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Old 02-11-13, 12:08 AM   #4
MN Renovator
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"Last November, I insulated the attic. I had 8-10 inches of blown in insulation up there. I increased that to 22-24 inches of cellulose. I insulated all openings with expanding foam. The front and back sides of the house aren't that deep due to the roof slope and the need to keep adequate ventilation from the soffit vents. Overall, the added insulation has made a pretty big difference." Awesome to know. I've got 7 inches or so of cellulose (R25) and am looking to 16-20 inches(~R60-R75) and it's good to know it's very noticeable. I figured it would but it's nice to hear of a good confirmation that it's not just a small barely noticeable difference.

The wall inside a wall sounds like a ton of work. Moving the electrical outlets out isn't easy because the wires are too short and I wouldn't want a whole pile of wire splices in my house's branch circuits, that's a whole bunch of twisties in junction boxes to trust. My own opinion on the matter instead of tearing down this drywall or constructing new stuff would be to install a 2" layer of rigid foam on the outside of your house. IMHO that's easier because it is less invasive, can be done when you are doing your siding anyway, and also cuts the thermal bridging and you can seal the gaps between the rigid foam sheets and create a more airtight enclosure that way.

Rocks in the walls, not sure you'll get that much thermal mass doing that, usually thermal mass is done with huge chunks of concrete fashioned into the house, such as a kitchen island. I'm not saying rocks in the walls won't make a difference but it might not be as nice as you think.

Best of luck, you've got a great start.
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