I'm replacing the wall insulation in a free-standing one-room building
built in 1977. The studs are 13 inches apart, and the original
Kraft-batted fiberglass insulation is 13 inches wide. Can you still buy
13-inch wide fiberglass insulation anywhere?

And what about some of the other insulation options available, such as
polystyrene and Reflectrix -- are those worth looking into? Does
Reflectrix work on its own, or only in addition to something like
fiberglass?

Thanks!

On Apr 28, 10:31�pm, BZ wrote:
I'm replacing the wall insulation in a free-standing one-room building
built in 1977. *The studs are 13 inches apart, and the original
Kraft-batted fiberglass insulation is 13 inches wide. *Can you still buy
13-inch wide fiberglass insulation anywhere?

And what about some of the other insulation options available, such as
polystyrene and Reflectrix -- are those worth looking into? *Does
Reflectrix work on its own, or only in addition to something like
fiberglass?

Thanks!

use expanding foam, it costs more but is R6 per inch, the building
will be much quieter, since foam cuts air and noise infiltration a
lot.

"BZ" wrote in message
...
I'm replacing the wall insulation in a free-standing one-room building
built in 1977. The studs are 13 inches apart, and the original
Kraft-batted fiberglass insulation is 13 inches wide. Can you still buy
13-inch wide fiberglass insulation anywhere?

And what about some of the other insulation options available, such as
polystyrene and Reflectrix -- are those worth looking into? Does
Reflectrix work on its own, or only in addition to something like
fiberglass?

Owns Corning comes in 15 or 23" wide. Foam board will work, but it comes in
sheets and has to be cut. If you need 13", you won't get that easily from a
24" or 48" wide board.

Consider the spray in foam. Probably will cost a bit more, but would do a
very good job.

BZ wrote:

And what about some of the other insulation options available, such as
polystyrene and Reflectrix -- are those worth looking into? Does
Reflectrix work on its own, or only in addition to something like
fiberglass?

Have you considered blown fiberglass or damp cellulose?

--
"Tell me what I should do, Annie."
"Stay. Here. Forever." - Life On Mars

Rick Blaine wrote:

Have you considered blown fiberglass or damp cellulose?

Right now there are no walls, just bare studs, so I've been thinking of
some kind of lay-in insulation before having a drywall contractor come out.

Edwin Pawlowski wrote:

Consider the spray in foam. Probably will cost a bit more, but would do a
very good job.

That might be the way I have to go just because the other options would
be so labor-intensive. But my Googling says that this is a
professionals-only technique. I was hoping for a cheaper alternative.

On Apr 29, 12:26 am, BZ wrote:
Edwin Pawlowski wrote:
Consider the spray in foam. Probably will cost a bit more, but would do a
very good job.

That might be the way I have to go just because the other options would
be so labor-intensive. But my Googling says that this is a
professionals-only technique. I was hoping for a cheaper alternative.

The best is blown in foam, forget Reflextic. Foamboard
Polyisocyanurate R .7.2" is also an option. You will get a payback
with better insulation

"BZ" wrote in message
...
I'm replacing the wall insulation in a free-standing one-room building
built in 1977. The studs are 13 inches apart, and the original
Kraft-batted fiberglass insulation is 13 inches wide. Can you still buy
13-inch wide fiberglass insulation anywhere?

And what about some of the other insulation options available, such as
polystyrene and Reflectrix -- are those worth looking into? Does
Reflectrix work on its own, or only in addition to something like
fiberglass?

Thanks!

I have seen fiberglass insulation that has cuts every 2" or so for easy
tearing. All I remember about it is that it is white insulation, not pink.
No effect on performance.

Mike D.

The blown in place cellulose is the best way to go. Check out
http://www.centralfiber.com/cellins.shtml for the facts.

--
Steve Barker




"BZ" wrote in message
...
Rick Blaine wrote:

Have you considered blown fiberglass or damp cellulose?

Right now there are no walls, just bare studs, so I've been thinking of
some kind of lay-in insulation before having a drywall contractor come
out.

BZ wrote:

That might be the way I have to go just because the other options would
be so labor-intensive. But my Googling says that this is a
professionals-only technique. I was hoping for a cheaper alternative.

