Blown-In Cellulose Insulation In Caledon, Ontario

Why Blown-In Cellulose Insulation Beats Batts In Older Attics

Loose cellulose flows around wires, bracing, pipes and bent joists, all spots where batts leave gaps. Caledon farmhouses often have rough-sawn joists set at uneven spacing, so batts seldom sit snugly.

Loose fill also buries the joists themselves. Lumber carries heat roughly four times faster than cellulose does, so burying them under loose fill keeps them from showing up as cold stripes across the ceiling.

Blown-In Cellulose Insulation Settles, So We Blow Extra

Cellulose sinks a little during its first year, which is why every bag chart shows two depths for each R-value, one at install and one after settling.

We blow to the installed figure, so the attic still measures R-60 after it settles. With most cellulose products that means about 17 to 19 inches.

Getting Ready For Blown-In Cellulose Insulation

Prep work happens before the hose goes up. We seal the air leaks, staple baffles at each eave and frame a short wall around the hatch opening so the fill stays put. Chimneys and metal flues keep the clearance they need.

Old wiring or vermiculite is handled before anything else. How older attics get ready is explained on the century home attic insulation page.

Blown-In Cellulose Insulation Cost

Expect blown-in cellulose insulation over a thin or bare attic floor to cost between $1.50 and $2.80 a square foot in Ontario, or around $1,800 to $3,360 for 1,200 square feet before air sealing is added.