I built a 24×32 garage addition this year that will have a finished 2nd floor space. The floor was built using 24’ TJI’s, 9 ½â€ deep, 16†o.c., covered with ¾â€ Advantek sheathing. Each joist cavity is 12’ long because there is blocking over the midspan support.
Here is my plan for insulating the floor with cellulose:
- Attach 5/8†drywall to the bottom of the joists.
- Cut a 2†hole in the drywall at the center of each 12’ cavity.
- Insert a 1†diameter hose, the end of which is taped to a hardwood stick.
- I’ll shove it in 6’ to one end of the cavity.
- Turn on the blowing machine with the gate valve about ¼ open.
- As the cavity fills, slowly withdraw the hose back to the hole at the center of the cavity. (I’ll probably need a rag around the hose to kind of seal the hole)
- Turn off the machine and guide the hose to the other end of the cavity.
- Turn on the machine and slowly withdraw the hose filling the other end of the cavity.
- Plug the holes.
The machine is nothing fancy; it’s a new Cocoon “green machine†with an adjustable sliding gate valve. There is a long 2.5†diameter hose, along with what they call a sidewall kit, which is a tapered 2.5†to 2†reducer, a 3 foot section of 2†hose, ending in a 2†to 1†nozzle. I will add a 10 foot section of 1†hose.
> WILL THIS WORK? Are there some details that I am missing? Will it work with only one hole per cavity? I probably won’t get high density with such a simple machine, but with only 9 ½â€ height, I don’t think there will much tendency to settle vertically. Any comments would be greatly appreciated. I don’t have much experience with this; the only published info I have found was Fred Lugano’s article in FHB a couple years ago.
Replies
c2.. the font you are using is so small it is unreadable.. could you repost it with a larger type ?
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
On a house that was insulated here recently, the exterior walls were dense-packed with cellulose and the access was a hole 2 1/2" in diameter in the middle of the void to be filled (approx 16" wide by 10' high). A reducer was added on the end of the flexible hose (same green machine) and 6' of 1 1/4" clear plastic hose connected to that.
This system worked really well, even though 5' of the void had to be filled against gravity.
we did a bedroom over a garage like that.. only we bored 3" holes in the band joist on each end .. and put a 2" pvc extension on the cellulose hose..
the garage was 24' the extension was 8'.... the first side took longer because there was no plug in the middle... the 2d side went fast because most of the bay was already full...
if i were doing it next time i'd put a plug in teh middle of each bay
Mike Smith Rhode Island : Design / Build / Repair / Restore
I keep hiting the button for larger but nothing happens to your post.
I can only make out a few words. Can you repost in size ten or larger please.
Excellence is its own reward!
"The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit.
The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are."
--Marcus Aurelius
For those that can not read the small text
I built a 24x32 garage addition this year that will have a finished 2nd floor space. The floor was built using 24’ TJI’s, 9 ½” deep, 16” o.c., covered with ¾” Advantek sheathing. Each joist cavity is 12’ long because there is blocking over the midspan support.
Here is my plan for insulating the floor with cellulose:
Attach 5/8” drywall to the bottom of the joists.
Cut a 2” hole in the drywall at the center of each 12’ cavity.
Insert a 1” diameter hose, the end of which is taped to a hardwood stick.
I’ll shove it in 6’ to one end of the cavity.
Turn on the blowing machine with the gate valve about ¼ open.
As the cavity fills, slowly withdraw the hose back to the hole at the center of the cavity. (I’ll probably need a rag around the hose to kind of seal the hole)
Turn off the machine and guide the hose to the other end of the cavity.
Turn on the machine and slowly withdraw the hose filling the other end of the cavity.
Plug the holes.
The machine is nothing fancy; it’s a new Cocoon “green machine” with an adjustable sliding gate valve. There is a long 2.5” diameter hose, along with what they call a sidewall kit, which is a tapered 2.5” to 2” reducer, a 3 foot section of 2” hose, ending in a 2” to 1” nozzle. I will add a 10 foot section of 1” hose.
> WILL THIS WORK? Are there some details that I am missing? Will it work with only one hole per cavity? I probably won’t get high density with such a simple machine, but with only 9 ½” height, I don’t think there will much tendency to settle vertically. Any comments would be greatly appreciated. I don’t have much experience with this; the only published info I have found was Fred Lugano’s article in FHB a couple years ago.
Well damn didnt mean to make it that big
it's just right but I don't have an answer for him after all that work you did. Was it one of those MS tricks?.
Excellence is its own reward!
"The first rule is to keep an untroubled spirit.
The second is to look things in the face and know them for what they are."
--Marcus Aurelius
Piffin thought about cuting the text and moving it to ms word and resizing then bringing it back and posting it, probably would have worked fine.
But that seemed like to much work after a long day of work, 5 hours of class and now homework until I go to bed....
Anyway, just cut it and paste it in a new post, selected all the text and went up to font size in the boxes above the message and selected, I think 3 not sure, then posted...
I'm a newbie, and screwed up the font. I was struggling to fix it. I would like to thank you for fixing it.
Instead of putting drywall over the entire ceiling, why don't you leave a 2' midspan strip exposed and centered on the blocking. Then use a 2' scrap of plywood with 2" holes that line up w/ each joist bay (and both sides of the blocking).
From here, you can use your steps 3-8. Once you've filled each bay over the plywood, unscrew it and move to the next section. The cells will stay in place. Once you've filled the entire ceiling, you then screw up a 2' section of drywall - no holes to plug and essentially one extra seam to tape.
-Lee
PS - This isn't my original idea - think I got it from Freddy Lu.
Hmm, that sounds interesting. Now there is only blocking over the wide flange I beam at midspan of the 24 foot length, not at the six foot point. There is no other blocking so I essentially have a whole bunch of cavities that are nominally 12 foot x 16" x 9.5". I was gonna hang 4 x 12 foot sheets to cover three bays at a time. So your thinking leave a strip out in the middle. Could it be a few inch inches wide? Where you thinking a piece 2 feet wide if I had blocking at six feet? I'm just a little bit confused on that detail.
Since you're using 12' sheets, you may want to drill holes. But, to further my thought, yes you could leave a strip a few inches wide on each side of the support and feed your cells tube down to the end of the bay. For sizing, I'd make your plywood at leaset 2" wider than the hole you'll use (1" on either side of the hole).
-Lee
I've done a few jobs {colorado} were we used icynene {check my spelling} Anyways they spray a thin coat and it expands and fills every nook and cranny. After it sets up {I think it takes a day} they come back and cut it flush to the framing members as it expands well beyond. It's pretty weird feels like your in a nest of somekind.