Im hoping to add about 8 inches of blown in fiberglass insulation into my attic. The problem is I only have experience with fiberglass batt and no experience with blown in insulation [id use batt, but the builder used the cheapest blown in possible]. Im afraid if I do it without someone there that knows there stuff that im going to jack up my vents and end up with a compelte cluster f. If anyone has experience with this type of job, please let me know what NOT to do or if you are willing to help. Im willing to pay for help if anyone is looking for a quick buck on a job that shouldnt last more than 3-5 hours. Located in CS.

There's not a whole lot you could do wrong. If you have any exhaust fans installed in the bathrooms or anywhere else try not to cover them. I don't see how you could jack up your vents. The insulation can not get into them because the air ducts are attached to them and seal them. Also, try not to blow the insulation to close to the edges of the attic because there should be air vents there that help cool the attic.

Im not worried about covering the ridge vents. Im worried about softfit vents that arent visible from the interior of the roof.

Do you have soffit baffles installed? If not, that's your first job. Otherwise, it's difficult to screw up. I'd wear a Tyvek suit with a hood and a Full Face respirator, though.

The portion I am insulating at this point is ridge vented vs. Soffit.

Since blown in insulation has already been used, would it be possible to just spray over it?

Oh yeah, you don't have to clean the old stuff out or anything. You just blow the new stuff over it.

Are you SURE that you don't have soffit vents? You need to have both a ridge and a soffit vent to cool your attic ... the convection moves air up from the soffits and out the top.

So if there is already blown in insulation, do I still need to add baffles if I only spray on top of what has already been laid?

This is confusing me..... Anyone feel like helping for a couple hundred dollars

Heh. Where you at?

Sometimes the builders or original guys don't put the baffles in -- that's why it's a good idea to check for them yourself before adding insulation.

It's very visible if you have baffles. Go to the outside of the house, see if there's perforations or vents in your soffits. Measure from the corner of the house. Go to the inside of the attic and have a look-see ... the baffle will be VERY visible, something like this but probably not with as much insulation:



If you don't see those where you SHOULD have soffit vents, chances are that your builder/original insulator put the vents in to meet code but cheaped out on the work to put the baffles in, which means you get to crawl in there yourself with a garden rake, rake the insulation back from the soffit to find the vent, install the baffle, and then blow the insulation in.

College Station. I doubt the house has them installed. Ugh.

I'll be back in town next weekend and can come take a look with you.

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Im hoping to add about 8 inches of blown in fiberglass insulation into my attic.

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You do realize this is a winter project? Too dang hot in the attic!

[This message has been edited by dubi (edited 7/17/2011 2:57a).]

Its not to bad if you work in the morning and take breaks every 15/20 minutes (every 2-3 bags of insulation/batts). Ive been up there unrolling batts all week/weekend, but you are right around 12 it heats up quick.

I spent about half of last weekend in mike's attic. You do what ya gotta when ya do it. Blowing in the insulation should only take an hour or two, the prep work is a beech though.

Hopefully I have baffles installed. If so, wont it be pretty easy? If not, the project is for the birds.

You can add baffles. You can also add soffit vents. Not a fun job but doable.

Definitely wait till if cools off though. Dangerous to work in attics right now.

No baffles. I just went and checked. With that said, there is a fairly sizeable portion in the middle and around the walkway that isnt next to where the vents are without baffles. Would it be ok to insulate the center portion and the areas that wouldnt spray insulation with 3-4 ft of the edge of the roof?

It's safe but not really a good idea. You lose much more through those underinsulated spaces than you think. Just wait a few months ... And if you DIY, I'll help you in exchange for a case of beer.

Now, this might be attempted aggie ingenuity, but what about spraying, then using something like a leaf blower to push anything that falls through to the vents back up (then rake it even). Im trying to think of a way to not get to play snake because that is not fun.

speck, I will definetly take you up on the offer.

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Its not to bad if you work in the morning and take breaks every 15/20 minutes

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Yes, 15 in, 15 out, and LOTS of water. Depending on how well ventilated your attic is (since it is unclear from this thread), you could be dealing with temps in the 130-140 range. We don't want you to die from heat stroke.

Getting the baffles in ain't that hard with a little in-gen-ooity... namely crawling in there on top of a sheet of plywood or really stiff cardboard so you don't get that dirty. And ordering the right baffles. The ones you want are called "Berger Accuvent" -- Home Depot can order them for you. I've got a hammer tacker, which is the other part of the equation that makes it (relatively) easy.

I wouldn't skip doing it; if you're going through all that much work, cost, and aggravation, you may as well do it right. With the way temps stay up in the summer here, you will not see as big of a gain from bringing the insulation all the way up UNLESS your attic ventilation is working properly. Thanks to animals, plumbers and exterminators and other contractors that need to work in the attic, and wind and stuff over time, the insulation will drift into corners and cover the vents.

If you can afford to -- and it's really not that expensive to, don't forget the rental of the machine is free with purchase of 20 or 25 bales of the insulation -- I'd bring it all the way up to 18", which should give you R-60.

I'd also buy a couple cans of spray foam and while you're up in the attic, seal your plumbing and wiring penetrations.

Thanks spec!

"I'd also buy a couple cans of spray foam and while you're up in the attic, seal your plumbing and wiring penetrations."

You and I are on the same page with this one. I used a can last night to seal around the easily accessible plumbing and a couple of small spaces around the hvac that wasnt compeltely air tight.

PM me with when you're thinking about it. I'm busy through most of August, but you really don't want to do it this month anyway, honest. Mike and I were working in his attic the weekend before last running some wire and it literally almost killed both of us.