Insulation

1,982 Views | 21 Replies | Last: 7 yr ago by ceenAg05
yippee2
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AG
Foam verses spraying in - opinions please.
The contractor recommends removing all old insulation and using foam. Help please
Aggielandma12
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AG
is this a complete remod ripped down to the studs or just the attic?
yippee2
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Just attic
SoulSlaveAG2005
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Pretty easy to blow in on top of existing insulation. Can be done as a two man team, and rentalnof blower is usually free if you buy enough insulation from box store. We took our attic from r-18 to about r-40 for under $400.
07&09Ag
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I'd highly recommend getting a quote before DIY. I was set on doing our attic to save money. After putting off for a few months I finally caved and got a quote so that it would get done. Come to find out installed cost was almost identical to material alone from a box store. And they were in and out in about an hour.
Gary79Ag
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If your exterior walls are not foam insulated, then it makes more economical sense to just use blowned-in insulation in the attic on top of the existing mat insulation already in the attic..
HouseDivided06
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Where are you located? I've gotten quotes in Dallas to have it done and it's twice what it would cost to do it myself. Would love to pay someone to do it but I need a good foot of stuff blown in and I was getting quotes of $1,000 or more and I could do it for about $400-$500.
Ovalo
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Building science says that existing insulation needs to be removed if attic is to be foamed. That's the recommendation nationwide. It could contribute to a moisture (humidity/mold) problem in attic. I own a spray foam insulation company in west Texas. In 9 years, we have raked back the insulation for about 3 feet around the perimeter of the attic. We have never had a call back. I would rake it back 3 or 4 feet and spray foam the roof deck. Keep a remote humidistat in the attic and if you have elevated humidity, then take old out insulation.

The building sciences classes I've attended say that in the average dwelling, 77% of it's heating and cooling costs ends up going into the attic and disappearing. Between the perimeter walls and the attic, the best ROI is foaming the roof. No question on where to spend your money.
07&09Ag
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I'm in NW Houston. We added 1000SF roughly so we had a foot of insulation blown in on that side and then 6" on the existing that already had some batt insulation down. I'd have to pull the quote back up but iirc it was like $400 or $500 total. It may have been a little more than DIY but not enough to justify the days worth of getting the machine, finding a helper, getting covered in insulation, taking it back, etc. sounds like pricing could be a little different up there though.
jay040
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Can you explain that for me? Not doubting, just curious.
SoulSlaveAG2005
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I sure wish your guy was in my area. I got 3 quotes and the closest to DIY price was still double ($800) for 2 hrs of work. Other two quotes were 825 and 950... insanse mark up if...
yippee2
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i got a quote for the spray in stuff --- 404 sq feet - $1030.00
does that seem high or about normal?
SoulSlaveAG2005
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yippee2 said:

i got a quote for the spray in stuff --- 404 sq feet - $1030.00
does that seem high or about normal?


When you say spray in, do you mean fiberglass blown in (fluff style) or so you mean spray foam?

For blown in fiberglass insulation, I would think it all depends on how deep they are going to make it for that sq footage or what R value you are trying to achieve in order to make a judgement on the quote.
mneisch
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I'm in the same area as interested to know who you used. Any contact information would be greatly appreciated.
yippee2
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this is the spray in fluff without removal of old stuff
SoulSlaveAG2005
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yippee2 said:

this is the spray in fluff without removal of old stuff


Seems high, but again need to know how many inches deep they are going to be blowing in.


Here's a good link:

http://www.greatdayimprovements.com/insulation-r-value-chart.aspx
Gary79Ag
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jay040 said:

Can you explain that for me? Not doubting, just curious.
Quote:

If your exterior walls are not foam insulated, then it makes more economical sense to just use blowned-in insulation in the attic on top of the existing mat insulation already in the attic..
JMHO, and I may be off here, but this is my thinking...

I did a rennovation on my current house that I gutted to the studs throughout. I removed all the batt insulation in the walls that was rated at a R-13 value. In the reno process I used closed cell foam insulation in the walls that I did myself with Foam It Green to get an effective R-23 (3.25" x R-7/inch) to R-24 (3.5" x R-7/inch). That almost doubled the R value in the walls.

As far as the ceilings go, I didn't remove the ceiling in all the rooms so I left the batt insulation and/or the blown insulation in thoses areas. Since the living room area (largest and easiest access area in the attic) was gutted ceiling wise and I incorporated OSB decking in a good portion of that area for storage, I also used the spray foam to insulate that area. The ceiling joists are 2x6 joists so I got 5.5 inches of foam insulation giving me an effective R-38 before I decked the area.

The rest of the ceiling area I plan to just insulate with blown-in insulation on top of the existing stuff to get an effective R-49 when I'm through with the master bedroom, bath and closet area. I believe it's a lot cheaper and much easier to go this route than to remove all the batt and blown-in insulation and then replace it with closed cell insulation.

I just feel like the exterior walls with batt insulation at R-13 is your weakest link from an insulation standpoint and therefore going through all the labor, trouble and expense of foam insulating the attic in the OP's situation does not justify the significant labor and cost differential and therefore IMHO does not make economical sense!

On a side note, I will admit that I previously rennovated our old house (2 houses up the street) with R-13 batt insulation in the walls and about 15-16" of cellulose for a R-49 in the attic and I can definitely tell the difference between the two houses. IMHO, our current home is much better insulated.

Sorry for the long winded response jay040...
yippee2
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Thank you for the responses. I have learned a lot.

The salesman said if we went with the gel foam it would make our attic like a "yeti".
That made me think about inside condensation.....is that a issue?
Aggietaco
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Gary79Ag said:


I just feel like the exterior walls with batt insulation at R-13 is your weakest link from an insulation standpoint and therefore going through all the labor, trouble and expense of foam insulating the attic in the OP's situation does not justify the significant labor and cost differential and therefore IMHO does not make economical sense!


Agreed that going crazy with attic insulation has diminishing returns, but considering most attics are built to collect and store hot air (essentially) you are always going to have a great delta T at your ceiling to attic versus your walls to exterior and thus the greatest heat gain (in the warm months). Ideally (and a lot of builders are starting to incorporate building science into their construction) you would have a completely air sealed and similarly insulated exterior envelope to your home with high R values throughout.
Aggietaco
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yippee2 said:

Thank you for the responses. I have learned a lot.

The salesman said if we went with the gel foam it would make our attic like a "yeti".
That made me think about inside condensation.....is that a issue?

Condensation happens on the warm side of the equation. If you have gaps in your air/moisture barrier that allow warm air into your structure before hitting the insulation, yes, you have the potential for condensation. Since we live in a mostly warm environment, our air/moisture barriers are applied to the exterior of our homes.
BrazosDog02
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I'd be most concerned about my ac system that will likely be oversized after air sealing your attic and changing the building envelope. That will contribute to humidity levels I'm your home from a comfort standpoint.
texagpilot
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What companies have yall used in Houston for attic blown in?
ceenAg05
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I got quotes from several bigger companies initially and the price just wasn't worth it. I ended up going with MJ Insulation http://www.mj-insulation.com/. They came out and did the job in about an hour. Note that I had done a lot of prep work in making sure I had ventilation done properly.

My upstairs has been much more comfortable since the insulation has been added. Mine has nice ruts in it from a stupid squirrel that got trapped in the attic and ran all around looking for a way out.
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