cellulose insulation and dust?
dedtired
13 years ago
Featured Answer
Sort by:Oldest
Comments (26)
neohioheatpump
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agodedtired
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agoRelated Discussions
cellulose insulation danger: dust
Comments (14)We've been in our house approaching two years and have begun to suspect exactly what energy_rater_la outlined. We've had a dusty house and we did wet blown cellulose walls and dry blown cellulose in the attic. We have recessed lights in the top floor ceiling but only IC, not ICAT cans. My theory was the cans were allowing some cellulose dust in. We have a fairly tight house and installed an ERV. We did a blower door test when we were just about to move in but it didn't point too much to the cans being a problem. Mostly the infiltration came from the lack of any caulk under 20 linear feet of sliding glass doors. We also cleaned all the ducts before we moved in as I noticed quite a bit of cellulose in them even though the supposedly blocked them when the wet blown cellulose went in. The dust does appear to be tapering off but it has taken nearly two years. We figured it is just another one of those joys of living in new construction. Will definitely look into upgrading the upstairs cans to ICAT if we can. I'm not sure I'd call it a danger unless you were sensitive to it. Just an annoyance, but we still couldn't justify the upcharge to spray foam in our case....See Morecellulose insulation, good, bad??
Comments (2)'dust' from cellulose is actually fine newspaper particles. since newspaper is treated with cellulose it is a bit more problematic. I'm not a fan of cellulose in the attic at all. unless you spend time making the air barrier (attic floor/living space ceiling) as tightly sealed as possible, the fine particles will find a way into the living space. you can call local companies for sq ft prices of insulation. it vaires from area to area what type of insulation do you currently have? best of luck....See MoreInsulation retrofit: Icynene, cellulose, fiberglass?
Comments (6)Judy, You are obviously doing a good deal of research about your house before making plans, which is a very good idea. I am attaching a link to the entire Preservation Brief series, where you will find a wide range of topics covered, including the most up-to-date editions (available, now, for free on the net). I have a couple of comments about your proposed plans. For your attic I would suggest adding additonal layers of fiberglass on the outside thirds of the attic floor. You can just lay it right over what you have there. (You may need to poke around a bit to discover where you can safely walk on the joists to get the material all the way out to the edge.) For the middle third, I would pull the floor, and insulate that cavity. It's OK to use a combination of materials. In my plastered house I have a thin layer of fiberglass, followed by as much high R-value foam sheets as will fit in order to get the highest R-value in the space available, without putting undue pressure on the plaster or squashing material under the flooring. In your 75- year old house you probably have balloon framing which is easier to blow in insulation than some other type of framing. But blown in material may present problems due to lack of a vapor barier, and if you follow through on your plan to add vinyl siding, that may exacerbate the problem. If your wood siding is still sound, you could have it scraped and sanded and repainted. Vinyl siding inevitably results in a change (and not for the better in most cases) of the details of your houses' exterior appearance. You could also have the siding removed, along with underlayers of sheathing, etc. and insulate (and add air and moisture barriers) before reinstalling the cleaned-up siding, though this is big job. I would opt for just scraping and repainting. As for your proposed new windows, well, I wouldn't do that either, if your existing windows aren't completely rotten. In most instances wooden windows can be vastly improved energy-wise by rehabilitation, instead of simply replacing them. Unless you are extremely lucky or prepared to devote enormous sums to having exact replicas made, the new windows will be, at best, a compromise stylistically. The loss of both the siding, trim and window details will change your houses' appearance significantly. In this year of energy-cost worry, it is hard not to spring for any and all improvements, but you can make a big dent in your energy-use by adding additional insulation to your attic, good weatherstripping around doors, diligent caulking all over the house, perhaps even temporary interior storm windows, etc. These relatively small-scale jobs will give considerable payback in both energy costs saved and increased comfort. And they will buy you time to assess the big picture and find solutions that do not result in so much loss of your house's historic character. With old houses, I find it's really important to go as far as you can in adding energy efficiency, but not worry much if you can't achieve R-49 in your attic. That's the standard for new constructin and in most old buildings not a realistic goal. Good luck with your house! Molly~ Here is a link that might be useful: Home page for Preservation Brief series...See Morehow to install cellulose insulation
