4/23/2013

Well, we have another block we can check off the build.  The insulators showed up this morning, and have been  hard at it all day.  We are using a product called Nu Wool Premium Cellulose Insulation.  Rather than trying to describe it here myself, I'll provide a link to check out the product: http://www.nuwool.com/footer/faq.aspx
It's applied within the walls with a pressure spray rig that mixes water with the cellulose to make it form and stick in every little crack and crevice.  The attic space will be blown in with the conventional dry method.  Because this is the first house they've done with full ten inch thick walls, they could not fill the cavity on the first pass.  They filled to about half today, will wait for the moisture level to decrease until Thursday, then fill the rest of the way.  The 2x6 wall between the house and garage was done in one pass.  Tomorrow they will do the basement walls and rim joists.  Thursday they will finish the main floor walls, and Friday they will blow the attic.
We've been using a 60,000btu multi-fuel shop heater to take the edge off when we've been working in the house on those cold days.  Even with the temperatures hovering in the 30's, the heater was only able to raise the temperature 10 or so degrees down at floor level.  Today, after only filling the exterior walls half way, that heater actually made it hot inside!  Combine that with the humidity from the wet blown insulation, and it actually got uncomfortably warm inside today.  When this place is done, we should be able to heat the house with little to no effort.

These are the folks making our house cozy.

This stuff is messy as all get-out to apply, but one sprays, and one vacuums it back into the hopper to recycle it back through the pumps.

Doing the basement stairwell 2x6 wall.  After it's pumped into the wall cavity, they have a special raking brush to shave it flush with the studs.