Not any more, assuming you are reasonably capable. I recently came across this:

http://www.tigerfoam.com/index.php

--
"Tell me what I should do, Annie."
"Stay. Here. Forever." - Life On Mars

According to BZ :
Rick Blaine wrote:

Have you considered blown fiberglass or damp cellulose?

Right now there are no walls, just bare studs, so I've been thinking of
some kind of lay-in insulation before having a drywall contractor come out.

How warm do you want it to be? About the cheapest, but still pretty
good, you could install 15" unfaced batts, and line the inside with
vapor barrier. That's better than Kraft faced batts. You'll
lose a small amount of R having to compress the batts slightly, but the
loss would be minimal.

Rockwool batts will give you a slight improvement in R, as well as
better sound deadening, and is easier to work with. Normally costs
the same as fiberglass.

Blow-in is likely to be more expensive, because you have to get the
walls up first, and then patch the injection holes, and you may
have problems with vapor barrier. If you were to go with blow-in,
I highly recommend blow-in rockwool over cellulose. Won't pack
even when wet.

There are forms of sprayed cellulose that might work without
having to put up the interior walls first, but, a foam would
be a lot nicer, (as well as a lot more expensive).
--
Chris Lewis,

Age and Treachery will Triumph over Youth and Skill
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.

Chris Lewis wrote:

How warm do you want it to be? About the cheapest, but still pretty
good, you could install 15" unfaced batts, and line the inside with
vapor barrier. That's better than Kraft faced batts. You'll
lose a small amount of R having to compress the batts slightly, but the
loss would be minimal.

I called a radio call-in show about home repairs, and the host said to
just buy the wider Kraft paper batt insulation and cut it with a utility
knife. He said it cuts very easily once compressed, and gave me a
simple method for doing so. Yeah, it's a hassle, but it's not a big
one, and it'll end up being the least expensive way to get the job done.
I've got a few places where I can use the cut pieces, so it won't all
go to waste.

Thanks for the feedback, everyone.

On Apr 30, 8:15 pm, BZ wrote:
Chris Lewis wrote:
How warm do you want it to be? About the cheapest, but still pretty
good, you could install 15" unfaced batts, and line the inside with
vapor barrier. That's better than Kraft faced batts. You'll
lose a small amount of R having to compress the batts slightly, but the
loss would be minimal.

I called a radio call-in show about home repairs, and the host said to
just buy the wider Kraft paper batt insulation and cut it with a utility
knife. He said it cuts very easily once compressed, and gave me a
simple method for doing so. Yeah, it's a hassle, but it's not a big
one, and it'll end up being the least expensive way to get the job done.
I've got a few places where I can use the cut pieces, so it won't all
go to waste.

Thanks for the feedback, everyone.

Yeah, that's what I was going to say. Set up a sheet of plywood on
some sawhorses. Line up the batt on the edge of the plywood, measure
the width, and use a straitedge (like a rip of plywood) to compress
the batt so you can cut it. A utility knife will work, but even
better is something like an OLFA with the blade extended. i find it
best to add 1/2" to the width. Use production mentality--measure all
your stud cavities at once, and stand in one place and cut as many as
you can. Won't take long at all. I believe John Mansville has the
prescored batts which would be even better. Yeah spray foam is great,
but it's a lot of work, expense, and mess, and how good do you need
this to be?

According to BZ :
Chris Lewis wrote:

How warm do you want it to be? About the cheapest, but still pretty
good, you could install 15" unfaced batts, and line the inside with
vapor barrier. That's better than Kraft faced batts. You'll
lose a small amount of R having to compress the batts slightly, but the
loss would be minimal.

I called a radio call-in show about home repairs, and the host said to
just buy the wider Kraft paper batt insulation and cut it with a utility
knife. He said it cuts very easily once compressed, and gave me a
simple method for doing so. Yeah, it's a hassle, but it's not a big
one, and it'll end up being the least expensive way to get the job done.
I've got a few places where I can use the cut pieces, so it won't all
go to waste.

Why would you use kraft paper batts? Just use unfaced batts and
plastic vapor barrier and use a stapler/tuck tape. You don't really
need to cut the fiberglass at all, and the plastic does a better
job at sealing.

Or go with rockwool. The batts are much easier/less messy to work
with/cut.
--
Chris Lewis,

Age and Treachery will Triumph over Youth and Skill
It's not just anyone who gets a Starship Cruiser class named after them.