Insulate Ceiling Cavity

  • Thread starter Thread starter Buck Turgidson
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Buck Turgidson

I have a section of lower-level ceiling behind drywall next to the rim
joist that is cold. I'd like to insulate it. I remember reading in this
newsgroup that someone took a leaf blower and blew cellulose with some
success.

Has anyone done that with good results? I don't want to hire a company for
such a small job.
 
Sorry wrong group. But knowing the people in this group, they'll probably
chime in with an opinion.

:)
 
I'd imagine the chances of a good result will depend on the force at
which this leaf blower can throw the insulation and how far and thin the
cavity needing filled is. I would think about taking down the drywall
and putting up sheet insulation instead.

I'd also use a leaf blower with little to no value, insulation
particules have a good chance of getting into the carb, bearings, etc.
Might ruin the leaf blower soon enough or at least make a teardown and
cleaning worth as much as the value of the blower. I suppose it depends
on the quality of the leaf blower but having torn down one here when it
quit working, my observations were that it was a disposible piece of
junk, like everything else these days they're now built to run till they
quit and be thrown away with only minor exceptions like cleaning air
filter, replacing fuel line. I got mine working again BUT I didn't have
to tear down the engine to get insulation particles out of everything.
Click to expand...

Unless one put the loose cellulose insulation material between the wall
and the leaf blower. I think a good leaf blower would have enough force
to blow cellulose into a cavity.

I suppose one could compare the wind velocity of a leaf blower to a
commercially available rental cellulose blower. The big difference is
one dumps the bags of cellulose into a bin on the rental blower which
then blows the cellulose through tubes to whereever you want.
 
I was thinking that another major difference is the typical commercial
blowing application is into a larger open area, where low velocity and
gravity do the work while a high velocity air streem could end up
blowing away insulation that had already been deposited unless it moves
the insulation at a very high rate relative to the air volume.
Click to expand...

On "This Old House", a couple insulated their home with a rented
commercial blower. They removed single sections of their siding at the
top and near the bottom, to blow the insulation from the bottom up and
then from the bottom down. When they finished blowing the insulation,
they plugged all the holes, and replaced the original sections of siding.
 
That must have been an ooold issue. "This Old House" has done nothing
but expensive rebuilding of antique houses for many years.
Click to expand...

Actually, it wasn't on "This Old House" but an "Ask This Old House"
episode. Forgot the program title when I wrote that reply.

I like the more moderate income jobs but OTOH I'd never see how they dig
an extended foundation, or make asphalt or repair stained glass. They
should put some of the "This Old House" renovations on DVD, one
renovation per DVD or something.
 
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