Awesome! Great job building the demonstration wall, and I love that you weighed it, too.

@Buildingdoctors

6 жыл бұрын

Thanks Nate, I appreciate your comment.

Thanks for the great vid. I'd love to see an updated one to simulate real-world situations with fire breaks, diagonals, and a test wall made of drywall on one side, plexiglas on the other, test to see if it bows, cracks, or gets blown out with different methods.

Since my kitchen is small I am going to remove the sheet rock and use roll insulation and plastic sheeting to stop all air drafts.Thats a very good demonstration of how to use blow insulation thanks

There’s only one problem with dense packing, The likelihood of finding honest hard-working contractor and employee combination who will work to fill every single hole with dense packing is just about Impossible

good video. I like the see through wall that you made. Seeing how it works helps a lot.

@danthomsen811

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks. Please note that in a real wall insulation does not flow quite as easily. That is why it is important to put the tube down in all the places you want the insulation to go. Best

@dano1234v

4 жыл бұрын

Yes smooth plastic has a lot less resistance, this needs to be simulated with drywall and removable wall, no see through, then it would be realistic

@justinlee4022

4 жыл бұрын

Ya these videos don’t let the customer know that it doesn’t address the issue of thermal conduction through the 2 x 4a as these are horrible thermal barriers and the heat/cold escape through them ...

@mattodrums

3 жыл бұрын

@@justinlee4022 what's your solution for that issue?

What is the effect of the inadequate, but existing fiberglass insulation with paper backing on the ability to adequately distribute the blown-in insulation in 2x4 wall cavities?

I have yet to see a video talking about the potential issues of pushing drywall from the studs and or bulging from dense packing due to the high pressure. You dont have ttat issue with old lath and plaster walls. With standard drywall the pressure has to be reduced and someone has to be on the inside to monitor the walls.

@danthomsen811

6 жыл бұрын

You are absolutely correct of about the potential of bulging the walls. We still have that issue with lathe and plaster as well. If it was not installed well it can pop out as well. Training and practice of listening to the machine and how much insulation is coming out of the hose is key. We made this video to show the benefits of dense packing wall insulation and not as much as an instructional video of how to do it. Thanks for the feedback.

@knowledgeispower6192

6 жыл бұрын

I have personally dense packed cellulose insulation into pre-existing homes for over a decade we only had one issue of drywall bulging it was later determined it was because the drywall was improperly installed the begin with. With the proper machine you are able to regulate the amount of material going through the tube and air pressure. There are other factors to consider as well. Like what kind of studs were used, etc.

how do you control the flow of the product, is there a ball valve you can close?

What is an effective method to insulate 1) the garage ceiling above a conditioned space (bedrooms and bathroom) and 2) vaulted living room ceiling just below the roof. The roof-to-ceiling materials consist of asphalt shingles, decking, 2x12 joists with 3-inch air space, about 8-inches fiberglass batting, and drywall. I've considered dense pack cellulose by removing drywall, spray foam by removing drywall, injection foam, and nailbase insulation. Other options?

@rsmith02

27 күн бұрын

I did dense pack cellulose through the garage ceiling.

So when I redid the fasciae on the front of my house there was no insulation inside the walls, I have opened other walls on my home and found insulation, Is there any way to tell which walls have insulation and which do not without making holes in the walls?

@danthomsen811

5 жыл бұрын

William, thanks for your question. We use infrared cameras to check if there is insulation inside the walls. The ones we have were $6,000 but they actually make a decent now that clips to your smartphone for a few hundred dollars. If you don't want to go that route you can stick a probe inside the wall to see if there is any insulation inside. There is usually a gap on the side of your outlets or light switches and the drywall. We have found these little plastic hair clog removal tools (Google it) work well because they will pull the insulation out with them and they are plastic so just in case there is a frayed wire you won't get shocked. Let me know if you have any other questions.

#3 seemed the same as #2, but with gradually removing the hose (which is how #2 should have been done). Did I miss something?

How can we get more training on this. I would like to do this the right way. What equipment do you use for cellulose opposed to foam spray. Please advise

@danthomsen811

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your question and sorry for the delayed response. You should ask your local insulation supplier and see if they offer training. Sometimes the insulation providers off free training session for larger companies. You need to have the right-sized insulation blowing machine to be able to dense pack walls. Makes sure you ask the machine company. We don't do spray foam insulation. Its way too expensive for our climate zone and I don't want to worry about someone with chemical sensitivity.

Can you recommend the type of hose to use for dense packing? Trying to find where to purchase one. Thanks.

@Buildingdoctors

4 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your question. if you look at some of the comments below I have answered that a few times. However, here it is again. ... That type of tubing is not rigid enough for inserting in the walls. Try some braided tubing. We buy ours here: jrproductsinc.com/product/1-i-d-reinforced-braided-wall-insulation-tubing/

How do you know when you are done packing when you can't see in the wall?

it was great..they had programs in my county that performed this insulation from the outer walls of my home..they took off sections of the siding, the 1/2 in insulation board, and drilled the hole between each cavity...they also went in the crawl space and laid down 6 mil plastic on the ground and sprayed the inner walls..the cost for me was 0.00 dollars..they charged the state $10,235 for the job from the grant money they received..it took two days to complete because the sprayer for in the crawl space seized up..they came back the next day and finished it..being a senior citizen, this was quite a surprise..at the onset, i almost cancelled this, cause i did not believe it would be free.glad i didn't.....

Very good video. Thank you. Where do you get the clear plastic tube? Lowes and Home Depot don't carry it. What's the diameter? How did you attach it to the end of the greenfiber machine?

@kodiham7532

7 жыл бұрын

Good question, is anyone going to answer it!

