Berkeley Parents Network: Insulation

Berkeley Parents Network

Insulation

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Berkeley Parents Network > Reviews > House & Garden > Insulation

Contractor for home insulation job
Installing insulation over old wiring
Installing attic insulation
Do-it-yourself Insulation

Contractor for home insulation job

Jan 2005

I checked the archives and didn't see anything current for my situation. I'm looking to have my 1500 sq ft, 2 story home insulated and am interested in recomendations for insulation contractors. The house was built in '54 and a bedroom was added to the 2nd floor in the 60's. I want to have insulation blown into the exterior walls and have the attic space/walls on the second floor brought up to R-30. I would also like to have the floor insulated via the crawl space. Has anyone done something similar? Any ballpark estimates regarding cost? Any success or sob stories? Would love any/all feedback...thanks! Kim

We had insulation blown into our walls (1950's rancher) and we used All Seasons Insulation. The owner is Mark Clark and he can be reached at 925 935-7965. He is incredibly nice, and will do the estimate himself. For us, he turned out to be approx. $1.09/sq foot of insulated wall, which was the cheapest quote I received. I also got a PG&E rebate at the time which took 20% off the total cost. A.S.I. also does attics. They were professional, fast and cheap! Very satisfied and now warmer
editor note: phone updated 1/12/2006

Installing insulation over old wiring

Oct 2000

Can anyone recommend someone to install insulation in our 2ft high attic. There is none there now , but I have concerns about the old style wiring that is up there. Thanks Lynn

We are struggling with decisions as to whether we should rewire our 1942 house so we can blow in insulation or install batting instead. Does anyone have experience with this? A few people said that re-wiring could easily run into five figures because it would involve breaking into the walls, and replastering. Can we safely install batting around the knob and tubes in the ceiling? Any advice would be appreciated. Darcy

Our house is pre-40's and it has rolled fiberglass insulation. (Is that what you mean by batten?) The ceiling of our subarea is exposed so you can see the old wiring if you move the fiberglass aside. We've lived in the house for over 10 years without problems, and I can't see how the house would pass RECO inspection at its sale without insulation in various places like a subarea. But one place you could check would be the RECO people. (I'm not sure what department of the city bureaucracy they're in, but you could try something like "Codes and Inspections".) P.S. RECO stands for something like "Residential Energy Conservation Ordinance". Fran

I am not an expert but... I just talked with an insulation company about this. They said that the city of Berkeley requires that they create channeling aroung the knob and tube wiring before they blow in the other insulation. This creates a buffer of space so the insulation does not directly touch the knob and tube. You will have to have an electrician first inspect the wiring to make sure it is stillin good shape. They said that all other cities just require the inspection and if it is okayed they can insulate with the channels, but Berkeley requires the channels even after the inspection. I spoke with Save Energy Company and got a free estimate 848-8944. Lynn

Just done it... If you have knob-and-tube wiring you must "box them in" (separate them from insulation), before you lay down insulation, whether it is in batts or you blow it in. This is a code requirement. Since we had a maze of wires running in our attic,we found much easier, rather than individually separate each wire, to lay thin plywood(1/4) on top of the joist and than lay the insulation on top of it. Just be careful to leave at least 3" of free space around all electrical boxes and to leave vents clear. Sylvia

Installing attic insulation

June 2001

We need someone to install fiberglass insulation in our attic. We have lots of head room, but poor access and old knob and tube wiring. We don't know if it is necessary to hire an expert, or whether a handyperson would be sufficient. Any opinions or recommendations?

July 2001

We have been trying to get insulation installed in our attic, and only one contractor has called back to give an estimate. He was promoting blown-in cellulose insulation vs fiberglass, and the cellulose is half the cost so it is appealing. We live in Oakland and have old knob and tube wiring. The Oakland code allows the insulating material to rest on the wiring once the wiring has been tested, but Berkeley code does not. So what does Berkeley know than Oakland doesn't that we should worry about, and does anyone have advice on cellulose vs fiberglass?

We just received the keys for our new house in Rockridge and we want to do some minor work before it becomes too cluttered. Can someone recommend help with insulation and weather-proofing? It's a big old house and I don't want to regret its purchase when the winter PG&E bill arrives. Erica

Oct 2001

My home is in need of insulation, wall, floor, and ceiling. I'm looking for recommendations of reputable people who can do this, especially with minimal damage to my walls. I'm also looking for experience/advice on installing the wall insulation from the interior or exterior. I have a stucco house and worry about drilling the holes on the outside and being able to patch them effectively. Thanks. Amy

We are looking for an insulation company to possibly insulate an unfinished attic space.

Insulation: We used American Synergy. They were somewhat inconsistent, but far more knowledgable than the competition. -Elizabeth

Nov 2001

I'm looking for a reliable and affordable person to install insulation--either traditional batting or blow-in--in our attic. any recommendations would be greatly appreciated. thanks, pamela

I call Shel Harris in Berkeley, 549-3290. He does almost all the energy conservation inspections in Berkeley to comply with the local ordinance, and also can do the work. -Tim

Do-it-yourself Insulation

Nov 1999

Does anyone know about installing insulation? What kind to get, where you get it, anything to worry about/watch out for? I was thinking of the kind that comes in a huge roll. Is this something easy to do for a novice? We are thinking of putting insulation between the cross beams on the ceiling of our unfinished basement. The idea is that this will help keep the living & dining room (which are directly above the basement) warmer. Thanks very much!

Installing insulation is one of the easiest jobs you can do yourself. Wear gloves and a dust mask when you do the work. Buy it anywhere, but pay attention to the R-rating (that's how warm/thick it is) and whether you need a vapor barrier. The labeling on the roll should tell you what the correct rating and vapor barrier need is for basements. (The idea is to put the vapor barrier on the side closest to where moist/warm air comes from, so that it doesn't get into the insulation and rot as it moves through the wall. You probably don't need one in a basement.)

You need to get something to hold the insulation up into the space between the joists, or it will fall out. They sell special metal bars for this, but you could also use chicken wire, if you didn't mind the work of cutting it. Insulation is not expensive as a one-time investment in your comfort (about $200-300 depending on the size of your house, plus the metal bars). On the other hand, in our climate it may not make that big a difference--heat loss through the roof is quite a bit greater than heat loss through the floor, particularly with a basement underneath.

Installing insulation can easily be done by a novice. It's not difficult, just very unpleasant. As the insulation is made up of fiberglass fibers, be sure to wear a long sleeved shirt and pants, gloves (you can get inexpensive cotton gloves that allow for ease of movement while protecting your hands), a hat if you are working underneath it, and a dust mask. The fibers are very small but are irritating to the skin.

Basically you roll out the insulation, measure the length you need, cut with a utility blade and staple to the sides of the studs. The insulation goes against the wall and the paper should be facing you. Some insulation is sold in precut lengths. It can be purchased in quantity at Home Depot, among other places. It's rated by an R-value--the higher the number, the more it insulates. I think R-19 is the basic that fits comfortably in a 2X4 stud cavity. If you are placing it between larger studs you can increase the R value. You might want to check and see what's recommended either by code or by PGE. Good luck.

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