’s emotional presentation always seems like he’s already explained everything to six other beginner level classes in the same day, and he’s trying REALLY HARD to maintain his enthusiasm level
Great videos on your channel. We used this machine to insulate both our attic and inside the walls of our 1937 Sears home. Owens corning has a video on how to fill the walls, I had to drill a lot of 3" holes and then patch them, but our heating bill was cut in half the following winter. You could also insulate from outside by removing and replacing your siding, which was not an option in our old house. TIP - I did the attic and the walls on separate days. So I bought 20 bags of insulation, had the cashier ring up 10 at a time and got two receipts = two free machine rentals.
I did this about 8 months ago. Lowes had an amazing deal on blow-in cellulose. They were selling 100 bags for about $550. The total R value is way overkill, but 100 bags was cheaper than 70 at the time. You definitely want a high quality respirator and a very bright light. It took about 6 hrs to fill a 1200 sq ft attic to a depth of 2 ft. It is really important to make sure you don't block the soffit vents if your attic is vented. You can use rafter vents which extend the soffit vents. They cost about $1 each. If you want to get the best value out of the insulation take the time to seal all the gaps before insulating. It's a lot of additional work, but about half of the energy loss for a typical old house is convective rather than conductive. Sealing the gaps in the attic will go a long ways to reducing the convection loss. GreatStuff Pro is a good choice for filling the gaps.
There 3 feet made of 1/4 pink foam and go from soffits upwards 1 set between each truss is what I've seen just enough to get the ventilation of the soffit upwards above the blown insulation
I was quoted about $3k from a major reputable company in Arizona. The financing fell thru and I had to turn the job down. Thank God it didn’t go thru. I just found this video and now I’m excited to know I can do this job myself. You’re awesome!!!!!
Over time I've become convinced there's NOTHING that you can't do!! You take the definition of "Jack of all of all trades" to another level! Impressive, helpful & pretty cool!
Done it quite a few times. One way of getting the right amount of insulation in is use the flags like the construction guys use to mark gas lines and power lines. All you have to do is staple them to the sides of the truss for the first few trusses this will help establish the right height.Two way radios are very helpful for communicating and install rafter vents so your soffits can still breath if they are the vented type.
I did it a year ago. Cleaning up the attic, sealing all the gaps and installing the soffit vents was quite exhausting. But then to blow in the insulation was soooo easy:) I did cellulose, but the same thing. And the insulation for the whole 1200sqft attic was like $1000. Contractors were asking for like 4-5k for the same.
Wow, as an insulation contractor I’d charge (Minneapolis, MN area) approximately $2300USD for the insulation and the air sealing. Then the utility companies will send a refund of between $450 and $565. I guess I need to charge more! Lol. Granted I’m in the micro company group, not the big operator category.
Kevin Green no, removal would add about $2500 additional due to the dumpster ($500~) the bags are approximately $30ea and the rental of the vacuum is about $200/ day.
@@koryleach9660 that is probably where the 4-5k comes from. I have also gotten quotes and contractors that I've gotten quotes from want to completely remove your old stuff before air sealing.
big box stores will give you a free 1 day rental with the purchase of a certain number of bags of insulation. I strongly suggest buying cheap long sleeved coveralls. You'll get a lot less itchy and can just toss them rather than clog your washer with fiberglass/cellulose.
Good video here in Texas we nail little markers around in attic so we have know how to maintain the depth of insulation we want, they have an inch scale on the markers.
Yep, although watch out! One of my coworkers had his attic insulated and on a whim he pulled up one of the rulers they nailed down and the bottom two inches were cut off!
Hey Jeff! I just wanted to give a huge thanks for all the hard work you and your crew do. I found you about 3 weeks ago while looking up some information on sound proofing and have been binging all of your videos ever since. So many useful tips and tricks!!! I've been working on some big plans that have only gotten bigger and better with your help. But more on that later...
Hey Jeff I have used that on alot of jobs and it works great. One thing to point out is that if they are blowing into their attics , be very aware of the soffits, they way you showed it it looked like you covered the soffits which will stop the airflow into the attic and out the roof vent. You know as well as i do that if thats not explained correctly some fool will blow it all over his vents and cause a ton of damage down the road... keep up the videos, i catch a thing or two from you ever so often. that comes in handy....
Hey handyt butler, How do you keep it from going in your soffits? I would like to put more insulation in attic but I am afraid that I will close up my soffits. Thanks
@@MrHuberb one way to do it is use a piece of luan and a small board to nail it to so you can hold that out and keep it from going into the soffits... i use a paint guard for spray guns also just to keep it from flowing in... if it does go in usually you can get something to pull it back out...
Use baffle vents. They can be made of cardboard, plastic or thin styrofoam that you can pick up at Home Depot (Owen Corning has pink ones) or other such places. You slide them in toward soffit and between the rafters and leave them there. They have a channel in them to allow the flow of air. You then surround the outside of them with insulation. The baffle should be higher than the amount of insulation you put on the outside of it so you don't get insulation falling into the open channel.
Hi Jeff! Your videos are a tremendous source of valuable information to the DIY community. Thank you! Related to the topic of attic blow insulation: may I recommend that you post a video showing how to create a walkable attic over that blown insulation? The particular case I have in mind is that of new homes (in US) where the roof support structure, as well as long trusses over rooms/garage seem to use "skinnier" lumber than the standard 2x4 and, more, they connect all over the place using Simpson's mending plates. All that seems to me quite flimsy, and one would need to build some good support structure tied in to the roof rafters for a tentative walkable attic floor. There are very few postings on the topic, and your contribution to illuminating it is very much appreciated.
Just did this to my 1886 farmhouse! Used cellulose instead and omg the difference of comfort inside the house is crazy. Had zero insulation prior to this. Amazing!
