Replies

1. 
   andy_engel | Jul 31, 2006 04:52pm | #1

   Toss the FG, rent a cellulose blower, and insulate with recycled newspaper.

   Andy

   "Never try to teach a pig to sing. It wastes your time and annoys the pig." Robert A. Heinlein

   "Get off your dead #### and on your dying feet." Mom

2. 
   experienced | Jul 31, 2006 05:38pm | #2

   Lay the old glass out evenly over the ceiling. (I'm assuming that you've already done the proper airsealing while putting the new roc up.) and then blow enough cellulose to get to at least R35-40 as a minimum depending where you live.

1. 
   Tbakes | Jul 31, 2006 05:54pm | #3

   I talked to an insulation contractor who basically said to toss the old FG loosefill I saved and he could blow in new FG over the area where I removed it, and "top off" the existing blown FG to bring me up to R-38+.

   I am leary of doing Cels since half the house is already FG, and don't want to mix the two systems.

   It seems here on BT that everyone loves Cels though - what is wrong with a properly done blown FG system?  I am in the Philly burbs BTW.

   As to airsealing, yes, I will make sure it is up to snuff and plan on caulking all the recessed (air-tite IC) before putting on the trims.  Is poly caulk the one to use for this application?  Or will ALEX Plus do it?  I figured poly would handle the heat better.

   -Tony

1. 
   ClaysWorld | Jul 31, 2006 07:00pm | #4

   I was in H D the other day and they had 2 different machines for rental of blowing. One was a ? green unit which they have always had for blowing cellulose, but they had a new one that would do cells or fiberglass. I think it was like a victory 1 or some thing like that. I've seen them before, it's round and could do what you need. Ah here it is called a force 2.

   View Image

   I get insull safe 4 certainteed from roofing suppliers(Harrington supply)

2. 
   seeyou | Jul 31, 2006 08:52pm | #5

   >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>I am leary of doing Cels since half the house is already FG, and don't want to mix the two systems.What would be the problem with mixing them? I ask because I've done that in my own home - Added about a foot of cells over several inches of blown FG. 

    

   Are we there, yet?

    

   http://grantlogan.net/

1. 
   Tbakes | Jul 31, 2006 09:54pm | #6

   Well, I don't have an answer - just seemed like it shouldn't be done.  This is an interesting question - hopefully we can get some more opinions from the pros? 

   The verbal price I was given was 720 bucks for R-38 in a 900 sq ft space, so that seems to be a no brainer for me.  No need to deal with a rental (not that I can find one) and not going into the horrificly hot attic!

3. 
   JohnSprung | Aug 04, 2006 01:30am | #7

   For 900 sf, as a DIY, just toss the FG back up there, and spread it around with an ordinary garden leaf rake.  There's no magic to the blowing, you'll end up with pretty much the same R value as before.  You could even do it late at night to avoid the worst heat. 

    

    

   -- J.S.

    

4. 
   trout | Aug 04, 2006 06:34am | #8

   The celulose is heavier than fiberglass and will compress it a bit, but that's about the only thing that will happen.

   I'd toss any insulation you have in the attic and they can blow in the additional stuff on top of what you have.  We always ask the insulation contractors to throw any partial unfaced bats into the attic.

   I know a few carpenters that have saved small pieces of bats and throw them in the attic (vapor barrier removed) and when there's enough to cover the attic they'll blow in a layer of cellulose to fill any gaps and then start another layer of partial bats.  For almost nothing they have over two feet of fiberglass and cellulose. Very cool.

   An insulation buddy said that he throws away all the scrap batts since none of his customers want partial bats used anywhere.  On houses that he vacuums out, there are sometimes an entire house worth of good loose fill fiberglasss or cellulose (or?) that simply gets tossed since he won't reblow used insulation.   

   There's a lot of R-value going into the landfills.

1. 
   Tbakes | Aug 04, 2006 04:26pm | #9

   Thanks guys.

   I acutally had such trouble getting a hold of anyone that would rent me a machine or sell me additional bags of loose fiber glass that I went ahead and hired a guy.  Turns out he was the one that originally insulated the house in 88 when it was built. 

   So, for 900 bucks, I am getting the 900 sq feet blown with virgin fiberglass (owens corning) up to R49.  I will dump the bags of used Insulsafe over the other half of the attic, so the whole shooting match should be R49 when it is all said and done.

   Thanks again,

   Tony

1. 
   trout | Aug 05, 2006 05:15am | #10

   Fantastic.  Glad it worked out.