@danthomsen811

7 жыл бұрын

Michelle, my apologies in the delay of responding to this. I just am seeing this now because of Kodi's message below. Here is a link to a company that sells wall insulation hose. www.jrproductsinc.com/shop/pc/Wall-Tubing-SOLD-IN-10-FT-INCREMENTS-c101.htm. You can get a winter or summer grade depending on your climate zone of if you and doing the install from the inside or outside. Where we are in Southern California the summer hose works fine. We use the 1.5 inch diameter but many use the 1.25 inch. Unfortunately, the machines that they have at the box stores (Lowes or Home Deport do not have a large enough blower motor on them to properly dense pack walls. You might reach out to a local insulation contractor and see if you can rent one of their machines. That same company JRPorducts has reducers to you can connect the hose to the diameter of the outlet on the blowing machine. Hopes this helps. Have a great day, Dan

@danthomsen811

7 жыл бұрын

Kodi, thank for the message and letting me know i have a question on here. See the answer below. If that does not answer it please let me know. Best, Dan

@anvilgreenman

6 жыл бұрын

Michelle Lindsey family farm and home sells it by the inch

@knowledgeispower6192

6 жыл бұрын

You can purchase the hose from Home Depot or Lowe's. Check the plumbing area. They sell it by the foot on big rolls. Little tip...if the hose is too cold it will be too stiff and won't contur to the area you need it to. Try warming it up by laying it in the sun for a while. Be careful if it gets too warm it will be too malleable and will kink up like a garden hose and that's not good either. Good luck

And how do you know when it is dense packed and when to stop the pumping? Does the machine make specific noise when that's happening?

@danthomsen811

5 жыл бұрын

Chef, you learn with experience. The material does not move as freely through the hose when the wall gets to the dense pack stage and the machine does make a different sound as it becomes more difficult to fill the wall. If you push it too far the drywall will bulge or break so practice as much as you can.

is it possible to drill the wall from above and blow out the insulation without breaking the vapor barrier ?

Any issues if the house has knob and tube wiring in the walls that get the blown in insulation?

@danthomsen811

3 жыл бұрын

Mickey, thanks for your question and sorry for the delayed response. Issac is correct below that the cloth covering on the wiring is really brille and if it has not broken off yet it would under dense packing conditions. It would need to be replaced before andy wall fills are done.

how does this work with old fiberglass insulation, if you you want to just add to it and not remove it?

If there is old fluffy pink roll style insulation in the wall, what's the best strategy for removing it before blowing in cellulose? Could it be extracted through the hole used to blow in the cellulose?

@danthomsen811

4 жыл бұрын

Bobby, Thanks for your question. I answered this a few months ago but here it is again. In California Energy code did not start until 1978 so most homes older than that don't have insulation in the wall. If you have really old insulation it has probably started to fall apart at this point. Dense packing the wall will compress what is in there with the new insulation. If it is a more modern home you can cut a six inch or so strip of drywall across the wall and pull out the batt insulation but that is rarely cost-effective. Best of luck with your project.

@mrbbizzle

4 жыл бұрын

@@danthomsen811 thanks so much! I hope blowing the insulation on top will work out like you suggested. Really appreciate it! Cheers!

@danthomsen811

4 жыл бұрын

@@mrbbizzleMake sure they put the hose all the way down the wall cavity and before not to blow the plaster or drywall off the wall since you have less volume of space now. Best of luck with your project.

I have drilled and filled many houses.. if your not able to drill the outside, you can come inside and drill the drywall. Keep the plugs you drill out . Then run a bead of caulk around the edge and stick it in the hole .after the insulation of course..then you can mud and sand paint. Or you can hide it under a trim crown molding, chair rail. Whatever

@Buildingdoctors

6 жыл бұрын

Lathe and plaster do not always leave behind a perfect plug after it has been drilled. We have found it is more cost effective to use the foam plug but your method could work too. Thanks for the input.

Have 3 problems (all may be related). Appreciate your suggestion. 1. Noise from upstairs neighbor. I can here every step. With Shelter in place, it got worsen. We can here their conversation too sometimes :( 2. Road noise : our house is next to busy street. Windows are double plane. But it is not enough, especially night times some vehicles are too loud. 3. West side wall is too hot in day time.

@leoantonio

2 жыл бұрын

Move.

@straightshooter3693

Жыл бұрын

@@leoantonio...THAT IS NOT FUNNY, BE POSITIVE !

@duststorm2699

6 ай бұрын

New windows. I used Window World. I can't hear garbage truck, barely hear a motorcycle

@rsmith02

27 күн бұрын

Is there wall insulation?

Man I wish I could have had the builders of my house insulate the garage for the extra few hundred bucks. Caught it too late in the build and now i have hollow walls in my garage that now has an HVAC system. Got the door insulate and about to do the ceiling but not sure I want to cut all these holes in my walls what a pain in the ass.

@Buildingdoctors

6 жыл бұрын

Jay, this might be one the cases where it would be less expensive to pull the drywall off and properly install batts the put the drywall back up.

@JsGarage

6 жыл бұрын

Building Doctors Yea that is exactly what I was afraid of lol. I think you’re right.

Is it possible to do fill up cinder block walls with this?

@RenKnight347

3 ай бұрын

There would be two potential issues.... First, how can it be determined that the cinder block wall cavity is completely and densely packed enough to achieve a good R - value throughout all of the seasonal changes? And, if that wasn't enough of a task to figure out, what if the cinder block foundation is exposed to moisture in any way? By introducing a wood based product like cellulose insulation, which by the way is one of the ingredients that mold fungi spores need in order to feed and continue to replenish itself. Mold attacks and feeds off of wood studs which is one of the reasons why some folks prefer using metal framing studs in their building construction projects. The other ingredient it requires is the moisture itself. Well, if that wall has any moisture in it and you were to introduce a potential paper/wood source as a food source for any mold spores that could be present then the problematic conditions could be more expensive to repair if no pre-work inspections were not carried out. If you don't know what the status of your cinder block wall is just pouring in cellulose insulation might be a recipe for an epic disaster!