Thanks man for all your videos, I live In Ottawa and bought an old 1930s house (first time home owner in Vanier) I have done so much work and was so nervous doing the work from change toilets, to electrical, to demo, to drywall - You have made it so much easier for me and have gave me so much confidence when doing projects - I cannot thank you enough. I still have so much more to go I do believe a have asbestos in my attic on my second floor of the 1930s part, I believe they sprayed blown insulation over top of it - Ceiling has newspaper as vapor barrier. Not looking forward to that project. THANK YOU
Getting ready to close on my first house at the end of the month. There is a section of the attic that no longer has insulation after a repair was done. I think now I feel confident enough to just do it myself. Thanks
did it myself 2 years ago. Was the easiest job I've tackled since i bought my house. Anyone can do it paying someone to do it is a waste of money, unless you don't want to get dirty.
Looks fairly straight forward and cost wise tops. Can’t find hire mob in Australia but it may eventually get a run. Who knows right. Great video and your tips and shows get people motivated. Keep smiling.
My father and I used to do this in Maine in the late 90s. Our material was shredded newspaper and we funneled ours through 3" holes we cut at the top of the walls between the studs. It meant a lot of drywall repair. I always wondered if we could have saved time and just put a crown molding over the holes.
Thanks for the step by step. I think I could totally to this to an attic when I get my own house. I like that I can leave the machine in the morning truck, that really makes in DIY.
4 years later, you convinced me, I am gonna add this insulation to my home. The price the 'professionals' want is ROBBERY. Thank you again, for giving me advice and confidence.
I had my attic sealed and insulated with open cell spray foam. It was very expensive but worth it in my opinion. Central Air conditioning run time has been cut in half from 10 hours a day of run time to now only 5 hours.
your house needs to breathe, hopefully you crawled up there and checked their work. Because I know what it costs to do a 1400sq ft ranch, it’s a Fuckn scam.4200$
You have to use one of those huge vaccum that restoration company have. Youll also need a truck preferably with close box like the uHaul ones. Talk to your landfill before to show up there with it, they all have different rules and preferances with this kind of stuff.
I just want to say that blown in insulation helped me save a ton of money and make our house more comfortable during the summer/winter. I was also able to take advantage of energy efficiency grants through our electric utility that made hiring someone to do it just as cheap as doing it myself. I think the cost to rent the equipment and buy the insulation was going to be close to $600 at the time and to have someone do it would cost close to $800 with the grant. Something to look into if you have a tough space that would make doing it yourself challenging.
Great information. I own a home built in 1955, the insulation looks old, and I've been considering doing this to at least add to what's there. Thanks for the video!
I did this last year with cellulose on top of existing but insufficient fiberglass bats. The dust level was far more insane, but I felt like cellulose with borax could reduce bugs (and it did!). AC ran at least 50% less. I used radiant foil to block off the soffits, but considering the dust from the cellulose, the radiant foil probably has little value😾. Loved the pink Xmas, had my family thinking back to our insulation party.
Excellent, thanks! I really want to do it, but have some wiring to do. That and spending time in the attic always sucks. I dread going up there. Getting better slowly, but have lots more OSB to put down first.
Hey Jeff thanks for the info dude. My wife and I just brought a 4500 sq ft home and our bedroom is FREEZING. Our attic is roughly 500 soft of open space. I’m going to try the blow insulation.
I have watched multiple videos on this now. Air sealing 1st was not mentioned in this one. The need to use foam sealing on all joints and light fixtures with proper covers. Then add insulation. So really, it is important to remove the old insulation and put new in. Also, for Ontario, Canada, they changed min. R value from r50 to r60 in 2019 or about 16-22 inches depending on cellulose (higher r value) or fiberglass. On one of the videos that I saw, they did a blower door test to see how much air flow was stopped. After air sealing and redone cellulose blown in insulation...the whole saving was only 20 percent. So I guess that I'm saying I'm leaning towards this video for initial cost saving :)
The Christmas jingle edit was funny. I was just looking at getting some bags and that machine from the local big box so thanks for the video example. I was also wondering how far it sprayed laterally and you answered that in this video too. Thanks a bunch!
Hi Jeff, I will be going to Hone Depot and reserving one for next week. Thanks for your video. I’m going to clean out the old insulation and just put in all new.
@10:15 what did you seal up tighter than a drum? I saw no air sealing done before blowing in which is malpractice. Are there electrical wires or plumbing underneath the existing batts? Wall top plates? Chimney chase? Can lights?
If we have a bathroom fan in the attic, should we put a vapor barrier (plastic) on top of it before insulating like this? Love your videos btw, keep up the good work!
I did this with cellulose at my place. I had R5 value in the attic and recieve a government grant from Quebec to insulate. I had to put cardboard baffles to keep the ventilation from the soffits to the attic. The machine I rented was similar but unfortunately it was beaten up pretty badly. It sounded awful due to the bearings being shot. Since the bearings were shot, it seemed as if it was forcing to turn; which would result in a slower output inside the tube and... You guessed it; clogged the tube up! This part was a nightmare as I had to come back out from the end of my house and start unclogging this monstrosity in the driveway. In any case, the hardest part out of all of that was to install the baffles (no room and your face is real close to mouse crap). Rest was a piece of cake even though the machine needed some maintenance. Oh and that grant I received... I actually made 400$ to insulate my own place up to R50!!
Great video brother, it is exactly what I needed, I'm in the process of insulating my garage attic since I want to make it usable in the winter, thank you so much, keep them coming.
Look up gvt rebates. Here i was looking to do it myself. But i wont be eligible for the rebates if its not a professionnal. At the end, it makes it very inexpensive (still few more bucls) to let someone do it. I wont go throught all that hassle to save 175$.
