Shop Products
Houzz Logo Print
spguil

Insulation for home built 1962 -- advice, recommendations

trekker
14 years ago

We want to add insulation to our Southern CA house built in 1962. So far we have two estimates: one recommends cellulose, the other recommends fiberglass except that we will probably want to use cellulose in the attic where our furnace is located, out of consideration for whoever will one day have to service that furnace.

One guy says we should insulate walls between house and uninsulated garage, the other says not. Who is right?

One says that insulation only lasts 10-20 years, the other at least implies that it lasts longer. Who do we believe?

I've looked around for some unbiased sources, hope some of you can help.

Thanks.

Comments (3)

  • sunnyca_gw
    14 years ago

    I'm in So. Ca. too. We full insulated our house before we moved in. Guy inspecting attic cellulose had a suit on, I asked him to go back & see what they really did-15 ft around the hole to attic. They put some more in but I just gathered it into the odd shaped spaces & rolled out insulation with the foil next to sheet rock like they recommended at the time. Best for walls is stapled on but you can't do that unless you are removing sheet rock. Blown in does pack down but doesn't disappear so would be of some value. Most of heat loss is through attic so wise to get good deal of R value up there. Don't know what problem you would have getting to furnace with rolled out insulation as it is down between studs. I'm sure an expert will come on with more advice. If your garage wall is studs might consider some stuff that is a insulating back(stiff foam I think) & panel looking front. Neighbor's finished enclosing patio & it looks nice & is insulated . You probably have sheet rock on it already so that wouldn't work.

  • rjoh878646
    14 years ago

    Couple of answers to your questions.

    The unisulated wall on the garage; Yes it should be insulated.Any wall that is an wall that seperates a conditioned space from a non-conditioned space needs insulation. The garage is not heated or cooled so insulate the wall. I would have cellulose blown into the stud cavities. If done properly and packed densly enough it should not settle.

    I would blow cellulose into the attic. Look online for insulation recomendations. Just so happens the goverment has a nice page with recomendations. (see link below)

    Have cellulose blown in to the recomended depth.
    The insulation will last practicaly forever. The only problem with cellulose it will settle in the attic and not the walls after 10-20 years and you will need more blown in. you do not have to remove the old stuff. just add more to the level needed. The reason it settles in the attic it is not packed in densly it is just blown over the surface. the walls it is blown in and densely packed.

    Before you have insulation blown into the attic go up and seal all penetrations into the attic with spray foam. All the insulation in the world won't help if you don't first plug up the air leaks.

    Here is a link that might be useful: insulation recomendations

  • raee_gw zone 5b-6a Ohio
    14 years ago

    I used the spray foam insulation in my 1942 era walls about 16 years ago and so far it is still holding up. I did save money on the heat bills after putting it in.