The first thing when a salesman comes to sell you an insulation ask him how their workers are paid. As paid by piece, do not take that company because those workers have to run to earn money and do not have time to devote quality. Take companies that pay workers per hour. You'll get a much better job

@danthomsen811

6 жыл бұрын

This is great advice, thanks.

@daddybear7062

5 жыл бұрын

I’ve Seen plenty of hourly employees and salary employees who completely slacked off and take shortcuts so they can have extended lunches and watch Netflix on their phone, I’ve also met piece rate employees who Are stellar at their work and have to go back and fix their mistakes so they do it right the 1st time.

@meep6188

5 жыл бұрын

Not necessarily true. I do gutters, siding and decks, I get paid by the job and take great pride in my work and do my best on every job.

@dylanfenimore9160

4 жыл бұрын

As an insulation foreman I get paid 18 an hour and we all get a piece rate at 5 cents a sq ft for fb glass batts. But I'm not allowed to make mistakes or let others make them. So it makes for good work. Plus makes the crew work faster over all, especially when I put the most in and get the biggest cut. It makes people wanna get better or I'll make them go back and fix it

@stevereisman6872

4 жыл бұрын

I own an insulation company and I don't agree entirely with that. If the workers are paid green cash, THAT is what you want to avoid. You want a good job, your best bet is to hire a licensed contractor who has legit documented workers, beyond that look at their reviews: any contractor with high ratings will want to do anything to fiercely defend and keep those ratings so it creates a degree of accountability. Truth be told, a chain is only as strong as it's weakest link and when it comes to workers, we're not exactly talking about college graduates (or even High School) when it comes to this trade. Truth is, you probably won't even meet the workers until you've signed the contract and schedule the work, your best bet is to supervise the guys and also maybe bring them some drinks.....be friendly and nice and hopefully they'll want to impress you and do a good job for you. One thing I can tell you; the homeowners who grind, haggle and talk down to workers in a nasty manner....I wouldn't count on them getting the best job.

As cheaply build as homes are today would not the pressure of the dense pack pop the sheet rock of the walls?

@Buildingdoctors

6 жыл бұрын

James, I addressed this previously in the thread but this is what I wrote: " You are absolutely correct of about the potential of bulging the walls. We still have that issue with lathe and plaster as well. If it was not installed well it can pop out as well. Training and practice of listening to the machine and how much insulation is coming out of the hose is key. We made this video to show the benefits of dense packing wall insulation and not as much as an instructional video of how to do it. Thanks for the feedback." Hope that covers it

@Buildingdoctors

6 жыл бұрын

Also, if the drywall is installed to code with the right amount and ration of drywall screws it should stay in place. Keywords there are "if it is to code".

@edwardpadilla7543

5 жыл бұрын

Houses built today are way better built than 50 years ago.

@Redguard-Nazeem

4 жыл бұрын

@@edwardpadilla7543 not in my experience

@rsmith02

27 күн бұрын

What part of the country? Lots of hastily built homes in the early post war period.

Do you guys insulate houses. My house needs new insulation

WHERE DO YOU FIND THOSE HOSE ATTACHMENTS AT?

I am going to dense pack the ceiling above my garage with cellulose, but there are some existing fiberglass batts there. Should I remove the fiberglass batting first, or just dense pack the cellulose with the fiberglass batting already there?

@williamtyler6299

5 жыл бұрын

Brian Klein , same here.. Did you get a reply/answer??

@brianjklein

5 жыл бұрын

@@williamtyler6299 No, haven't gotten an answer. I think I might remove them to use them elsewhere, because once they are compressed by the cellulose they will not be doing much good.

@danthomsen811

5 жыл бұрын

Brian, so sorry for the delay in answering your question. For some reason, I didn't get the alert about your message. I would never dense pack cellulose in a closed ceiling cavity. You need to have some air movement in there to prevent mold growth. You can have nails that go through into the attic area and you can get condensation drips on those nail tips. That moisture can build up in an attic area and one of my only complaints of cellulose is that it absorbs water. Loose fill fiberglass does not absorb water. I would lose fill that attic area with fiberglass. Don't dense pack it and it is fine to leave the fiberglass batt in there. If you have any other questions, please let me know. Best

@danthomsen811

5 жыл бұрын

@@williamtyler6299 See the answer above and sorry for missing your question too.

@rsmith02

27 күн бұрын

Is there a house above the garage or is it the roof?

Can you do this on walls they may already have insulation but poor insulation?

@rsmith02

27 күн бұрын

Yes, it compresses existing insulation.

I would like to know if this can be done from the outside on brick veneer to fill the void between the brick and the 3/4 to 1" foam board. They do it in Europe all the time, I have not found a single contractor that knows what I'm talking about or willing to take the risk of popping the sheetrock. I have literally shown them that is not an issue. In my garage you can see the foam board on the outside of the studs. It would be impossible.

@johnpyle8027

5 жыл бұрын

I appreciate the reply and am not sure what was poorly worded or worth bringing it up. Maybe I should have gone into more detail. My specific problem is that the part of the house I am trying to insulate is a large bump out on the front of my house with a fireplace running up through the middle. There are 3 walls, each with double windows that take up nearly the entire wall. Very good windows that show almost zero thermal heat loss. Meaning that there is a king stud and a jack stud on both side of each window that are so close to each corner that those corners CAN NOT be insulated with anything, not to mention the header above each window, there may be 2" between each set of windows that can be insulated in any conventional way. As far as the drain plain you speak of, that was taken care of when I laid the bricks and nailed felt/tar/roofing paper to the foam board as I went up and left weep joints in the bottom course. I am almost in a situation that I would have to remove the drywall and nail foam board inside to the studs, apply the moisture barrier and sheet rock over all of it and extend my window jambs and replace all the trim. I have seen black beads of insulation about the size of a BB that look very slick, I am not sure if they would absorb or retain water. We have poured pearlite in block cavities that don't have weep holes for 40 years without a complaint.