Would you recommend using a radiant barrier in the attic along the top 2x6 rafters or putting more of the pink insulation up there? The goal is to keep the attic cooler in the summers
Hey.. boys good job, just a fyi the machine party has a cutter on the inside for the bags. Then I did my attic 2 months ago, it was hot!! We blew in 30 bags.. at each 10 bag interval I took a 15 min break. I had to do 24 inch for the R60. We also dead in remote. I had to call tell him to stop sometimes he couldn't hear the phone. DYI Tip: Instead of blowing insulation straight up, you could just cup your hand over the nozzle or stop piece of cardboard. Cheers thanks for your videos
Is putting plywood down in attics to create storage space/ safe spaces to walk not a thing anymore? Also, if you later need to put in can lights into the ceilings below the attic, how do you maneuver through all of that to clear out where the cans go and not end up falling through the ceiling because you can't see the joists?
I will say, I feel plenty comfortable with this job, but Massachusetts rebates are good enough that many folks in my area are best served by looking up if they are "Mass Save" eligible. If I didn't qualify, I would do this myself in a heartbeat as the energy savings by properly insulating your roof (especially for folks in very old houses) could pay for itself in just a couple years.
I have a suggestion for your video. If you have a ventilated soffit and you want to increase the attic insulation without blocking the air flow, you must install aeration vent carboards between the rafters.
Thank you! I actually need to do this and wasn't 100% certain on the task and if it was more involved. This appears significantly less complicated than I initially thought.
Hey Jeff, any recommendations with attics that have soffits? Do you recommend those soffit vents that hold the insulation, so it won't fall into the soffit?
Hello Jeff, I've recently joined the world of diy reno and your channel is the one I look first for everything! Lot of knowledge and useful insights. I really appreciate all the effort you and your crew put on it. I'm starting to renew the insulation on the attic which is very cold and poorly insulated. I live in Canada, so insulate the attic is really important. Do you have any videos about it?? I was thinking on joining the membership to ask for your advice on the subject. Can you help me with it?? Thank you in advance
Welcome to the membership! Yes most of Canada is quite cold in the winter so we generally like to see R ratings or 30 to 40 in attic spaces. we also get hot summers so we like to have fresh air from the soffits and generous exhaust vents as well. the secret to getting both is to install baffles that protect the attic fresh air and allow for generous blown in insulation levels. my advice is to aim for twice the R rating in the attic as is in your walls. air sealing penetrations like plumbing and wiring is also a huge concern to avoid water vapor and condensation. If you are looking to use spray foam against the rafters and roof decking then also look to install a metal roof system as asphalt shingles overheat and degrade quite quickly in the summertime causing premature need for replacement and excessive roofing costs during the lifetime of the home. for better details send me photos of your house and age and location to our discord so I can offer better insights. Cheers!
My grandfather was an electrician and we still have his old hopper for blowing insulation. He used to do walls in existing house too. He had an attachment for the hose that was a 1-inch nozzle. You'd drill a hole about a foot down on the wall and foot or two up from the bottom. Stick that nozzle in and let it rip. Then you plug the hole with a one-inch dowel. Usually we worked on the exterior but there were times we had to work from the interior. It's a lot of holes to drill and plug. Not hard at all but tedious. Attics in the summer were a bear though, if you were the guy manning the hose. Next time I'm at my folks, I'll take a picture of the hopper and send it to you. It belongs in a museum.
LOVE that ladder! Thanks for demo'ing the blower on the video, I feel more able to tackle my loft which needs some more adding. My house has 2 bedrooms, and a bathroom over the garage. All three rooms in the winter are f-reezing. The front bedroom floor is crazy cold despite carpet and underlay and those rooms are easily about 5+ Fahrenheit cooler. I insulated the garage doors and am going to add more in fact. I insulated the walls but haven't added any drywall as yet due to so many other projects. The garage ceiling has been finished. I haven't cut a hole yet to see what insulation is up there if any though by the entrance to the house from the back of the garage there is minimal insulation and a fairly large gap but this space is not consistent across the garage. Would you recommend I use one of these blowers (I don't know how far the insulation will realistically be able to travel or whether to be concerned about that) or do you suggest that I go the simpler but more expensive route of adding insulation foam board to the ceiling or another alternative I found with a 0 flame retardant is Prodex which is R17. Or? Thanks very much.
Jeff can you do one for a bonus room over garage and doing finished ceiling over it. I have what looks like R 19 on in bonus floor joists and R 19 in ceiling. Also crawl space needs some under 1st floor. Thanks
Hi Jeff , how does this product perform fire rating wise. I am a firefighter in Australia. Over here people have been using a cellulose blown in insulation. During my time as a firefighter I have had several fire roof fires. The cellulose product is treated with a fire retardant, however overtime the retardant leaches out and the product become combustible. I really enjoy watching your great Videos ,thank you.
I like the light mounted on your hat. Suggest a respirator for lung protection and goggles (like swimmers wear) for eye protection. Finally, a set of cheap overalls to protect your clothing.
When I rented, I walked over to plumbing and found a 5 ft piece of thin PVC pipe tha fit snuggly in the end of the hose. Made it easier to direct it into the cavities and deeper areas.
Wondering if I should remove the current old insulation or just blow right on top 🤔 I know he went overtop but wondering if the newer is more efficient. It’s a 70s home. Appreciate the guidance!
Your timing is great -- we're getting ready to insulate the attic in a couple of weeks! One question -- is it ok to use this type of insulation in the walls? Just cut a hole in the drywall between the studs and blow the insulation in? We have a house built in 1970 that doesn't have enough insulation.
