Not a lick of insulation in the old part of the house

oil pan 4 · 02-04-14, 04:25 PM

I have only torn into exterior walls in the new part of the house so far and they were stuffed with fiberglass.
Then interior walls in the old part of the house.
Untill now.

When I pulled out the 2 obsolete breaker boxes and replaced them with a modern squareD QO box and installed new outlets I found a whole lot of nothing in the walls.
Great if you are putting in a new breaker box and running new wire, bad in every other way imaginable.

Whats the best way to get something in the walls?

The walls are stucko out side, with a layer of black fibery stuff that must have counted as insulation back in 1960, a massive void the width of a milled 2x4 covered with sheet rock.

I am assuming the same is up in the in accessable upper craw space, minus the black fibery r1 goodness.

I know there is nothing under the floor, just around the sides of the exterior walls. Putting fiberglass under the floor sucks a lot.

oil pan 4 · 02-04-14, 04:34 PM

The cheapest thing I can think of is to 6 inch hole saw the top of each void and hand stuff each space with with cellulose.

Ryland · 02-04-14, 06:20 PM

The store I bought my cellulose at gave me a blower if I bought enough, extra days with the blower I think were $45 per day, the blower included a reducer for dense packing walls.

Daox · 02-05-14, 08:47 AM

I agree with Ryland, dense pack cellulose would probably make a world of difference for you, and it is pretty inexpensive.

oil pan 4 · 02-05-14, 01:21 PM

I am board so I think I will go to lowes and get my first installment of insulation.
I can stuff the walls between the living room and garage from the garage side and not have to worry about any sheet rock repair.
The garage has thin exterior walls and houses my compressors, the sound deading alone will be nice.

oil pan 4 · 02-05-14, 06:27 PM

Initially there is a 4.5'F difference between the sections with and with out insulation.

Daox · 02-06-14, 07:34 AM

Are you talking about the interior wall surface temperature?

oil pan 4 · 02-06-14, 12:00 PM

That is inside the house, I would expect to see the same result on the outer wall.
The delta temperature between the garage and inside the house last night was about 40'F.

oil pan 4 · 02-06-14, 01:57 PM

Each package of insulation costing about $14 after tax fills the space between 3 and a half 2x4 voids spaced 16" on center.
I throw in a few hand fulls of ceder chips and fine cross cut shreaded paper per filled in section, it keeps the insulation from clumping together.
Its still a 95% mixture or more of fire retardant filled cellulose.

02-04-14, 04:25 PM	#1
oil pan 4 Land owner Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: NM Posts: 1,026 Thanks: 12 Thanked 127 Times in 107 Posts	Not a lick of insulation in the old part of the house I have only torn into exterior walls in the new part of the house so far and they were stuffed with fiberglass. Then interior walls in the old part of the house. Untill now. When I pulled out the 2 obsolete breaker boxes and replaced them with a modern squareD QO box and installed new outlets I found a whole lot of nothing in the walls. Great if you are putting in a new breaker box and running new wire, bad in every other way imaginable. Whats the best way to get something in the walls? The walls are stucko out side, with a layer of black fibery stuff that must have counted as insulation back in 1960, a massive void the width of a milled 2x4 covered with sheet rock. I am assuming the same is up in the in accessable upper craw space, minus the black fibery r1 goodness. I know there is nothing under the floor, just around the sides of the exterior walls. Putting fiberglass under the floor sucks a lot.

02-05-14, 08:47 AM	#4
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	I agree with Ryland, dense pack cellulose would probably make a world of difference for you, and it is pretty inexpensive. __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

02-06-14, 07:34 AM	#7
Daox Administrator Join Date: Aug 2008 Location: Germantown, WI Posts: 5,525 Thanks: 1,162 Thanked 374 Times in 305 Posts	Are you talking about the interior wall surface temperature? __________________ Current project - To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts. & To view links or images in signatures your post count must be 0 or greater. You currently have 0 posts.

02-04-14, 04:34 PM	#2
oil pan 4 Land owner Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: NM Posts: 1,026 Thanks: 12 Thanked 127 Times in 107 Posts	The cheapest thing I can think of is to 6 inch hole saw the top of each void and hand stuff each space with with cellulose.

02-04-14, 06:20 PM	#3
Ryland Master EcoRenovator Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Western Wisconsin. Posts: 913 Thanks: 127 Thanked 82 Times in 71 Posts	The store I bought my cellulose at gave me a blower if I bought enough, extra days with the blower I think were $45 per day, the blower included a reducer for dense packing walls.

02-05-14, 01:21 PM	#5
oil pan 4 Land owner Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: NM Posts: 1,026 Thanks: 12 Thanked 127 Times in 107 Posts	I am board so I think I will go to lowes and get my first installment of insulation. I can stuff the walls between the living room and garage from the garage side and not have to worry about any sheet rock repair. The garage has thin exterior walls and houses my compressors, the sound deading alone will be nice.

02-05-14, 06:27 PM	#6
oil pan 4 Land owner Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: NM Posts: 1,026 Thanks: 12 Thanked 127 Times in 107 Posts	Initially there is a 4.5'F difference between the sections with and with out insulation.

02-06-14, 12:00 PM	#8
oil pan 4 Land owner Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: NM Posts: 1,026 Thanks: 12 Thanked 127 Times in 107 Posts	That is inside the house, I would expect to see the same result on the outer wall. The delta temperature between the garage and inside the house last night was about 40'F.

02-06-14, 01:57 PM	#9
oil pan 4 Land owner Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: NM Posts: 1,026 Thanks: 12 Thanked 127 Times in 107 Posts	Each package of insulation costing about $14 after tax fills the space between 3 and a half 2x4 voids spaced 16" on center. I throw in a few hand fulls of ceder chips and fine cross cut shreaded paper per filled in section, it keeps the insulation from clumping together. Its still a 95% mixture or more of fire retardant filled cellulose.