@johnpyle8027

5 жыл бұрын

It is a tough situation all the way around. Plus on one side where it juts out from the house before the windows start there is a duct in the outside wall. It shows pure blue on the meter! The only plus is the house is an earth contact home and easy to maintain temperature in the summer. I would just sell it, but I built in in 93 and the 5 acres it is on was $16k and it is 15 minutes to our airport, my job and the city. If I could find a lot like this now it would cost $300k. I can play with some ducting and insulation this summer and maybe put a stove in my fireplace and see how it goes next winter. A stove in that fireplace would probably run me out of the house.

@danthomsen811

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for the message, John. It takes a lot of practice to be able to dense pack walls without popping off the drywall or more likely the lathe and plaster. We drill 2.5-inch holes so we have plenty of room to slide the hose to the top and bottom of the wall cavity. That would be impossible with the brick veneer scenario you suggested. There are some companies that use a liquid foam to fill walls but I have heard this is not a great solution because it leaves air pockets. Hope this helps, Best

@johnpyle8027

5 жыл бұрын

It would never touch the drywall. There is about an inch of foamboard on the exterior studs and then felt paper. I laid the bricks and never thought the 2x6s so close together would be a big deal. I honestly think the only way to fix my situation with the bank of 2x6s all the way around that bump out and windows is to take off the drywall and put up foamboard, tape the joints, staple up a vapor barrier and cover the foamboard with drywall. I'd have to extend the window Jambs 2 1/2 inches, but if I want to be warm I think that's the solution.

Looking to get a quote from someone in my area who would you recommend for this

@rsmith02

27 күн бұрын

Look for BPI accredited firms.

This is a great video. Do you think dense packing a shared common wall in one side of a duplex would help alleviate some of the vibrational sounds? I have a nightmare tenant about to move out of the other side and am considering this once it's vacant, but thinking of only doing that side. Thank you!

@marcosvalles6995

Жыл бұрын

You could but the only problem with dense packing is, you don’t really know if the wall cavity is being filled to the top. This video makes it look simply because there’s a transparent wall and the installer can see everything clearly. If you decide to do this, I would recommend reenforcing the walls with screws on both sides. The high pressure and weight could cause your drywall to push or crack.

what is better soundproofing fibreglass or cellulose

@danthomsen811

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Ryan, thanks for your comment. I hate using the word " soundproofing" because it can't be done with insulation. I like calling is sound dampening. SOmething to slow down the sound waves going through the wall. The denser the better. Since we dense-pack cellulose to 3.5 lb per cubic foot compared to fiberglass at 2.2 lbs per cubic foot cellulose wins.

The clear tubing they'are using in this video is round. All the clear tubing at the stores near me were wound so tight on the reels that they were squashed half flat. I'm pouring hot water in the tubing with the bottom end plugged and hanging it from the ceiling to try to make it round again. What a pain!

@danthomsen811

5 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your message. That type of tubing is not rigid enough for inserting in the walls. Try some braided tubing. We buy our here: jrproductsinc.com/product/1-i-d-reinforced-braided-wall-insulation-tubing/

Is this the best sound proofing method?

@danthomsen811

3 жыл бұрын

Christian, thanks for your question and sorry for the delayed response. I just answer this above when someone asked what is the better insulation choice. Here is what I wrote. I hate using the word " soundproofing" because it can't be done with insulation. I like calling is sound dampening. SOmething to slow down the sound waves going through the wall. The denser the better. Since we dense-pack cellulose to 3.5 lb per cubic foot compared to fiberglass at 2.2 lbs per cubic foot cellulose wins.

Does this form of insulation do well with sound deadening? I have an old condo that has no insulation in the walls. I really just wanna tear down the drywall and put in bats of rock wool, but am dreading the hard work of removing drywall and reinstalling new stuff and then mud and taping while living in it.

@danthomsen811

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks, for the questions. I have answered this before but anything inside the wall will slow down the sound waves. The denser the product the more slowing of the sound waves. Rockwool is defiantly one of the best products but you do have to remove the drywall and that is a huge job. YOu can also look at adding a layer of Quiet Rock on the inside with a small air gap between the two sheets. We have had great results with this product. But you will never regret adding r-value to a wall assembly that has no insulation. Best of luck with your project.

@Heliosvector

3 жыл бұрын

@@danthomsen811 wouldn’t adding “quiet rock on the inside” still require the current drywall to be taken out? And yeah I guess any insulation would help. I would just hate to spend thousands on blown in if I knew it wouldn’t satisfy me and I should have gone the rock wool events from the start.

@danthomsen811

3 жыл бұрын

@@Heliosvector You would add the quiet rock as a second layer on the inside. Google the product and how to install it. However, you should consider insulating the exterior walls first.

@Heliosvector

3 жыл бұрын

@@danthomsen811 oh you mean inside as in interior walls.

Size of hole, and size of tube OD?

@danthomsen811

5 жыл бұрын

Hi Kevin, thanks for your questions. To give us a little more space to move the hose around during the dense packing stage we drill a 2.5 inch hole and tapper the blowing hose down to a 1.5 inch hose. depending on where you live you can get winter grade and summer grade hose for more flexibility. Hope that helps. Happy New Year.

I only do dense pack in the pink insulation. I fill that hole up until its pouring back out.

How much would this cost for a 1200 sq foot home in Southern California in 2022?

How do you know when the wall is full. In the video you could see your test. In a house you do not have this.

@Buildingdoctors

6 жыл бұрын

It takes lots of practice. Listening to the blowing machine, watching how much insulation is going through the hose feeling the resistance from the blowing tube in the wall.

@Retsam03

6 жыл бұрын

In other words you don't "know" your guessing. Granted with a lot of practice it becomes an educated guess, but still a guess.

@Buildingdoctors

6 жыл бұрын

No, it is not a guess. It is actually really simple math. Determine what the volume of your wall cavity is and that will determine home much insulation needs to go into that wall. We provide a bag count for all of our homeowners after the job is done. Before we start each job we have a 2-foot square box that we fill then weigh to make sure we have the setting correct on the machine. It's is the beauty of measured home performance. We don't guess we test.