Use a stud finder and locate your studs in the room. Drill 5 inch holes about halfway up the wall in between the studs. Then push the hose to the top of the cavity and let it fill wall from the bottom up as it drifts down into the lower part of cavity. You'll know it is getting full as the insulation/air pump will start to bog down. When it appears that the wall is full, start to slowly pull the hose out and allow the space where the hosed went to fill as as it is pulled out. Takes a little practice but you'll get the technique down after doing it a few times.
What great information for doing it yourself. But my question is, my house was built in 1955 in North Jersey USA. I have a A-frame attic, the insulation up there is a one roll layer between the beams, and it's a mess of the old fiberglass insulation. So I guess the best way for me to do this is to get rid of the old insulation and do something like you did for better insulation, the Attic is R 49 to R 60 in my area, so it can be right. Also I have pop out lights in the ceiling and a light exhaust fan in the bathroom should they be covered?
This is definitely on my shorter list of project for next year after our mini-splits are installed. I figure it would be best to wait until the line sets have been run through the attic. I've seen these machine in Home Depot, but I didn't' know you could get the rental for free with a minimum QTY purchase. That's great!
We did this a year ago and it came from HD without directions. I’ve got to show my husband, we fed it so poorly and had the hose in backwards. Can’t stop laughing
@Heidi Kagarakis, hey... You learned a lot. Now you can help others do it right. A great experience and some good laughs. Bonus, you got to spend time with your husband 😉
What about proper ventilation of the attic? As I understand gaps near the walls have to be maintained for the roof to have proper ventilation - at least where I live (FL). And blowing insulation inside may clog this space. So any tricks how to do it without crawling all along the attic?
Is it something I could do or feel confident doing? Yes. Is it something I want to do? No I know for a renovation or touch up project you are limited which options to use. My preferred method of insulation is a continuous building envelop or rigid foam insulation (EPS or the like).
I've used this machine before. 10 bags is ALOT of insulation. What my Lowes store told me was to buy 10 and return what I didn't use. They wouldn't charge me for the machine that way. Tip to others.
Good tip!
Oh wow!
Used this same trick last week at home depot! Worked like a charm lol
Exactly what I was thinking
Good tip! Thanks!
I just did my 2000 sq ft shop this past weekend. I have a few tips that probobly have already been covered in other comments but I stopped reading after 5 minutes. 1. Buy enough bags to get the bulk price and return the ones you don't use, you will still get the bulk price. 2. If you buy 100 bags like I did, just pay for delivery, they will unload the pallets anywhere you want that the fork truck can go (in my case they went in my paint booth). 3. Don't bother with their machine if you buy cellulose. We clogged up immediately, after searching online for the instructions for that machine I found that it will void the warranty if it's not used with their insulation. 4. Insulation makes a mess! If your bread and butter is automotive paint, don't setup the machine in a paint booth thinking the ventilation fans will magically make it more comfortable for the "stuffer". You will spend an entire day cleaning. 5. Spray paint lines on truss webs at the height you want before you begin. lastly, take a nice sturdy piece of lumber up to move around on. Moving from truss to truss when spaced 48" is not fun, stepping on a loosely attached piece of lumber is also not fun when it gives out and you have 12' of distance and a .5" piece of drywall between you and a concrete floor...always be ready to grab something even if you think you are on a secure framing member.
You need 25-3o bags.
Duct tape a broomstick to the end of the hose for additional reach; it’s great for low pitch roofs. Another good thing to have is walkie-talkies to signal the loader when to start and stop the machine; you will keep your living space cleaner when the loader can be in the garage or outside.
I was just going to ask about low pitched roofs.
i use my 8' extension pole for hard to reach places. Cheers!
cell phone works well if you don't have walkies talkies
I am a single mom and own my home and want to do this. I know I can manage it just by watching your video not too intimidated at all. I got this!!! Thanks so much for the video.
I am a novice at DIY. I watched your video today and conquered my insulation! Thanks for making the video!
My wife, son and I did this years ago with cellulose. No directions on the machine. We used 18 bags. I was in ceiling, my son was managing the hose up to me and my wife was feeding the machine. We worked non stop until done. When finished I came down out of the rafters and died laughing. My wife was completely COVERED in cellulose! I asked her why she did not say something as we worked. She said she wanted to but realized we were making such good progress she did not want to slow us down. Glad she had a mask on! To anyone considering doing this, DO IT. Made a big difference inside the house.
Now that women is a keeper
Like an old Master, Jeff hides no secret to doing things PERFECTLY, and sharing them. Thanks, Man!
Jeff’s emotional presentation always seems like he’s already explained everything to six other beginner level classes in the same day, and he’s trying REALLY HARD to maintain his enthusiasm level
Forget Netflix and Chill. It's all about binge watching your videos and chilling. Such useful and fascinating knowledge!
Great videos on your channel. We used this machine to insulate both our attic and inside the walls of our 1937 Sears home. Owens corning has a video on how to fill the walls, I had to drill a lot of 3" holes and then patch them, but our heating bill was cut in half the following winter. You could also insulate from outside by removing and replacing your siding, which was not an option in our old house. TIP - I did the attic and the walls on separate days. So I bought 20 bags of insulation, had the cashier ring up 10 at a time and got two receipts = two free machine rentals.
Perfect timing for such a video! Hoping you can show a video of removing old insulation and starting fresh.
That is, exactly, what I need. My house was built in 1956, and although seller’s disclosure reads “no” for anything hazardous, I want to be safe.
