I recently tore out part of my ceiling to fix some water damage, and now that I have the drywall back up, I need to replace the insulation. My attic is filled with blown insulation, but I'm wondering if I can install more of it manually without using a machine. I assume I can just fluff it up as I empty the bags, but I've never done this before. I only need to cover around 50-100 square feet, so is it feasible to do this by hand?
3 Answers
Technically, you can apply blown-in insulation by hand, but it's not recommended. The machines fluff the material to maximize its insulation value. If you try to do it manually, you'll end up with a really difficult and itchy job. You might think you can just break it apart and spread it around, but it will take a lot longer and probably won't perform as well. The machine does a great job of getting the right fluffiness which is crucial for insulation.
If renting a blower isn't an option for you, there are DIY solutions that might work, like using a shop vac or a leaf blower to fluff the insulation. Just make sure it's clean and suitable for handling insulation material, and you could do it that way instead! Just be careful with it.
You might want to consider renting a blower. Home Depot used to rent them for free if you bought a certain number of bags—like 10 or so. If you get a rental, you can not only fill the patch but also make sure the rest of your attic is well-insulated while you’re at it. It's really worth it if you can manage it!
Yeah, I measured my house, and I think it’ll take days or even weeks to fluff by hand if I'm doing it the hard way! Definitely seems like a time sink.