Time to replace attic insulation of a 50 yrs old house

Ranch · 07-02-2009, 01:57 PM

Hi I am new to this forum and appreciate any advice.

I recently bought a 50-year-old house in MD. The attic has about 8 inches of cellulose insulation, which is still fluffy and in light grey color. I am wondering if the insulation is still good after 50 years and if I should replace them before moving in. Any suggestion?

If they need be replaced, anyone knows where I can rent some equipments to remove the old and add new insulation? How much would it cost? After reading a lot of reviews and comparisons, I plan to stick on cellulose.

Also for insulation in the wall. The house is built with bricks, and I heard there is not much insulation in the wall. I am also planning to blow in some insulation. To do this, should I open a small hole in the drywall between every pair of studs to add insulation, or is there a good way to do it?

Any comment and suggestion is appreciated.

glennjanie · 07-02-2009, 02:46 PM

Welcome Ranch:
Your insulation is still good and doesn't need any attention. I would not worry about the walls; they probably have 3 1/2" of insulation in them which is all they can hold. Any additional insulation for the walls would include options like adding styrofoam to the inside and would not be worth the trouble.

You would be better served by looking to your windows, doors and other air leaks in the house. This can be easily discovered with an energy audit.

Glenn

Ranch · 07-02-2009, 03:14 PM

Thanks so much, Glenn.

Yeah, I will replace some doors since they have single pane. I am not worried about the windows as they are quite new. I guess after the 1st winter I will figure out others that need to be fixed or replaced.