I did this about 8 months ago. Lowes had an amazing deal on blow-in cellulose. They were selling 100 bags for about $550. The total R value is way overkill, but 100 bags was cheaper than 70 at the time. You definitely want a high quality respirator and a very bright light. It took about 6 hrs to fill a 1200 sq ft attic to a depth of 2 ft. It is really important to make sure you don't block the soffit vents if your attic is vented. You can use rafter vents which extend the soffit vents. They cost about $1 each. If you want to get the best value out of the insulation take the time to seal all the gaps before insulating. It's a lot of additional work, but about half of the energy loss for a typical old house is convective rather than conductive. Sealing the gaps in the attic will go a long ways to reducing the convection loss. GreatStuff Pro is a good choice for filling the gaps.
That is a heck of deal! How long are the soffit vent extensions? Do they just go up the roof rafter bay above the height of the insulation?
There 3 feet made of 1/4 pink foam and go from soffits upwards 1 set between each truss is what I've seen just enough to get the ventilation of the soffit upwards above the blown insulation
Love how you show your mistakes. We’re all human
I was planning on doing this at the end of the month for the first time, and I was scared that I would mess it up. Thanks Jeff, for easing my worries!
I was quoted about $3k from a major reputable company in Arizona. The financing fell thru and I had to turn the job down. Thank God it didn’t go thru. I just found this video and now I’m excited to know I can do this job myself. You’re awesome!!!!!
Over time I've become convinced there's NOTHING that you can't do!! You take the definition of "Jack of all of all trades" to another level! Impressive, helpful & pretty cool!
Done it quite a few times.
One way of getting the right amount of insulation in is use the flags like the construction guys use to mark gas lines and power lines. All you have to do is staple them to the sides of the truss for the first few trusses this will help establish the right height.Two way radios are very helpful for communicating and install rafter vents so your soffits can still breath if they are the vented type.
I was charged 12650 for sealing my vaulted ceilings and cellulose blown in. They took out my old insulation sadly so now it’s all cellulose
Absolute Malmaute - wow! That’s crazy!
I did it a year ago. Cleaning up the attic, sealing all the gaps and installing the soffit vents was quite exhausting. But then to blow in the insulation was soooo easy:) I did cellulose, but the same thing.
And the insulation for the whole 1200sqft attic was like $1000. Contractors were asking for like 4-5k for the same.
Wow, as an insulation contractor I’d charge (Minneapolis, MN area) approximately $2300USD for the insulation and the air sealing. Then the utility companies will send a refund of between $450 and $565. I guess I need to charge more! Lol. Granted I’m in the micro company group, not the big operator category.
@@koryleach9660 does that include removing the old stuff?
Kevin Green no, removal is more costly due to disposal fees.
Kevin Green no, removal would add about $2500 additional due to the dumpster ($500~) the bags are approximately $30ea and the rental of the vacuum is about $200/ day.
@@koryleach9660 that is probably where the 4-5k comes from. I have also gotten quotes and contractors that I've gotten quotes from want to completely remove your old stuff before air sealing.
big box stores will give you a free 1 day rental with the purchase of a certain number of bags of insulation. I strongly suggest buying cheap long sleeved coveralls. You'll get a lot less itchy and can just toss them rather than clog your washer with fiberglass/cellulose.
Not only can I do this myself after watching this video, I NEED to do this to my attic. Thanks for showing how simple it is.
Good video here in Texas we nail little markers around in attic so we have know how to maintain the depth of insulation we want, they have an inch scale on the markers.
Yep, although watch out! One of my coworkers had his attic insulated and on a whim he pulled up one of the rulers they nailed down and the bottom two inches were cut off!
Hey Jeff! I just wanted to give a huge thanks for all the hard work you and your crew do. I found you about 3 weeks ago while looking up some information on sound proofing and have been binging all of your videos ever since. So many useful tips and tricks!!! I've been working on some big plans that have only gotten bigger and better with your help. But more on that later...
Welcome aboard!
Hey Jeff I have used that on alot of jobs and it works great. One thing to point out is that if they are blowing into their attics , be very aware of the soffits, they way you showed it it looked like you covered the soffits which will stop the airflow into the attic and out the roof vent. You know as well as i do that if thats not explained correctly some fool will blow it all over his vents and cause a ton of damage down the road... keep up the videos, i catch a thing or two from you ever so often. that comes in handy....
Hey handyt butler,
How do you keep it from going in your soffits? I would like to put more insulation in attic but I am afraid that I will close up my soffits.
Thanks
@@MrHuberb one way to do it is use a piece of luan and a small board to nail it to so you can hold that out and keep it from going into the soffits... i use a paint guard for spray guns also just to keep it from flowing in... if it does go in usually you can get something to pull it back out...
Use baffle vents. They can be made of cardboard, plastic or thin styrofoam that you can pick up at Home Depot (Owen Corning has pink ones) or other such places. You slide them in toward soffit and between the rafters and leave them there. They have a channel in them to allow the flow of air. You then surround the outside of them with insulation. The baffle should be higher than the amount of insulation you put on the outside of it so you don't get insulation falling into the open channel.
I am definitely going to try doing this. Our 1920 farmhouse has NO insulation in the attic at all. Thanks for doing this one.
Hi Jeff! Your videos are a tremendous source of valuable information to the DIY community. Thank you! Related to the topic of attic blow insulation: may I recommend that you post a video showing how to create a walkable attic over that blown insulation? The particular case I have in mind is that of new homes (in US) where the roof support structure, as well as long trusses over rooms/garage seem to use "skinnier" lumber than the standard 2x4 and, more, they connect all over the place using Simpson's mending plates. All that seems to me quite flimsy, and one would need to build some good support structure tied in to the roof rafters for a tentative walkable attic floor. There are very few postings on the topic, and your contribution to illuminating it is very much appreciated.
Just did this to my 1886 farmhouse! Used cellulose instead and omg the difference of comfort inside the house is crazy. Had zero insulation prior to this. Amazing!