@Retsam03

6 жыл бұрын

But that isn't what you said the first time. What you wrote says guessing! "Practice" "Feel" and "Watching how much" THAT IS GUESSING! It's no different then the mechanic's I inspect doing a job on the aircraft we work on when they are torquing a bolt "Practice" "Feel" and "Watching how much" the wrench turns gets the torque close. But then we use a torque wrench to get it correct. I just commented from what you said.

@Buildingdoctors

6 жыл бұрын

You are right, I should have given you the longer explanation. I had answered a few questions previously from people who asked how do we prevent the drywall from popping. I cut and pasted the first response from that. It is all about the bag count and what the volume of the wall is and the product used.

My question is if you're doing this in a older home how do you get the old before adding this new stuff?

@Buildingdoctors

4 жыл бұрын

Leonel, Thanks for your question. In California Energy code did not start until 1978 so most homes older than that don't have insulation in the wall. If you have really old insulation it has probably started to fall apart at this point. Dense packing the wall will compress what is in there with the new insulation. If it is a more modern home you can cut a six inch of so strip of drywall across wall and pull out the batt insulation but that is rarely cost effective.

@dylanfenimore9160

4 жыл бұрын

You dont have to get out the old stuff. If you have vermiculite it's best to get it tested for asbestos. They will pay something like 5000 dollars to help remove it. But typically if it's not disturbed it's not an issue. You cant really blow in new insukation in wall bays that have it. The hose doesnt push it out of the way so it's usually skipped over unless it's high in the section of wall, where it can take a little

@Buildingdoctors

4 жыл бұрын

@@dylanfenimore9160Fenimore thanks for your input. Out here in California vermiculite is extremely rare. I have only found it in a few homes in the fireplace and not in the attic. I have never heard of walls being filled with vermiculite back "in the day" but anything is possible. There are testing labs that can test to see what is in the sample you send them with results in 24hrs or less at a cost of less than $25 per sample.

@dylanfenimore9160

4 жыл бұрын

I lead insulation systems of maine. A lot of balloon framed house has it somewhere. Typically the skinny wall bays. Although a bathroom remodel I did had an entire wall section of it come out when the wall came off. And when found in attics it's usually underneath cellulose or batting and may or may not be found throughout the entire attic or just a section. Really nasty stuff.

@Buildingdoctors

4 жыл бұрын

@@dylanfenimore9160 that is true that a balloon framed home with vermiculite would have some drop in the wall cavity. Extremely rare here in our housing stock but definetly a possibility somewhere else.

The explanation for dense packing technique needs to be explained in excruciating detail. What does 'unite the hose' mean? We need more details on how to work the hose.

I was under the assumption that cellulose should stay fluffy, as compacting it causes it to lose its insulating abilities

@danthomsen811

3 жыл бұрын

Alec, Thanks for your question. Yes, you are correct you can overpack the wall too much that is why the target 3.5 lbs per cubic foot. There is a slight reduction in the r-value but with the added air sealing that comes from a dense-packed wall, I am great with that combination. We train our installers on a practice wall first to get a feel for the technique and to weigh their results to get good at it first before going into the field. Hope that answers your question.

Can I rent this type of equipment?

@danthomsen811

4 жыл бұрын

Kal-El, Thanks for your message and sorry for the delayed response. I have never found a place that you can rent this type of equipment. The machines that the big box stores let you use when you buy loose-fill cellulose or fiberglass from them don't have a big enough blower for the dense packing technique. You can look up contractors in your area at www.bpi.org and look for Gold Star contractors. They have the highest amount of training in energy efficiency measures. Sorry I could not be more helpful.

Better to just take plaster walls down insulate and put up drywall?

@danthomsen811

4 жыл бұрын

Kenzie, thanks for your questions and it's a really good one. The answer is it all depends. In the bigger scheme of things lathe and later will always crack so if you remove it completely and net and blow the walls with insulation then add new drywall you will be better off in the long run. However, it had a great expense to the job because you have to demo the wall, which means a dumpster fee, you will have to remove molding, then insulate the wall, add the drywall, tape compound, sand, texture and paint then add the molding bac. Don't forget if you want it all to match you will have to do the interior walls as well. This becomes a super intrusive job and extremely expensive. You have a big decision on your hands. Let me know if you have any other questions. Best, Dan

Anyone that does the dense fill method you can recommend in the bay area?

@danthomsen811

3 жыл бұрын

Hi Angel, thanks for the comment and sorry for the delayed response. The best Home performance contractor in the Bay Area is ecoperformancebuilders.com/ ask for Keith and tell him, Dan, from Building Doctors said to call. Best of luck with your project.

@MacLaw3084

3 жыл бұрын

@@danthomsen811 thanks alot, Dan. I’ll definitely be giving them a call.

With the music i fell like im in Spain 🇪🇸 lol or in an elevator lol

@danthomsen811

5 жыл бұрын

Ha, I have never thought about it before but you are correct. Thanks for watching.

@SatanenPerkele

4 жыл бұрын

Roflmao I can't unhear it now!

So then you have a bunch of drywall to patch?

@rsmith02

27 күн бұрын

Or go from the outside and remove siding.

I have checked the three places in town that rent the blower, and not a single one, including Home Depot can supply the plugs! If you can help with that, I will be ready to go! Thanks

@danthomsen811

6 жыл бұрын

Mike, thanks for your message. They are hard to find locally but here is a good source that will ship them out the same day. www.jrproductsinc.com/search?q=plugs

@davidjessee7701

6 жыл бұрын

Mike Banks what kind of exterior siding do you have? What I do is if it's a vinyl siding house, I pull off the top peace of siding, and pull off the siding below the windows.. I have a 2'1/2 hole saw, after I have drilled all the holes and blown all the insulation, I come back and take the peaces that I drilled out , look like hocky pucks. Then I run a bead of caulk around the puck and stick it in the whole then replace the siding.. or you can use gorrilla tape to put the pucks in.. won't be seen behind the siding..

