My son recently purchased an old home in Minnesota, and we just found out that there's no insulation in the walls. The house is a small story-and-a-half, about 1000 square feet. I'm hoping to hear from anyone with experience in this area who can share insights on the costs and any tips related to insulation installation.
2 Answers
I recommend considering whether to wait on insulation until you replace the siding or plaster, since you’ll need to open the walls for that anyway. Blown-in cellulose is an option if you’re trying to avoid opening up the walls completely, but it can settle and sometimes doesn’t fill the wall space completely. If you do end up replacing the siding, adding foam board insulation underneath could provide extra insulation.
I dealt with a similar situation in the Midwest. For my house, I went with blown-in cellulose insulation, and it cost me around $2 to $3 per square foot. It really helped keep the house warm during winter! Just make sure you get a local quote since prices can vary by region.
Thanks for the advice! I'm leaning towards blown-in insulation since I don’t want to open the interior walls. I mentioned the siding because I’m worried about the look of the plugs they leave. I guess I’ll have to get some estimates and might even try doing it myself since I have some construction experience!