Did you use great stuff? Also, i'm sure you dont have soffits as well right? My roof doesn't have any soffits at the sides. It vents at the top.
@@Eli.SCabrera yep same here
R-20 would be super insulated in Australia... then I realised you have a different R-Value System. Great vid.
Thanks man for all your videos, I live In Ottawa and bought an old 1930s house (first time home owner in Vanier) I have done so much work and was so nervous doing the work from change toilets, to electrical, to demo, to drywall - You have made it so much easier for me and have gave me so much confidence when doing projects - I cannot thank you enough. I still have so much more to go I do believe a have asbestos in my attic on my second floor of the 1930s part, I believe they sprayed blown insulation over top of it - Ceiling has newspaper as vapor barrier. Not looking forward to that project. THANK YOU
I want that ladder!! Had to rewind and show my husband what I was so excited about.
Getting ready to close on my first house at the end of the month. There is a section of the attic that no longer has insulation after a repair was done. I think now I feel confident enough to just do it myself. Thanks
I've used it, super easy, and fast without the itchy feeling. The machine has a bag cutter built-in, just push in and pull bag when it falls down.
did it myself 2 years ago. Was the easiest job I've tackled since i bought my house. Anyone can do it paying someone to do it is a waste of money, unless you don't want to get dirty.
This is something I need to do and I keep putting it off. Looks easy and fun too!
Looks fairly straight forward and cost wise tops. Can’t find hire mob in Australia but it may eventually get a run. Who knows right. Great video and your tips and shows get people motivated. Keep smiling.
My father and I used to do this in Maine in the late 90s. Our material was shredded newspaper and we funneled ours through 3" holes we cut at the top of the walls between the studs. It meant a lot of drywall repair. I always wondered if we could have saved time and just put a crown molding over the holes.
Thanks for the step by step. I think I could totally to this to an attic when I get my own house. I like that I can leave the machine in the morning truck, that really makes in DIY.
Jeff looks absolutely thrilled. @00:15
The funny thing is I was thinking of doing this very soon. Great short video Jeff you take gave me the push I needed to get this done
Nice job, was thinking about improving my insulation from the builder. 15 year old home in Atlanta...
I thoroughly enjoyed the slow motions shots combined with the music 🎶. Very cinematic!
4 years later, you convinced me, I am gonna add this insulation to my home. The price the 'professionals' want is ROBBERY. Thank you again, for giving me advice and confidence.
I just got quoted 8700. Insane.
I had my attic sealed and insulated with open cell spray foam. It was very expensive but worth it in my opinion. Central Air conditioning run time has been cut in half from 10 hours a day of run time to now only 5 hours.
Cool boxer!!
your house needs to breathe, hopefully you crawled up there and checked their work. Because I know what it costs to do a 1400sq ft ranch, it’s a Fuckn scam.4200$
@@bigbeef8935 I got a quote similar to yours! I will vacuum out all my insulation and seal my attic then blow in cellulose.
I insulated with three different companies for over a decade. Cellulose is the way to go. Just my opinion. Love the videos. Keep up the good work
I've always wondered how easy/hard insulating thee attic. Thank you for such instructional videos.
Will definitely do my own after seeing this video. Can you show the removal technique for existing blown insulation sometime, please?
You have to use one of those huge vaccum that restoration company have.
Youll also need a truck preferably with close box like the uHaul ones.
Talk to your landfill before to show up there with it, they all have different rules and preferances with this kind of stuff.
John L - good advice!
I think I'd probably pay someone to take the old stuff out and then at least save some money by putting in the new stuff myself.
Good info, done it before and it is easy and way worth doing! Save $$$…..DIY is very satisfying!
Was always under the impression that this was a hard thing to do :) , Thanks Jeff and Matt :)
Great video & workmanship as always 👍. Wish this method was more common in the UK 🇬🇧.
I just want to say that blown in insulation helped me save a ton of money and make our house more comfortable during the summer/winter. I was also able to take advantage of energy efficiency grants through our electric utility that made hiring someone to do it just as cheap as doing it myself. I think the cost to rent the equipment and buy the insulation was going to be close to $600 at the time and to have someone do it would cost close to $800 with the grant. Something to look into if you have a tough space that would make doing it yourself challenging.
Great information. I own a home built in 1955, the insulation looks old, and I've been considering doing this to at least add to what's there. Thanks for the video!
I did this last year with cellulose on top of existing but insufficient fiberglass bats. The dust level was far more insane, but I felt like cellulose with borax could reduce bugs (and it did!). AC ran at least 50% less. I used radiant foil to block off the soffits, but considering the dust from the cellulose, the radiant foil probably has little value😾.
Loved the pink Xmas, had my family thinking back to our insulation party.
New roof going on this week, then I'll be insulating - this video could not have come at a better time!!!
Excellent, thanks! I really want to do it, but have some wiring to do. That and spending time in the attic always sucks. I dread going up there. Getting better slowly, but have lots more OSB to put down first.
Great video. I did notice you didn't talk about electric power lines and lighting fixtures. Do I need to worry about covering them up?
After some electrical work, I am excited to get this project done!
Hi Jeff this is Trev from Yorkshire UK. Love your vids. Thanks for the inspiration and encouragement to do stuff ourselves.
Could you make a video on how to blow in insulation to existing wall. Thanks
Hey Jeff thanks for the info dude. My wife and I just brought a 4500 sq ft home and our bedroom is FREEZING. Our attic is roughly 500 soft of open space. I’m going to try the blow insulation.