@jeanalexandre1105

6 жыл бұрын

Mike Banks just used a 3 inch hole bit on your drill.

@Buildingdoctors

6 жыл бұрын

We don't have any vinyl siding homes here in the LA area. Mostly stucco but some wood siding. We do use a 2 1/2 inch hole saw bit so we have room to move the hose around in the wall. We have also found that the majority of places tha rent blower their machines don't have a big enough blower to dense pack the insulation. Tough for the DYI person.

@Buildingdoctors

6 жыл бұрын

We tried a 3 inch hole but found it really time-consuming when it came to stucco patching.

Wouldn't dense packing reduce insulation?

@danthomsen811

3 жыл бұрын

Felix, thanks for your questions. I have answered that on here somewhere before but you don't want to overpack the walls. Our target is 3.5 lbs per cubic foot for cellulose and 2.2 lbs per cubic foot for fiberglass. The r-value e goes down a little bit compared to attic blows but not much. I would rather have the walls air sealed with them dense-packed with a tiny drop in r-value. Again, over packing the walls will decrease it even more.

What is the R value rating for dense pack vs non? It's the dead air space that does the insulating, so tight packing of any insulation reduces it effectiveness. There's a conceptual sweet spot on the density vs settling continuum for best results, but what is that?

@danthomsen811

5 жыл бұрын

Mitchell, Thanks for your message. The benefit of dense packing is not only that it won't settle later on and leave you with air pockets but there are also air sealing qualities as well. A dense packed wall prevents convention currents from happening inside the wall. Yes, the r-value drops slightly when dense packed but the desired compaction rate is 2.2 lbs per cubic square foot for fiberglass and 3.5 lbs per cubic foot for cellulose. Hope that helps, Dan

Im not sure this would be a good option for a home owner with OCD like me.. As I would need to make sure that insulation is really packed up inside the wall and not be able to see through... 😶

@Buildingdoctors

6 жыл бұрын

Ha, that might be true but that is what infrared cameras are for...to see inside the walls by the temperature differences.

Would have cool if he did from the other side since he wouldn’t have been able to see when it filled up

I'd be doing this myself. Hire contractor, he says WE DO DENSE PACK, in reality it cost him more due to it uses more. Put ANY contractor in that position, I have, and when they can short you, specially when there is no way for you to tell as in the inside of a wall and that contractor 99.9% of the time is going to lie out as ass telling you he is doing dense pack, so it is "more" expensive but in reality he is going to be filling the wall half ass'd and telling you oh ya it's "dense pack" baby so pay up. I'd just never pay a contractor to do this, your gonna get shorted and a half ass'd fill because LESS FILL = MORE PROFIT. Contractors are only second to car dealers on the "rip you off" scale but they do it with stuff they can short you and thus over charge you. Verify everything or get screwed. Last time I hired a good upstanding contractor with a steller reputation I caught him red handed lying to me. Paid for grading a hill side into a flat so I could build a shop. After he did the dozer work, and he did excellent on that, he said he brought in 11 dumptruck loads of gravel and proceeded to charge me for 11 loads. Unbeknownst to him I pointed my security cam down at the newly excavated flat and set it on continuas record. It recorded him bringing in 8 truckloads not 11 truckloads. I calculated the cost for 8 truck loads and cut his check for that amount. He hit the ceiling and argued he brought in 11 loads and said he would sue me. At that point I sent him a link to youtube where I uploaded the video for that day and said watch this you effin A-hole and I'll CRUSH YOUR ASS in court. Only thing I heard back from him is please take that down... please please please... I agreed if he brought in the rest of the gravel and got it done in the next 24 hrs. Stupid shit tard. AND... that was a fine upstanding contractor with AAA rating and "the best" reputation. They are all rip off artist who will short you every chance they get unless you figure out a way to outsmart them, I recommend video if possible. They cant refute that. ~

@davidjessee7701

6 жыл бұрын

Robert B not all contractors will rip you off

@Buildingdoctors

6 жыл бұрын

Wow, it sounds like you have had some bad luck with contractors. There are a few contractors in my area that claim they are dense packing but when I tell potential customers what to ask them about their technique all of those contractors fail. Many contractors lie but the numbers don't. There is a volume for each wall cavity and a specfic amount of insulation that will go in it. Ask for a bag count at the end of the job. Do your homework and check references.

@JoePJack1

6 жыл бұрын

I went through my local power company. They Sent a quality control inspector to verify the contractors work.

@Buildingdoctors

6 жыл бұрын

We have a program here in Southern California called the Energy Upgrade CA program that has a quality control aspect like you mentioned. It is very tough to prove walls have been dense packed but it can be done. Thanks for your input.

@knowledgeispower6192

6 жыл бұрын

I have personally installed preexisting home walls with cellulose for three different companies. Two of them did not dence pack, one did. The easiest way to tell if their doing it correctly is to watch them. The machine will start to backup, or stop flowing as it's time to pull the hose down. If this is not happening they are not dence packing.

Is it waterproof? Is it mold resistant? Good demonstration of cellulose insulation and its fireproof capabilities but not addressing any mold resistance potential, waterproofing qualities or possible soundproofing, if any at all is saying something. It is possible that you will not be getting your full bang for your buck if cellulose insulation faltered when other insulation methods can perform well enough against such potential hazards.

to rapeer this hole in plaster bords. it will cost same to put new bords and skim it

@Buildingdoctors

6 жыл бұрын

Sometimes that is true but it depends on the home and if it is empty or not. I answered the same question below but here it is again: Yes, that is absolutely an option but doing that on all of the exterior walls makes for an extremely large construction project and would take a long time and most homeowners would move out during the work period. We can do most homes in less than a week with minimal disruption. If you did remove the drywall.plaster we would recommend insulating the exterior walls with the net and blow technique since it is very difficult to install batts perfectly. Show less REPLY

Here's the problem with dense packing. The - value drops. If you use blow in fiberglass, it can extension loser. There by giving you a better r-valu. If you use recycled newspaper, then you'll have to packet hard.

