buy cheaper insulation where?

[peter]

I need to winterize my house and need whole bunch of insulation: under floorboards, attic, heating duct, windows, ..

Is HD my best bet or are there specialty stores that sell these things cheaper?

[Brian V]

You should try calling an insulation contractor, you will be amazed at how affordable it is. Very VERY close to what you would pay for just the insulation itself. Example, I just added a 2nd floor on my home, I did it mostly myself with the exception of the insulation and the plastering. I knew exactly how much of each size I needed, priced it at home depot and knew what it was going to cost. One of my family members suggested I get a price from someone to do it, that they had just done it at their home. I called 2 different local insulation contractors, both were within 100$ of eachother. My cost just for the insulation and the rigid air baffles/dams for the rafter space was roughly 2000$ at das' depot, their total price for the same with installation was 2200$. What would have taken me probably 2 weekends to do, they did in a day, they sent 3 guys out, one guys was cutting everything and the other two were hanging it. It was exactly as my plans specified and the work was flawless. Best 200$ I ever spent. They either get a very decent discount from their suppliers on the insulation or they pay their guys pennies.

-Brian

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Wilke's Insulation over on Park Street is the cheapest around.

[mcfriendly]

Periodically HD and Lowes have sales (check your ads). Both (in this area) provide a free but heavy blower for the Cellulose insulation (made from at least 75 percent recycled material and requires 2 people to lift the device.) Installation is a 2 person job even if your doing roll fiberglass. Neither provide free delivery even with large purchases. (in my case 60 bales of insulation requires a truck.) Storage becomes an issue if you can't install it on the day of delivery. Better hurry if your making a blower type insulation - neither would guarantee a unit on a specific date (true as the temperature gets colder and people see their heating bills.)

I talked with a couple of insulation installers at a recent home show who "verbally quoted" me prices of $1.50 - .75 square foot for blown insulation. Everything was "subject" to adjustment before a formal quote could be made. And while they kept emphasizing that people in "our region" needs R48 levels that was not the level they were quoting for the $1.50-.75 installation..... sigh. Make sure you GET what you pay for if you go that route. (Quote needs to include the number of batts or bags to be installed.) Get references!!!!

A more realistic R factor is probably R25-R30 over existing atticinsulation

It does cost more to do fiberglass than the Celleulose attic insulation but you can install it at your leisure versus getting a blower.

REMIND MYSELF TO FOLLOW MY OWN ADVICE :)