Replies

1. 
   Jeff_J._Buck | Nov 10, 2000 04:35am | #1

   *
   If you are residing, can you get at the insul from the outside? Maybe a few cut and patch access holes? Jeff

1. 
   George_Abramshe | Nov 10, 2000 05:34am | #2

   *There are a couple of ways to approach this. If you fill the bays from the exterior side of the house you drill your 1 and 1/2 or 2 in holes just below the top plate. The natural flow of air (set at the base of the blowing macine attached to hopper) with insulation should compress the existing insulation foward while gravity and air compression fill the cavity . Make sure your house is not ballon framed or you'll have a basement full of fluff. The other option is to buy about 6 or 7 feet of 1 in. plastic pipe that the use to install sprinkler systems in lawns(it is semi rigid and comes in a big coil) and make a reducing cone out of 14 in coil roof flashing. Duct tape the cone over one end of the semi rigid pipe and the other end to the hopper hose. Use alot of tape so no air escapes. Now with some manuvering, with the machine pumping insulation while you do this, you have to feed this smaller tube down the hole almost perpendicular to the wall. As the bay fills you must extract the hose as it fills up. You have to tape a towel around the hose and hold it to the openig inthe wall since air and insulation will just blow out because the hose is now smaller than the hole. If you need anymore advice Splinter you can email me and I'll give you my digits. I worked for a company for 2 yrs. that did an awful lot of blow in work. Any questions just get in touch.

1. 
   lonecat | Nov 10, 2000 06:19am | #3

   *If I lived in Montana, I'd do what ever it takes.

1. 
   George_Lentulo | Nov 10, 2000 08:17am | #4

   *S.G.,You moved a house, and the plaster is in "great shape"?? I salute you! I was called to move an historical house recently, and my budget estimate included re-plastering - I expected a lot of cracks.Of course, that particular house has to be cut into about four sections due to the narrow mountain road it will be moved on. The contract hasn't been awarded yet - How did you prepare yours for the journey?Geo.

1. 
   Bob_Walker | Nov 10, 2000 12:26pm | #5

   *SG,I've never worked with it, but, FWIW, I see that stuff fairly often during inspections. It's always pretty old and the paper is pretty brittle, so it should break away from where it was stabled to the studs when you go to blow.Bob

2. 
   The_Tennis_Court_Builder_...on_t | Nov 10, 2000 01:38pm | #6

   *The insulation may be rock wool...Just blow in cells.near the stream,aj

3. 
   Jeff_Clarke_ | Nov 10, 2000 05:15pm | #7

   *i Make sure your house is not balloon framed or you'll have a basement full of fluffNot necessarily, since in some balloon frames (including mine) the diagonal subfloor consisting of 1 x T&G boards is scribed around the studs. You can easily check this in the basement.Jeff

4. 
   splintergroupie_ | Nov 10, 2000 06:52pm | #8

   *Thanks, all, exactly the brainstorming i needed!!!I'd gotten stuck in a long, blonde moment thinking i would re-side first and do the rest afterward. Since the summer got screwed up and the Hardie-Plank is still sitting in the basement, it makes sense to tackle the insulation from "outside the box" now, remove sheathing boards whole. Thanks for the generous offer, George A--i'll try to call BEFORE i fall off the ladder if i have trouble! ;-) Maybe i should build the decks first...15 degrees and digging out from a two-day gift from Canada-looks like a "woodshop day" and carping can wait.George L: my mover is a crazed man who stuck this 35x42 house on two welded steel box beams (9" x 14", as i recall) and shipped her 35 miles and through my field like he was wheeling a grocery cart--pretty small job for him. If you'd like his number, i'm sure he'd not mind your call. Lots of cracking around the Roman brick fireplace (chimney previously removed, of course) and the unsupported vestibule separated a bit, but the joists closed up pretty well when it sat back down, plus i have a wall under there anyway. Minor cracking elsewhere, aroung doors and windows, but not much more than new construction from shrinkage. Doors and windows were already shot from renters--don't think they were further hurt in transit, though. The walls are sheathed with that 16" wide plasterboard running horizontally on either side of the stud walls before plastering, plus chicken wire in the ceiling. (When i merely jacked up a vintage house to level that had solid, keyed lath and horsehair plaster, i lost large parts of the walls and ceilings.)Bob, Jack, i hope you're right about the batts not interfering--now i plan to poke at them from the exterior instead of inside, i hope to be able to keep them from wadding up and plugging the bay. Not ballooned framed--a single-story set on a walk-out basement. Haven't seen anything balloon-framed here, so far. Eastern idea, isn't it?

5. 
   George_Abramshe | Nov 10, 2000 09:57pm | #9

   *Yeah ballon framing is very common around here(just outside NYC) in two or three story Hudson river village homes about 75 yrs old. I give these guy's credit,the lenght of the studs and all the let in bracing must have been a bitch. They seem to be extemely solid though. Where the hell do you live that it's 15 degree's out? I hope that the beauty of the area makes it worth it. I have alot of family right outside Grand Junction Col. and though they make no money to speak of the awsome beauty of the land is enough to make them stay. Keep warm and good luck.

