Loose Fill Insulation Royal Gardens

Loose-fill insulation in Royal Gardens — settled depth is what you are buying

Blown-in material fills the awkward parts of an Royal 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.

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

Loose Fill Insulation Royal Gardens

The material must not block the eaves

Royal Gardens drywall in context

Pot lights buried in loose material

The hatch, again, because it undoes the rest

Working in a cathedral or a low attic

Removing old loose-fill

Settled depth versus installed depth

Simple, clean, on schedule — Drywall in Edmonton

Loose Fill Insulation Royal Gardens: your questions answered

Cellulose or fibreglass?

Both work. Cellulose is denser, packs into odd shapes and resists air movement through it better; fibreglass is lighter, which matters on a ceiling of uncertain strength. Where there is existing material, matching it is usually simpler than layering the other over it.

My bathroom fan vents into the attic. Does that matter?

A great deal — it is the fastest way to soak an attic from inside. We look for it while the space is open and flag it before covering anything rather than blowing over the top of it.

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.

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 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.