The prep—moving boxes, laying boards—took almost as long as blowing in the cellulose.
That bit about moving stuff hits home. Last spring, I did a job on a 1920s bungalow and swear we spent more time hauling old trunks and mystery boxes than actually putting down insulation. Folks always picture the “dirty work” as the hard part, but honestly, half the battle is just clearing a path. And yeah, those random attic surprises... found an old bird’s nest once that looked like it belonged in a museum.
Yep, clearing out an attic in an old place is a job in itself. When we did ours, I swear the actual insulation part felt like a break after lugging out boxes of ancient magazines and a broken Victrola. Never know what you'll find up there...
Ha, I totally get that—sometimes the “real” work is just clearing out all the old stuff before you even get to the insulation. When it comes to actually insulating an attic, I usually break it down into a few steps: first, check for any air leaks or gaps (those can really mess with your efficiency), then lay down or install the insulation itself. If you’re using batts or rolls, it might take a weekend for an average-sized attic, but blown-in can go faster if you’ve got the right gear. Don’t forget to wear a mask and gloves—old attics are dusty and who knows what’s up there. Honestly, the prep and cleanup often take longer than the insulation part itself...
I hear you on the prep work—sometimes it feels like half the job is just moving boxes and dodging spiderwebs. I’d argue that if you’re doing a whole house, not just the attic, you’re looking at a much bigger time commitment. Walls are a pain, especially if you have to cut into drywall or deal with weird framing. I tried to DIY my crawlspace insulation last year and it took way longer than I thought, mostly because of tight spaces and awkward corners.
Blown-in is definitely faster for attics, but I found it gets messy fast if you’re not careful. And yeah, masks are a must—learned that the hard way after sneezing out dust for two days straight. If you’ve got a team or some friends helping, you can knock out most of a house in a long weekend, but solo? I’d budget at least a week, especially if you want to do it right and not rush through sealing up all those little gaps. It’s worth taking your time though—nothing beats that first winter with a properly insulated house.
Walls are a pain, especially if you have to cut into drywall or deal with weird framing.
That’s the part that always slows me down too—attics are messy but at least you’re not patching drywall after. Curious, did you end up air-sealing before insulating your crawlspace? I’ve found skipping that step can really undermine the whole project, but it adds a lot of time.
