Loose Fill Insulation Kinglet Gardens

Loose-fill insulation in Kinglet Gardens, measured rather than estimated

Blown-in material fills the awkward parts of an Kinglet Gardens 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.

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

Loose Fill Insulation Kinglet Gardens

Loose-fill or batts, decided on the space

Kinglet Gardens drywall in context

Access, hoses and how much of the house we cross

Storage areas and the platform question

Removing old loose-fill

Bath fans and the ducts above the ceiling

Weight on the ceiling below

Simple, clean, on schedule — Drywall in Edmonton

Loose Fill Insulation Kinglet Gardens: your questions answered

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.

What about my pot lights?

Older recessed fixtures are not all rated to be covered and loose-fill packs right against them. We check the rating, and where they are not rated they get a proper clearance detail that is also sealed, rather than being buried and hoped about.

How do I know I got what I paid for?

Bag count. Every bag states the area it covers at a given depth, so bags used divided by area is exactly what went in. We keep them, mark the target settled depth, and read the depth back at the corners rather than the middle.

What if you find old wiring?

If we find wiring that must not be covered, we stop and say so rather than blowing over it. That is an electrician's call, not ours, and it is a real reason a job gets paused rather than finished the same day.

How is old insulation removed?

With a vacuum and hose into sealed bags, not shovels, because disturbing decades of settled material raises a lot of dust. It also gives a clean deck to air-seal and a look at the structure before it is covered again.

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.