So, here’s the deal – I’m facing a bit of a problem. My house in Southern California has zero insulation, and let me tell you, it’s been a real pain with the house feeling like an oven. I’ve got two contractors ready to tackle the job of insulating my exterior walls – one is offering to install batt insulation, while the other is suggesting blown-in insulation.
The batt insulation quote involves cutting out a whopping 60 inches of drywall on all the exterior walls to get the insulation in there. It’s going to be messy, that’s for sure, but I’ll have the peace of mind knowing that the insulation is evenly distributed throughout. On the other hand, the blown-in option seems less invasive, with just two 4-inch holes to be made at the top and bottom between each stud. There’s a concern, though, that the blown-in insulation might not fully meet the desired R-value for insulation.
Now, my main goal here is to make my home more comfortable and cut down on the crazy amount of air conditioning I’ve been using to no avail. I want to feel the difference when I step inside, especially during those scorching SoCal days. The batts seem like a sure bet in terms of coverage and effectiveness, but the thought of all that drywall removal is giving me a headache. On the flip side, the blown-in option is less of a hassle, but the uncertainty of whether it will provide sufficient insulation is a bit of a concern.
I’m weighing the pros and cons of each option – the batts requiring more effort, time, and cost but guaranteeing proper insulation, versus the blown-in being a quicker and less messy process, but potentially falling short on insulation quality. It’s a tough call, especially when it comes down to balancing comfort, efficiency, and practicality.
So, what do you guys think? Should I go all in with the batt insulation and deal with the mess for the promise of thorough insulation, or take the less invasive route with blown-in insulation, hoping it’ll do the job well enough? Any advice or personal experiences with either option would be greatly appreciated. I just want to make the right choice and finally say goodbye to feeling like I’m living in a sauna.