I have watched multiple videos on this now. Air sealing 1st was not mentioned in this one. The need to use foam sealing on all joints and light fixtures with proper covers. Then add insulation. So really, it is important to remove the old insulation and put new in. Also, for Ontario, Canada, they changed min. R value from r50 to r60 in 2019 or about 16-22 inches depending on cellulose (higher r value) or fiberglass. On one of the videos that I saw, they did a blower door test to see how much air flow was stopped. After air sealing and redone cellulose blown in insulation...the whole saving was only 20 percent. So I guess that I'm saying I'm leaning towards this video for initial cost saving :)
The Christmas jingle edit was funny. I was just looking at getting some bags and that machine from the local big box so thanks for the video example. I was also wondering how far it sprayed laterally and you answered that in this video too. Thanks a bunch!
Hi Jeff, I will be going to Hone Depot and reserving one for next week. Thanks for your video. I’m going to clean out the old insulation and just put in all new.
His son is looking more and more like his dad every episode
Yyyyyyy^^_^_%__^
Nate is a cutie tho :)
That’s a good thing, no? Does yours look more and more like Arnie Swarzenegger?
The next day the customer asks if you forgot to get rid of the nob and tube wiring and try to catch the R4RATS !!!!!
@10:15 what did you seal up tighter than a drum? I saw no air sealing done before blowing in which is malpractice. Are there electrical wires or plumbing underneath the existing batts? Wall top plates? Chimney chase? Can lights?
If we have a bathroom fan in the attic, should we put a vapor barrier (plastic) on top of it before insulating like this? Love your videos btw, keep up the good work!
I did this with cellulose at my place. I had R5 value in the attic and recieve a government grant from Quebec to insulate. I had to put cardboard baffles to keep the ventilation from the soffits to the attic. The machine I rented was similar but unfortunately it was beaten up pretty badly. It sounded awful due to the bearings being shot. Since the bearings were shot, it seemed as if it was forcing to turn; which would result in a slower output inside the tube and... You guessed it; clogged the tube up! This part was a nightmare as I had to come back out from the end of my house and start unclogging this monstrosity in the driveway. In any case, the hardest part out of all of that was to install the baffles (no room and your face is real close to mouse crap). Rest was a piece of cake even though the machine needed some maintenance. Oh and that grant I received... I actually made 400$ to insulate my own place up to R50!!
Great video brother, it is exactly what I needed, I'm in the process of insulating my garage attic since I want to make it usable in the winter, thank you so much, keep them coming.
I sure wish I knew about this process before I paid $1000 to bring my home up to R38! I will know next time...great video...thanks!
Look up gvt rebates.
Here i was looking to do it myself. But i wont be eligible for the rebates if its not a professionnal. At the end, it makes it very inexpensive (still few more bucls) to let someone do it.
I wont go throught all that hassle to save 175$.
I did get a $200 rebate on my electric, so it was not all that bad!
My attic is fine as far as I can tell but after watching this video I kind of want to do it just for fun!
Would you recommend using a radiant barrier in the attic along the top 2x6 rafters or putting more of the pink insulation up there? The goal is to keep the attic cooler in the summers
Hey.. boys good job, just a fyi the machine party has a cutter on the inside for the bags. Then I did my attic 2 months ago, it was hot!! We blew in 30 bags.. at each 10 bag interval I took a 15 min break. I had to do 24 inch for the R60. We also dead in remote. I had to call tell him to stop sometimes he couldn't hear the phone.
DYI Tip:
Instead of blowing insulation straight up, you could just cup your hand over the nozzle or stop piece of cardboard.
Cheers thanks for your videos
Is putting plywood down in attics to create storage space/ safe spaces to walk not a thing anymore? Also, if you later need to put in can lights into the ceilings below the attic, how do you maneuver through all of that to clear out where the cans go and not end up falling through the ceiling because you can't see the joists?
I will say, I feel plenty comfortable with this job, but Massachusetts rebates are good enough that many folks in my area are best served by looking up if they are "Mass Save" eligible. If I didn't qualify, I would do this myself in a heartbeat as the energy savings by properly insulating your roof (especially for folks in very old houses) could pay for itself in just a couple years.
I have a suggestion for your video. If you have a ventilated soffit and you want to increase the attic insulation without blocking the air flow, you must install aeration vent carboards between the rafters.
Thank you! I actually need to do this and wasn't 100% certain on the task and if it was more involved. This appears significantly less complicated than I initially thought.
Hey Jeff, any recommendations with attics that have soffits? Do you recommend those soffit vents that hold the insulation, so it won't fall into the soffit?
Will be doing the attic in my newly build garage, 1360sq/ft. Will need 30 bags!
Hello Jeff, I've recently joined the world of diy reno and your channel is the one I look first for everything! Lot of knowledge and useful insights. I really appreciate all the effort you and your crew put on it. I'm starting to renew the insulation on the attic which is very cold and poorly insulated. I live in Canada, so insulate the attic is really important. Do you have any videos about it?? I was thinking on joining the membership to ask for your advice on the subject. Can you help me with it?? Thank you in advance
Welcome to the membership! Yes most of Canada is quite cold in the winter so we generally like to see R ratings or 30 to 40 in attic spaces. we also get hot summers so we like to have fresh air from the soffits and generous exhaust vents as well. the secret to getting both is to install baffles that protect the attic fresh air and allow for generous blown in insulation levels. my advice is to aim for twice the R rating in the attic as is in your walls. air sealing penetrations like plumbing and wiring is also a huge concern to avoid water vapor and condensation. If you are looking to use spray foam against the rafters and roof decking then also look to install a metal roof system as asphalt shingles overheat and degrade quite quickly in the summertime causing premature need for replacement and excessive roofing costs during the lifetime of the home. for better details send me photos of your house and age and location to our discord so I can offer better insights. Cheers!