Comments (15)Hey appletnc. fire hazard with old wire a yes. I checked with my fire department as well. Replace old wire before going down walls. I did blow insulation myself in my 100 yr house down the walls.I did it upstairs and down stairs and in the ceiling. I never did it before, but it was a little messy. I only drilled 1 hole at the top not at bottom. I don't know why they said put one at bottom. I had a guy whose done it many times give me some advise. He never mentioned to do that. I did take off the siding instead of doing drywall. I tried one room inside the house and it took me awhile to get all those holes looking smooth again once I patched them. I ordered the plugs from lowes. I filled the cavity. Put in the plug and back on with the siding. All the mess stayed out side.. It made the world of diff. down stairs. Upstairs it helped some, but i think my heating unit is to small. Ps. It was much quicker doing it from outside than inside. If you compare to cutting holes in walls, plugging, remud, sand , remud, sand, remud , sand and paint. Verses take siding off, cut holes ,plug, put siding back on. No sheet rock dust or insulation in house. Hope this helps....See Moreneohioheatpump
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agosniffdog
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agodedtired
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agovhehn
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agodedtired
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agokframe19
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agobrickeyee
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agodedtired
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agodedtired
13 years agolast modified: 9 years agogunksny
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agobrickeyee
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoenergy_rater_la
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agodedtired
12 years agolast modified: 9 years agoMarcy
11 years agolast modified: 9 years agoenergy_rater_la
11 years agolast modified: 9 years agorickyk22
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agoenergy_rater_la
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agorickyk22
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agoenergy_rater_la
10 years agolast modified: 9 years agoHU-316130109
3 years agoDeb Kubly
2 years agoCheryl C
2 years agoHU-503986835
last year
Related Stories
GREEN BUILDINGEcofriendly Cool: Insulate With Wool, Cork, Old Denim and More
Learn about the pros and cons of healthier alternatives to fiberglass and foam, and when to consider an insulation switch
Full StoryREMODELING GUIDESCool Your House (and Costs) With the Right Insulation
Insulation offers one of the best paybacks on your investment in your house. Here are some types to discuss with your contractor
Full StoryGREEN BUILDINGInsulation Basics: Heat, R-Value and the Building Envelope
Learn how heat moves through a home and the materials that can stop it, to make sure your insulation is as effective as you think
Full StoryMATERIALSInsulation Basics: What to Know About Spray Foam
Learn what exactly spray foam is, the pros and cons of using it and why you shouldn’t mess around with installation
Full StoryGREEN BUILDINGInsulation Basics: Natural and Recycled Materials
Consider sheep’s wool, denim, cork, cellulose and more for an ecofriendly insulation choice
Full StoryHEALTHY HOMEWhat to Know About Controlling Dust During Remodeling
You can't eliminate dust during construction, but there are ways to contain and remove as much of it as possible
Full StoryGREEN BUILDINGInsulation Basics: Designing for Temperature Extremes in Any Season
Stay comfy during unpredictable weather — and prevent unexpected bills — by efficiently insulating and shading your home
Full StoryWINDOW TREATMENTSEasy Green: 9 Low-Cost Ways to Insulate Windows and Doors
Block drafts to boost both warmth and energy savings with these inexpensive but effective insulating strategies
Full StoryGREEN BUILDINGHouzz Tour: Pickle Factory Now an Energy-Wise Live-Work Space
A charming but poorly insulated 1880s Philadelphia commercial building becomes a spacious energy-efficient home and studio
Full StoryGUESTHOUSESHouzz Tour: This Guesthouse’s Former Residents Were Horses
A new insulated exterior for a Vermont carriage barn preserves its rustic interior
Full Story
energy_rater_la