@danthomsen811

5 жыл бұрын

Edward, Yes the r-value drops slightly but the desired compaction rate is 2.2 lbs per cubic square foot for fiberglass and 3.5 lbs per cubic foot for cellulose.

Yes but problem with this you don’t get plexiglass wall in the field. These are perfect conditions. Usually with old houses you get plaster walls with lot of crap inside

@danthomsen811

5 жыл бұрын

You are 100 percent correct. I mention that in the video. That is why you need to put the hose in those places to get the insulation there. It will not fall in place on its own with all of those things in the way that you mentioned. Best,

This is great, but we all know not all contractors or workers will do it correctly, and on a real house its near impossible to know if it was done correctly everywhere.

@danthomsen811

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your comment. You are absolutely correct. To be honest, most contracts in our area don't do blown-in wall insulation well at all. I tell customers to always ask how the company does their wall fills. Ask them to describe their techniques. If they don't use a hose inserted in the wall they are not dense packing. Period.

I notice there is NO SOURCE for the claim of a R 4 per inch for blown fiberglass. In my 28 yrs in the insulation buis I have NEvER seen ANY supporting documentation to this effect. MOST blown FG is at best a R 2.2 per inch.

@2awesome292

7 жыл бұрын

That R4 per inch is dense pack fiberglass. blown in attic is usually the R2.2/inch

@hotrodder62

7 жыл бұрын

when you COMPRESS FG it LOSES R value not gains.

@2awesome292

7 жыл бұрын

Why do you think there is R-11, R-13, and R-15 batts for 2x4 walls? Higher density fiberglass has higher R value than low density (please tell me you understand what density is...) up to a point ofc. The limit is ~3.8/inch or so in which point you are compressing an R38C batt into a 2x8 cavity, it get's expensive lol Compressing fiberglass increases R-value per inch but lower overall R-value, but it gives you more room to fit more insulation. For example: compressing an R-19 batt down to 3.5" nets you a R-15 batt

@danthomsen811

7 жыл бұрын

@hotrodder62 Not sure where you are getting your information from but here is a link to JM and their Spider Product. They claim r-4.2 per inch. www.jm.com/content/dam/jm/global/en/building-insulation/Files/BI%20Toolbox/BID-0204%20JM%20Spider%20Plus%20Sell%20Sheet.PDF Knauf makes a similar product as well with over r-4 per inch. www.knaufinsulation.us/sites/us.knaufinsulation.com/files/BI-BWJ-DS_12-15.pdf Please note that there is a huge difference between loose fill insulation blown into an attic and dense packing a wall with fiberglass to 2.2 pounds per cubic foot. Best,

@hotrodder62

7 жыл бұрын

Their CLAIMS and actual facts vary..besides that the glue( fluid delivery) has been known to break down via vapor transmission for years.. we stopped using it many yrs ago as well as bibs. they use the "fluid delivey as part of the FG R value NOT the glass solely btw

So the installer had a dust mask. But the ten people who helped remove the packed dust from the cavity had NONE. Bravo

What the hell, they showed it where their "dense pack" shows it's soft to the touch at the end but the directional one is denser??? Did they even review this video before posting it?

I did this method on a exterior wall years ago. If I ever did it again, I'd just rip out the drywall, put the regular roll insulation in, and put up new drywall. Much easier, better results, and roughly the same price.

@berengerchristy6256

Жыл бұрын

damn really?

For the skeptics here is a similar video involving the Montana State University extension program. Very similar results and no profit motive. kzread.info/dash/bejne/lZlhz69wgpSXfNI.html

@danthomsen811

3 жыл бұрын

Thanks for your comment, I am way behind on response. That is a great video and those folks in Montana know what they are doing.

Only problem with don't this is the fact that there is already insulation in the wall.

Dense packing reduces R value...

@Buildingdoctors

6 жыл бұрын

If you install the proper amount 3.5 pounds per cubic foot for cellulose and 2.2 pounds per cubic foot for fiberglass you will be fine. When it comes to fiberglass you need to make sure you are using the correct product. Not all loose-fill fiberglass products can be dense packed. If you pick the wrong one then your statement is correct that the R-valuse will go down when you dense pack.

@neilhoffman4818

5 жыл бұрын

Totally untrue Jake knelsen..... do your research and you will find just the opposite.

Just like it thru the net tf

Best way to remove air pockets......the thing that provides insulation.......

@Buildingdoctors

6 жыл бұрын

Yes, but you can't get the materials all the way up or down walls without putting the hose there due to chicken wire, Romex, conduit, junction boxes etc in the walls.

@neilhoffman4818

5 жыл бұрын

Wrongo bucko

That’s great when u can see what ur doing. But not real world.

@Buildingdoctors

6 жыл бұрын

Terry, we use the plexi-glass wall for training new employees so they will get a feel for the blowing hose, what the machine sound like as the wall gets more and more full. It also helps show people like yourself what happens inside a wall cavity when you insulate them. What is "real world" is the benefits of dense packing walls instead of the other techniques but thanks for your comment.

@terrylusk1266

6 жыл бұрын

Contractor for 30 years. There is no good way to do this. At all. It all settles over time. U know this.

@Buildingdoctors

6 жыл бұрын

There is one technique that is better than the other ones and that is dense packing the insulation either 3.5 lbs per cubic foot for cellulose or 2.2 lbs per cubic foot for fiberglass. It does not settle if you dense pack the wall. That is a fact.

@smarthome2660

6 жыл бұрын

I dense packed mine and it has been 5 years and I know for a fact that mine has not settled.

@knowledgeispower6192

6 жыл бұрын

If it's dence packed correctly like the video shows by a installer worth his salt it Will Not Settle.

