How to Install Blow In Green Fiber Insulation in Your Attic or Walls
When adding insulation to a new or existing home there are many options to consider to consider. For the Do it Yourself remodeler and the Green activist, one of your best choices for price and ease of use is the Green Fiber blow in insulation. The equipment is fairly easy to operate, you can gain access to tight spaces, and you won't spend a week itching all over. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Insulation Blower
- Packages of Green Fiber Insulation
- Surgical mask or breather
- Utility Knife
Instructions
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After determining the size and scope of your project you will need to acquire all of the tools and materials needed. You can purchase a blowing machine if you plan to use it many more times, but it is cheap and easy to rent one from most hardware or home improvement chains as well as tool rental businesses. It is preferable that you set up the machine either outdoors or in the garage so you will want to make sure that the machine comes with enough hose to reach the furthest work area. To determine the amount of insulation you will need you can check with the Green Fiber website for a coverage chart. http://www.greenfiber.com/_assets/PDFs/PM-6.3-19.pdf
This form of insulation is not toxic but you will want to wear a breather or surgical mask to avoid inhaling the dust, and will need a utility knife to cut open the packages. -
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Now that you have everything together you will want to prep the area that you will be insulating. Remove any construction debris from the attic and set up a series of walking boards to avoid stepping through the ceiling drywall. If you are insulating the exterior walls behind the plaster of an older home, cut a strip of plaster and backing boards out of the very top of the wall about 6 to 8 inches tall.)
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The next step is to set up your equipment. The blower can be heavy depending on the model and the process does go much faster with one person blowing and another loading bales of insulation so you will want to get an extra set of hands. Set up the blower on a level surface either outside the house or in the garage that is close to a grounded power outlet as well as an access point to the attic or wall section that you plan to work on. Make sure that the hose is free of debris and attach one end to the blower and take the other end to the furthest work area. Place a bale of Green Fiber insulation into the top of the machine and turn on the agitator. It will begin to break up the insulation so that it can be blown into place.
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Once everything is set up have one person monitor and load the blower (you may need to help break up the bales by hand) and have the other hole the hose at the furthest area to be insulated. If you are working on a wall section, put the hose all the way into the hole at the top of the wall and lower it as near to the floor as you can. As you blow the insulation you can slowly pull the hose towards the top of the wall. In the attic, either place or point the end of the hose at furthest corner and slowly pull or walk it back as you fill it with insulation.
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In the attic you will want to slowly move down each row while pointing the hose as close to the floor as possible to minimize dust. Fill each row before moving to the next and work your way back to your access point. In hard to reach areas you can push the hose as far as it will go and draw in back slowly as the recess fills with insulation. After a few hours the dust will settle and you can start looking forward to lower energy bills!
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Tips & Warnings
In the case of old home editions with in accessible attics (over porches or in dormers for example) cut a hole between each joist just larger than the hose at the point furthest from an exterior wall and push the hose through it.
Build a frame around your access point to the attic to avoid having loose insulation fall out.
