| Author |
Across the Fence:  Insulating a house...  |
|
|
msdoolittle
True Blue Farmgirl
1143 Posts
Amanda
East Texas
USA
1143 Posts |
 Posted - Feb 16 2011 : 7:26:27 PM
|
Well, after 2 weeks of ridiculously cold weather, we couldn't take it in our own home any more. My husband told me he was either going to light a match and watch the place burn, or we were going to move somewhere warm. Rather than do that, we chose to insulate our attic.
Okay, I can't even BEGIN to emphasize how our lives have been improved for a mere 500 dollars. We blew in cellulose ourselves from Lowe's. Our house is in the sixties during freezing weather...and the heater actually CYCLES. Before, it would run until it froze the exterior unit and I'd have to turn the dumb thing completely off. The coldest temp in our house? FORTY THREE DEGREES. Yes, it's true.
So, we bought the cellulose and rented the machine (blower) and I blew in 18.5 inches of the most fabulous shredded paper that God has to offer.
Can't wait to see my electric bill next month!!!!!!!
FarmGirl #1390
www.mylittlecountry.wordpress.com |
|
|
laurentany
True Blue Farmgirl
3259 Posts
Laurie
Patchogue
NY
USA
3259 Posts |
Posted - Feb 16 2011 : 8:27:27 PM
|
Good for you! I didnt even realize that you could do the "blown in" type insulation yourself...thought you had to hire someone to do it....now you have my wheels turning!
Glad you are warm and toasty, and as you said..I am sure your electric bill will be much lower!
Smiles,
Laurie
Farmgirl Sister#1403
Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.. |
 |
|
|
HollyG
True Blue Farmgirl
214 Posts
Holly
Hamburg
Arkansas
USA
214 Posts |
Posted - Feb 17 2011 : 06:51:23 AM
|
We did the same thing several years ago and boy, what a difference it makes. We're looking at how to insulate our floors now. We have a house that's off the ground and we have hardwood floors. I think they stay cold year-round. It's not bad in July, but in January, you'll freeze your toes off. Any ideas there?
HollyG
Farmgirl #2513
www.mydeepwoodslife.com |
|
|
|
Miss Bee Haven
True Blue Farmgirl
4331 Posts
Janice
Louisville/Irvington
Kentucky
USA
4331 Posts |
Posted - Feb 17 2011 : 07:41:38 AM
|
Holly - Do you have a crawl space under your house? We have a pretty tall one under our old farmhouse(it sits up on brick 'piers'). The first thing we did is to put up a wooden framework around the house. Then we put left over vinyl siding pieces over that(soffitt pieces cut when needed to fit). It looks like beadboard. Then we crawled under the house and glued foamboard insulation to the back of that. I'm also thinking of maybe insulation under the flooring somehow. Maybe fiberglass or foamboard and tacking wiring(chicken wire?) to the underside to hold it in place.
Farmgirl Sister #50
"If you think you've got it nailed down, then what's all that around it?"
'Br.Dave Gardner' |
|
|
|
HollyG
True Blue Farmgirl
214 Posts
Holly
Hamburg
Arkansas
USA
214 Posts |
Posted - Feb 17 2011 : 12:03:29 PM
|
We do have a crawl space - it's bricked to the ground - doubly as the 'original' house had a brick base with wood fram house on top. We bricked the whole thing in, top to bottom, so the we kinda have a house in a house situation. Thing is, we have the floor boards, a sheet of plywood, then our hardwood. Nothing keeping us from 18" of cool air. We have vents we close, but it still gets cold. Does this make sense to you?
HollyG
Farmgirl #2513
www.mydeepwoodslife.com |
|
|
|
Miss Bee Haven
True Blue Farmgirl
4331 Posts
Janice
Louisville/Irvington
Kentucky
USA
4331 Posts |
Posted - Feb 18 2011 : 04:35:58 AM
|
It makes sense, Holly. Sounds like a bigger problem than we've got, for sure. And when we get to re-flooring the old section of our farmhouse, we'll have the same thing as you - original boards underneath, then new wood to level the floor, then new flooring.
Farmgirl Sister #50
"If you think you've got it nailed down, then what's all that around it?"
'Br.Dave Gardner' |
|
|
| |
Across the Fence: Insulating a house... |
|
Insulating a house...
