The crew was in and out in two days, and the only real evidence was a few patched spots on the walls
That lines up with what I’ve seen—blow-in cellulose is usually a 1-3 day job for most homes, depending on square footage and access. One thing I’d add: if you’ve got knob-and-tube wiring, some insulation crews will want an electrician to sign off first. That can slow things down a bit. Otherwise, yeah, it’s way less invasive than demoing plaster. The dust from a full rip-out gets everywhere, no matter how careful you are.
The dust from a full rip-out gets everywhere, no matter how careful you are.
I get what you mean about blow-in being “way less invasive than demoing plaster,” but I actually found the patchwork after cellulose a little annoying. The spots never matched my old paint quite right. Demo is messy, but at least you can start fresh, you know?
I hear you on the patching—matching old paint is trickier than people think, especially if the walls have aged or faded over time. But I’d argue that even with demo, you’re still dealing with a ton of finishing work. New drywall isn’t always a magic fix for blending with existing trim or floors, and the waste from all that plaster isn’t great for the landfill either. For me, minimizing material waste and keeping as much of the original structure as possible usually tips the scale toward blow-in. Just wish there was a better solution for those patchy spots...
I get where you’re coming from about keeping the original structure, but honestly, I’ve had some blow-in jobs turn into a bit of a mess too. Maybe it’s just my luck, but I ended up with a bunch of settling and cold spots a year later. Patching is a pain, no doubt, but at least with new drywall you know exactly what’s behind the wall. I guess it’s a trade-off either way... just depends on how much hassle you’re willing to deal with down the road.
I hear you on the blow-in insulation turning into a headache. Had a client once who thought it’d be a quick fix—just poke some holes, fill ‘er up, patch and paint. Fast forward a couple winters, and they were calling me about cold drafts in the corners and weird lumps in the walls. Turns out, some of the old lath and plaster had gaps that let the cellulose settle way more than we expected.
On the flip side, ripping out all the old drywall or plaster is a whole other can of worms. You get to see what’s going on back there (sometimes more than you bargained for—hello, ancient mouse nests), but then you’re dealing with disposal, dust everywhere, and usually some surprises with wiring or plumbing.
Honestly, I lean toward less demo if the structure’s solid and you can air-seal decently. But yeah, it’s always a gamble. Sometimes you win, sometimes you’re patching holes and cursing under your breath... just depends how much chaos you’re willing to invite into your life for that R-value boost.