But loose-fill insulation makes the job much easier.
Blown-in from a machinelocated on the ground, loose-fill insulation is often a better choice.
Plus, the machine can be rented on a do-it-yourself basis.
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Read on to learn blown-in insulation machine rental basics.
Loose fill insulation is insulation that comes in small pieces rather than large rolls or batts.
Loose-fill insulation conforms to the objects under and around it.
In addition, attics are hard to access.
For many homes, a door barely 18 inches square permits access to the attic.
That’s where loose-fill blown-in insulation comes in.
It is possible to shake outinsulationby hand into attic joist cavities.
This is done on a small scale when you oughta add insulation to neglected areas.
But it’s impractical on a larger scale and the results are less than perfect.
Loose fill delivery is far easier and coverage is more consistent if you use a blower.
Also, because cellulose insulation comes tightly packed in bags, the blower separates the insulation for you.
By hand, this is difficult to do properly.
Home improvement stores sometimes require that you purchase the insulation as part of the blower rental package.
you’re able to receive a reduced rental rate on the blower with the purchase of the insulation.
The first number refers to blower rental with no accompanying purchase of insulation from that store.
Renting vs. Purchasing an Insulation Blower
Should you rent or buy an insulation blower?
For most do-it-yourselfers, the answer is clear: rent.
Top-quality blowers have a large capacity and enormous speed.
For example, the Heat-Seal 5500, pushes between 82 to 135 bags per hour of cellulose or fiberglass.
Contractor-grade blowers often exceed 1,500 pounds, with dimensions of 6 feet by 4 feet.
Purchase costs from manufacturers like Meyer and Heat-Seal, Inc. range from $13,000 to $16,000.
But not all insulation blowers are this pricey.
Intec is one manufacturer that makes more cost-effective insulation blowerswith lower capacity and volume specs.
Intec Force 1 is typically found as a rental at home centers.
The Intec Force/2 has a 50-pound or 8 1/2 cubic.
This model can push out over 2,000 pounds ofcellulose insulationor 428 pounds of fiberglass insulation per hour.
Higher-capacity insulation blowers have gas-powered engines; the Intec model runs off of two 20 amp household circuits.