6. 
   John_Sprung | Nov 11, 2000 12:56am | #10

   *If it is balloon framed, and the subfloor doesn't block the stud bays, would it be a good idea to put in fire blocks at the top of the basement if you have access there? Maybe also from the attic?-- J.S.

7. 
   George_Abramshe | Nov 11, 2000 01:28am | #11

   *If you have a balloon frame and are capable of reaching these spots it is a fantastic idea. Never thought of even suggesting it to anyone but I sure will now.

8. 
   splintergroupie_ | Nov 11, 2000 02:01am | #12

   *I live south of Missoula, MT, George. Just got back from a trip to the PO and had to wait for a pair of whitetail does to mosey across the road. Sapphire Mtns. to the east, Bitter Roots splitting the sunset to the west--awesome aurora borealis many nites this summer/fall. And it eventually got up to 22 degrees today! Had some memorable times in NYC with a college roommate from da Bronx--first matzoh ball, first schvitz, first subway, first proposal by a person of Egyptian extraction...what a great education for "Heidi"!

9. 
   George_Abramshe | Nov 11, 2000 02:16am | #13

   *Little slice of heaven in the Rockies? Yeah NYC is a trip and a half for anybody the first time. Been all over this land following the Grateful Dead for years and there is always something different about that city compared to others. Exciting, rude, wierd, exotic,dirty, who knows. It's not for everybody but the people who live there love it. I'm going to Madison Sqare Garden tommorow to see St. Johns play Kansas,I'll eat a pretzel with mustard and have a pastrami sandwich in your honor. Stay warm.

10. 
    George_Lentulo | Nov 11, 2000 05:03am | #14

    *S.G.,Thanks for your response, and offer of house mover's number ... found my own "crazed man" house mover here ... I'm sure he'll be as gentle as a dove.Don't know yet if the job will fly or not at this point.>>The walls are sheathed with that 16" wide plasterboard <<Gypsum lath ... button board if it's got the holes in it. Sometimes we call it button board even if it doesn't have the holes ... anyway, I'll look to that being a good omen re: plaster repair, and maybe we'll actually make some money on that one . At any rate, I'll leave it on the walls during move as shear to help keep the whole dang thing from racking too terribly, what with it being in four or five pieces and all. Thanks, and take care.Geo.

11. 
    doug_hubbard | Nov 12, 2000 06:18am | #15

    *hey splinter-how far south of missoula? a very close friend owns sean kellys' in missou.if you get in there tell clint he wrecked my shoulder in that arm wrestling thing- gotta have surgeryi'll be back and take the rest of his pool table virginityanyway- the insulating thingwhen I had my house done they removed the clapboards at three, five and seven feet, drilled holes and forced in fiberglass. Might be an option since you are residing.I found it pennywise and pound foolish to do the work myself. Local company did my house for 1200 dollars. 2200 sq ft ranch on a difficult site-something to think about

12. 
    splintergroupie_ | Nov 12, 2000 07:57am | #16

    *Thanks, agree the multiple holes are a good idea to get it jammed in against the extant batts. But hire it done??? What would be the female equivalent of erectile dysfunction... Lots of unqualified people getting in on the building boom here, and i don't know any good insul contractors, lots of bad jobs, though. The State requires contractors to buy a license, just an $80 formality, but no test. The caveat is that a homeowners have no recourse legally unless they hire a licensd contractor, so the state gets its fee and the customer gets screwed. I go to Sean Kelly's irregularly for the Sunday seisuns and make people cry at the ________of my singing. However, i thought I inaugurated Clint's pool table...that was YOU?!?!?!?

13. 
    doug_hubbard | Nov 12, 2000 02:45pm | #17

    *coulda been.might bring the whole family up next summer.beautiful up there. It was about a thousand and ten in the shade and everything was on fire when I was there in august...happy insulating

14. 
    CaseyR_ | Nov 14, 2000 06:56am | #18

    *SplintergroupieWhat would be the female equivalent of erectile dysfunctionIf the equivalence is based on failure to perform, then vaginismus would probably be the closest (not that you probably really wanted to know...)(Back in the old days, before they changed "impotence" to "erectile dysfunction", I think they called it "frigidity".)

15. 
    splintergroupie_ | Nov 14, 2000 07:43am | #19

    *Casey, you've reminded me of a French maxim: "Il n'y a pas de femmes froides, mais les hommmes maldroits."(There are no frigid women, only clumsy men.)Now i'm really determined to DIM!

2. 
   splintergroupie_ | Nov 14, 2000 07:43am | #20

   *
   The house i moved has this oddball fiberglass insulation wrapped both sides in some kind of kraft paper, the whole blanket being only about 1 1/2" thick. I'd like to fill the walls fuller, with SOMETHING, but the plaster (real thing) is in great shape in most of the house and i'd rather not tear it out to get to the 3 1/2" bays. The logical thing seems to be blown-in, but i'm not sure if i can snake a hose past the existing blankets--has anyone done this/how? Is there a smaller hose i can use and what problems can i expect from THAT? Any other suggestions? I'm wrapping the house in 1 1/2" XPS before residing, but want all the R's i can get.