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need to replace insulation

1K views 2 replies 2 participants last post by  listo 
#1 ·
the insulation in a couple walls needs to be replaced. im not even sure whats in there now. the house was moved here in 2006 so the basement's new and most of the walls upstairs mostly have newer batting insulation. But 1 room (babies room doh) has some older stuff. I don't know for sure whats in there but from the bottom seven inches thats open from the floor it looks like something that was wrapped in paper. The very bottom is completely empty so it's just some paper. and i cant reach anything going up so all i know it's just paper up the whole wall.
Anyway now with the question.
What's the best way (or easiest way) to replace the insulation? Will i be able to, or will i need to, pull the old stuff out from the bottom? would spray foam work? will i need to tear off all the drywall (and there's a layer of boards under the drywall) and replace it all? Or would a loose fill insulation work(could they pump that in from the bottom or would we need to make holes near the roof)
Sorry for the lenghty explination and the many questions.
Thank you for the help.
 
#2 ·
I'd say it depends on your ambition and budget.

My wife and I are in the middle of remodeling our stairway and landings. We started by ripping off the ugly wood paneling and then knocking off some of the plaster. We weren't sure if we wanted to rip down the lath boards or not, but I was skeptical about whether or not there was insulation, and if there was, how good or bad it was. We decided to knock down a small area of it to see what was behind it, and I'm glad we did. There was some blown in insulation but it was incredibly spotty. The spots that did have it were ok, but there were huge gaps - some just a few inches, and others were several foot gaps with no insulation at all. So we decided to knock down all the lath boards and pull out the nails (ugh) but in the end we were glad we did it. Fiberglass batts aren't too expensive, we got about 100sqft worth for under $30. While you're at it you could also re-do the wiring if it needs it.

Personally after going through what we've been through in the last couple weeks, I would either knock down the walls or do nothing at all. If you do it that way you'll know exactly what you have and where it is, and it feels darn good to know that.
 
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