Wall Insulation

[hibb]

Another thing I am dealing with now that I have the room gutted is that the room below it was insulated with that old foam insulation that has shrunk and was not doing a very good job. So I added some PVC pipe to my shop vac and vacuumed all that old insulation out figuring I could push some fiberglass batt insulation down into the lower walls. There is already some batt insulation at the bottom part of the wall but I need to fill in about 6 feet with insulation.

I tried pushing some batt insulation down into the wall but I can not tell if the insulation is making it all the way down or just bunching up in one spot part of the way down. Now it looks like the best option is to use the blown in insulation maybe like the "Geenfiber" the sell at Home Despot.

Anybody got any better suggestions?

Thanks, David

[JIMMIE]

Sounds like a plan to me, I would try to fish out the rest of the bat insulation if you can.

Jimmie

[DerbyDad03]

If you do start fishing stuff out of the walls, be very careful as you get near the bottom. You don't want to snag any old electrical wires.

If you have any of that old cloth covered wiring, the insulation or covering could be pretty dried out and brittle.

Left undisturbed it's probably fine, but once you start knocking it around or pulling on it, you could cause some hidden damage.

[Nonny]

As an almost off topic comment, when insulating your bathroom, consider filling in the space between a tub and the walls/face with batt. We did it in our homes and water in the tub remained hotter much longer: particularly when on an outside wall. Do use caution, however, if the pipe inlet is on an outside wall, since the added insulation could block enough ambient heat to permit freezing of the water in the pipes.

[hibb]

I like that idea. When I do the bathroom I'm going to have to do a lot of insulating and make sure it is done well. The pipes did freeze and burst a couple of times. I think I fixed it better the last time but I will make damn sure when I gut that part of the house. We don't use that bathroom right not so I have all the water shut off to the upstairs.

Thanks, David

[hibb]

I did fish out the bit of bat insulation at the bottom in the part of the wall where I am installing pvc pipe for running wires. I wasn't sure if I should do the rest.

Thanks, David

[hibb]

Yeah, I will have to be careful with the wires.

BTW, I have a bunch of the old blown in insulation left from when I took out the ceiling. I wonder if I could just re-use that instead of having someone haul it away or if the new stuff is better. I can get enough of the new stuff to do this job for under $20 bucks so cost is not a concern.

David

[Nonny]

Heck yes. I always reused insulation where reasonable. When I finished my walkout LL, I pulled all the insulation out of the floor and stored it. Then, I did stud walls 6" inside the block and laid it horizontally, continuously and tucked it into the space by the mudsill as well. That way, the lengths didn't matter at all: it all was used.

[Nonny]

If you can, bring the pipes up through the floor in the blind area at the head of the tub, and not up in the stud space. Insulate between them and the exterior, but NOT the interior, so that the ambient heat in the room keeps them from freezing.

We had a second place on a mountain once. It was colder than heck about 9 months of the year there, and a perfect foil to the desert heat here in Las Vegas. Our hot tub was made very well, with the spray-on foam sprayed on the redwood surround and NOT the tub inside. The heat from the tub thus protected the hidden plumbing, pumps and drains. Many hot tubs, I believe, have the foam sprayed against the tub itself, thus insulating the plumbing and pumps from the tub. That may be fine in a southern climate, but on top of a mountain, it wouldn't work very well.

[clare]

Pour in either cellulose or chopped fiberglass as used for blowing in. Poke it with a stick or fish-wire to make sure it hasn't hung up part way down. Thump the wall a few times to encourage settling- walk away for an hour or two and top up if needed.

[Bob F]

There are probably "pourable" insulations available. Small bead-like chunks which will tend to flow to fill gaps.

[ShadowTek]

lol I'd hate to cut a hole for a light switch with something like that in the walls!

[Oren]

You betcha!

Perlite has/was used in block walls for sound, more than insulation purposes. Used between condo unit walls back in the day.

Spill the bag when you opened it .... more went on the floor than inside the block cavity. :-/