My grandfather was an electrician and we still have his old hopper for blowing insulation. He used to do walls in existing house too. He had an attachment for the hose that was a 1-inch nozzle. You'd drill a hole about a foot down on the wall and foot or two up from the bottom. Stick that nozzle in and let it rip. Then you plug the hole with a one-inch dowel. Usually we worked on the exterior but there were times we had to work from the interior.
It's a lot of holes to drill and plug. Not hard at all but tedious. Attics in the summer were a bear though, if you were the guy manning the hose. Next time I'm at my folks, I'll take a picture of the hopper and send it to you. It belongs in a museum.
I live in Phoenix AZ and no ice damming concerns. Do you have to to put some over the light fixtures to prevent a fire?
I'm all into doing this but all the videos I've seen so far say I have to do sealing and baffles...any thoughts on that?
LOVE that ladder! Thanks for demo'ing the blower on the video, I feel more able to tackle my loft which needs some more adding. My house has 2 bedrooms, and a bathroom over the garage. All three rooms in the winter are f-reezing. The front bedroom floor is crazy cold despite carpet and underlay and those rooms are easily about 5+ Fahrenheit cooler. I insulated the garage doors and am going to add more in fact. I insulated the walls but haven't added any drywall as yet due to so many other projects. The garage ceiling has been finished. I haven't cut a hole yet to see what insulation is up there if any though by the entrance to the house from the back of the garage there is minimal insulation and a fairly large gap but this space is not consistent across the garage. Would you recommend I use one of these blowers (I don't know how far the insulation will realistically be able to travel or whether to be concerned about that) or do you suggest that I go the simpler but more expensive route of adding insulation foam board to the ceiling or another alternative I found with a 0 flame retardant is Prodex which is R17. Or? Thanks very much.
Jeff can you do one for a bonus room over garage and doing finished ceiling over it. I have what looks like R 19 on in bonus floor joists and R 19 in ceiling.
Also crawl space needs some under 1st floor. Thanks
THANK YOU...i was just thinking about insulating the house. thanks.
Great demonstration. This Canadian dude is all right.
Going to try this myself. I live in central Florida and summer the AC works hard
Im about to do it right now! Thanks for the video!
Awesome, thank you. I'm going to be doing blown in cellulose in my ceiling,
Hi Jeff , how does this product perform fire rating wise. I am a firefighter in Australia. Over here people have been using a cellulose blown in insulation. During my time as a firefighter I have had several fire roof fires. The cellulose product is treated with a fire retardant, however overtime the retardant leaches out and the product become combustible. I really enjoy watching your great Videos ,thank you.
I like the light mounted on your hat. Suggest a respirator for lung protection and goggles (like swimmers wear) for eye protection. Finally, a set of cheap overalls to protect your clothing.
When I rented, I walked over to plumbing and found a 5 ft piece of thin PVC pipe tha fit snuggly in the end of the hose. Made it easier to direct it into the cavities and deeper areas.
Wondering if I should remove the current old insulation or just blow right on top 🤔
I know he went overtop but wondering if the newer is more efficient. It’s a 70s home.
Appreciate the guidance!
Your timing is great -- we're getting ready to insulate the attic in a couple of weeks! One question -- is it ok to use this type of insulation in the walls? Just cut a hole in the drywall between the studs and blow the insulation in? We have a house built in 1970 that doesn't have enough insulation.
-Good question Nancy! Hope you get an answer!
I'm also very interested to know this.
Use a stud finder and locate your studs in the room. Drill 5 inch holes about halfway up the wall in between the studs. Then push the hose to the top of the cavity and let it fill wall from the bottom up as it drifts down into the lower part of cavity. You'll know it is getting full as the insulation/air pump will start to bog down. When it appears that the wall is full, start to slowly pull the hose out and allow the space where the hosed went to fill as as it is pulled out. Takes a little practice but you'll get the technique down after doing it a few times.
@@rockymntain This is brilliant. I would've gone in at the top, but now I can picture exactly how that could leave a gap.
What great information for doing it yourself. But my question is, my house was built in 1955 in North Jersey USA. I have a A-frame attic, the insulation up there is a one roll layer between the beams, and it's a mess of the old fiberglass insulation. So I guess the best way for me to do this is to get rid of the old insulation and do something like you did for better insulation, the Attic is R 49 to R 60 in my area, so it can be right. Also I have pop out lights in the ceiling and a light exhaust fan in the bathroom should they be covered?
This is definitely on my shorter list of project for next year after our mini-splits are installed. I figure it would be best to wait until the line sets have been run through the attic. I've seen these machine in Home Depot, but I didn't' know you could get the rental for free with a minimum QTY purchase. That's great!
Awesome. Thank you so much. I thought it was more complicated than that. Easy peasy
Are we supposed to avoid soffit space when blowing in insulation? How many are there or do we avoid the whole perimeter of the attic?
We did this a year ago and it came from HD without directions. I’ve got to show my husband, we fed it so poorly and had the hose in backwards. Can’t stop laughing
@Heidi Kagarakis, hey... You learned a lot. Now you can help others do it right. A great experience and some good laughs. Bonus, you got to spend time with your husband 😉
Great video, installing heat pump in the house, afterwards gonna get this from Home Depot, fantastic deal, thank you.
Thanks for this video. I was trying to decide between hiring a contractor or DIY and now i’m going DIY.
What about proper ventilation of the attic? As I understand gaps near the walls have to be maintained for the roof to have proper ventilation - at least where I live (FL). And blowing insulation inside may clog this space. So any tricks how to do it without crawling all along the attic?
I am wondering same thing
Is it something I could do or feel confident doing? Yes.
Is it something I want to do? No
I know for a renovation or touch up project you are limited which options to use. My preferred method of insulation is a continuous building envelop or rigid foam insulation (EPS or the like).