I’ve recently read multiple articles on the benefits of cellulose insulation and have decided that is what I will use. All of the articles that I have read generally talk about insulating walls that already have sheetrock. My local inspector wants to inspect the insulation before it is rocked. Since I want to hang the rock and then remove the rock for the BI I thought of a form. I am thinking about using a piece of OSB as a form that will be temporarily screwed to the wall cavity to blow the insulation in and then move it to the next location. I think that I would be able to get a greater density through this method compared to using a membrane that is stapled to the wall. Has anyone been through this or have any suggestions?
Discussion Forum
Discussion Forum
Up Next
Video Shorts
Featured Story
Listeners write in about haunted pipes and building-science tomes, and they ask questions about roof venting and roof leaks.
Featured Video
Highlights
"I have learned so much thanks to the searchable articles on the FHB website. I can confidently say that I expect to be a life-long subscriber." - M.K.
Replies
I'm just an observer, not an expert. Do an advance search of "Mooney Wall" He uses 2 X 2's run horizonally across the studs and uses a fabric glued to the 2 x 2's. After drying it appears he then makes a slit in the fabric and blows cellouse into the cavity. The fabric will reveal if you missed an area.
Do the search anyway the threads are interesting. Maybe someone can help you with the name of the fabric
New construction, diffently think about a mooney wall
Take a look at the thread on Mooney Walls. It uses a special mesh fabric stapled/glued to the blocking/studs. It lets you dense pack the cell into the walls and lets you actually SEE what you're doing so you don't have to worry about leaving a pocket.
In your case, if you didn't want to do the Mooney blocking, you could still use the fabric.
http://forums.taunton.com/tp-breaktime/messages?msg=65624.1
jt8
"The early bird gets the worm, but the second mouse gets the cheese." --Dave Barry
We've used damp spray cellulose with good results. they mix the cells with glue in the truck and spray it into wall and up over a mesh into the ceiling like blown-in. It's not an air barrier like spray foam but some people feel like it has better drying characteristics than spray foam. My experience is that it holds on to water and even seems to attract water due to the borax in it used to inhibit mold, bugs, and fire. leave a little pile of borax out on the kitchen counter on a humid day and see if it attracts water like a pile of salt will. Borax is similar according to building science urban legend. My nickel is on spray foam to be the insulation of choice in five years. Damp spray cells starts out wet and you need to give it time to dry before you hang the sheetrock. one more thing to consider, esp considering how slow it is to dry. Still it makes for a very quiet house and it does definately perform better than fiberglass batts.
------------------
"You cannot work hard enough to make up for a sloppy estimate."
http://www.sfproducts.com/Netting.htm
Insulmesh here, or their generic stuff is what you need.
Regal in Indiana (I think) has a fairly good explanation and sells everything you need. Skip their glue, cheap elmers type is good.
An air stapler makes life easier, look on ebay for a cheap fine wire type. You can probably find one for $20.
Look for cellulose manufacturers on line, if there is one close to you it's waaaaaaaaaaay cheaper to buy direct if they will sell to you.
If not, ask if they have a local customer you can buy from.
Joe H
Edited 11/9/2007 6:41 pm by JoeH
Maybe I'm not understanding your plan. The way I read it, you're talking about putting up just the form, with no membrane, filling the cavity, and removing the form so the inspector can see the insulation. The problem with that is that the dry blown cellulose is not very cohesive, and when you remove the form, much (most?) of it will fall out.
The wet spray method another poster described is cohesive, but has ofsetting disadvantages, like the extra application effort and the drying time.
Yeah, either use the netting or wet spray.
wet spray cell if done well has a min of water added (this is 100% up to the guy spray'n it in) around here they blow... scrape it flush... vac the rest back to the truck where it is reblown... the moisture is added at the nozzle ... it stays in place... a week of dry'n out is good... 2 is better... but they rock over it in a day here many times..
p
No need for "forms"
There are two ways regularly used for new work with open studs.
One is to spray damp with a small percentage of glue. This makes a sort of paper mache` insulation that has to be allowed time to dry before coivering.
The other, probably more commmon method is to staple a fabric made for the job over the face of the studs to hold the cellulose in
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
thanks for the info. I searched for the insul mesh but ended up using standard weed stop barrier, which worked like a champ. I am glad that i didn't try to use the forms. I had hoped that the forms would allow me to create a very dense pack, which would allow for the removal of the forms. Either way the mesh worked like a champ.
Just for the record,, we had a cellulose installer that would install a vapour barrier of 10 mil tight with a cardboard 1 1/2" strip stapled over top of studs and plates,, then fill from the top and patch holes with red tape.
Sometimes had to roll or push back the cellulose prior to drywall. I'm still not sold on it not settling, but worked for several jobs.
d
Its a horse thing!