9

@danthomsen811

3 жыл бұрын

On a scale of 1 to 10 I'll take a 9 all day long, thanks :)

just pull the sheetrock off

@Buildingdoctors

6 жыл бұрын

Yes, that is absolutely an option but doing that on all of the exterior walls makes for an extremely large construction project and would take a long time and most homeowners would move out during the work period. We can do most homes in less than a week with minimal disruption. If you did remove the drywall.plaster we would recommend insulating the exterior walls with the net and blow technique since it is very difficult to install batts perfectly.

@carl-annmcbean38

3 жыл бұрын

@@Buildingdoctors where are you all located? I'd be interested in a quite if near my area.

This only works if you can’t see what you’re filling until after. Like duh ??

Now you need to do this without see through plexiglass, and verify with removable wall, would be more realistic

@Buildingdoctors

4 жыл бұрын

Danny, thanks for the suggestion. That is actually how we train our new people. We have them fill the wall from the plywood side only then we let them see how they did on the plexiglass side. We shot the Plexiglass side so it would be more entertaining in the video. Thanks again for your suggestion.

think about the insulation as a thermal bridge, the more desner it is the more it will lead the cold from on side of the wall to the other. You should NEVER "dense pack" loose nor sheets of insulation. Insulation works by making air stationary. "The fluffier the better"

@Buildingdoctors

6 жыл бұрын

The research proves otherwise. The most important part is to make sure you don't dense pack beyond the manufactures recommendations. 3.5 pounds per cubic foot for cellulose and 2.2 for fiberglass.

@TheLoneRayven

6 жыл бұрын

Cause a light and fluffy blanket feels warmer than a thick wool one.

This stuff is a nightmare to work with when you need to remodel, fix a hole in drywall or do just about anything inside or around that wall. Fiberglass is still the best way.

@Buildingdoctors

6 жыл бұрын

If you watch the video all the way through you will see that the insulation stays in place in dense-packed wall when the wall is removed. With the other methods, the insulation falls out when those walls are opened which can be a mess. It is better to have a properly insulated air sealed wall for the next 20 years instead of an inferior product that is not installed well and is not airtight just so you might possibly have to open that wall up for drywall patching. That is very shortsighted.

@neilhoffman4818

5 жыл бұрын

Hahaha.... Fiberglass doesn't insulate worth a shit if you live in a cold climate.

@T6Tarek

4 жыл бұрын

@@Buildingdoctors I think most the negative comments are from people who are not in the trades professionally or have no idea of what reality is, I like how some people would rather sheet rock their entire house vs having a couple holes to patch and paint or do chair rail and wainscoting. You have these people that believe doing everything themselves is cheaper when the truth is they have no business doing half the crap they do.

@Buildingdoctors

4 жыл бұрын

@@T6Tarek I agree, 100 percent. The work that we do is super labor-intensive since we are all about attention to detail. what is that old saying? Do you want it cheap, fast or good? You can only get two out of three.

@T6Tarek

4 жыл бұрын

@@Buildingdoctors I tell people all the time when you hire the guy that says he can start tomorrow there is usually a issue and remember to redo woek is generally 2.5 times the original cost.

Hahahahahahaha

@Buildingdoctors

6 жыл бұрын

I am glad we could make you laugh!

Lol..

@Buildingdoctors

6 жыл бұрын

Mike, Not sure if you erased your original comment but I have never said to drill into the fireblock and there is no BIB to poke the nozzle through.

False advertisement even with the directional nozzle the insulation will dense pack, that’s why you drill a hole on top and one at the bottom smh

I can blow insulation like a muuu

Scrubs really?

@Buildingdoctors

6 жыл бұрын

Leroy, Well, we are called Building Doctors and there are a lot of sick homes out there so it all fit together perfectly. We actually have ambulances as our service trucks.

Never happens. Contractors shortcut everything

@danthomsen811

3 жыл бұрын

Sadly you are right that most contractors don't do it right. We do and take great pride in our work. I like to sleep well at night knowing we did the best job possible.

Does not burn and does not continue to burn are contradictory statements.

@Buildingdoctors

6 жыл бұрын

You are correct, thanks for pointing that out

Music ruins this video

@danthomsen811

3 жыл бұрын

Gary, You are welcome to your opinion but we had to use music that we had rights to and the choices were limited. I like it and that is all that matters. Weird that with over 400k views you are the only one to write that. This is a technical video to educate folks about dense packing walls. I think it does that well.

Why is environmentally friendly the top priority? All I care about is efficiency and cellulose doesn't stop airflow

Way too many holes

Fiberglass is a far better option.

This is a bunch of BS. My house had the old method used decades ago. When I bought it I remodeled the kitchen and had to removed this crap. It was fully packed and no settling. It will only settle if they don’t use enough with enough blower strength.

Its a hack way of insulating. Yea maybe good for someone that uses vinyl siding floating floors and partical board countertop over ikea cabinets. Might save enough to cover over your rotten shower with a poorly fit flimsy fiberglass hunk of crap and 3/4in of caulk

@Buildingdoctors

6 жыл бұрын

Mike, I am not sure of your point. Reseach shows that dense packing walls are absolutely the best way to insulate an existing wall cavity. Drill and filling any other way is what is "hack" and I have the data to prove it.

@ricomajestic

5 жыл бұрын

@@Buildingdoctors Where is the data? Give us a link.

@danthomsen811

5 жыл бұрын

@@ricomajestic Thanks for your message. What data are you looking for? I put quick pictures of the weights of the insulation in the three different bays. Let me know, Dan

😂 C’mon!! The guy barely pushed on the densely packed example compared to the other 2. Notice how little force he applies and his hand doesn’t wrinkle like on the other 2. Also, they don’t show the removal of the other 2, just the Dense one. What a total con job. Insulation is insulation. It settles so little over years that it is negligible. Don’t fall for this scam to get it “Densely Packed”. No such thing really. Makes zero difference.