Loose Fill Insulation Hollick-Kenyon

Loose-fill insulation in Hollick-Kenyon, measured rather than estimated

Blown-in material fills the awkward parts of an Hollick-Kenyon building that batts leave gapped — around cross-bracing, over the top plates of interior walls, into the shallow triangle at the eaves. It settles over time, which is why it is specified at a settled depth rather than the depth it looks on the day. Air sealing comes first, because loose material laid over an open ceiling penetration hides the leak instead of stopping it.

• Depth read back at the corners, not just where the hatch is
• Even coverage carried right out over the top plates
• Baffles at the eaves so soffit venting stays clear
• Settled depth specified and marked before the hose starts
• Existing material assessed — topped up, or removed if it is wet or contaminated
• Ceiling penetrations air-sealed first, not buried

Loose Fill Insulation Hollick-Kenyon

Topping up what is already there

Hollick-Kenyon drywall in context

Access, hoses and how much of the house we cross

Knob-and-tube and older wiring

Loose-fill or batts, decided on the space

Pot lights buried in loose material

The hatch, again, because it undoes the rest

Simple, clean, on schedule — Drywall in Edmonton

Loose Fill Insulation Hollick-Kenyon: your questions answered

Do you seal before blowing?

Yes, and it is the step most often skipped. Loose material laid over an open ceiling penetration hides the leak rather than stopping it, and the warm moist air coming through is what wets the insulation from inside.

Can I still store things in the attic?

Only over a raised platform. Anything laid straight on the joists compresses the material and cuts a thin channel through the middle of the ceiling. Otherwise a fully insulated attic is not also a storage room.

Does loose-fill settle?

Yes, which is why it is specified at a settled depth rather than how it looks on the day. A job blown to look right can measure short a year later. We work to the published settled figure and mark it before starting.

How messy is it?

Dusty — the machine sits outside and a hose runs through the house to the hatch. We protect the route, seal around the hatch and vacuum afterwards. What the house looks like at the end is most of the difference between crews.

Will it block my soffit vents?

Not if baffles go in first. Loose material can also be pushed around by wind at the eaves, so the baffles both hold it clear of the vents and stop the edge being scoured thin — which is exactly where the house loses heat.

Will it make the house quieter?

It noticeably reduces airborne noise from outside — traffic, aircraft, neighbours. It does very little for footsteps from a floor above, which travel through structure, and we would rather say which half it fixes.