Thanks for the thoughts, and good question re:settling of cellulose. Short answer: dense packed cellulose (e.g.—in walls) will not settle. Loose/semi dense cellulose insulation does settle. We (Michael, particularly) accommodated for the known settling behavior of loose fill (a little over 14 percent of volume, FYI) and sloughing from being on a sloped roof, when arriving at a fill plan.
Slightly more: The roof R-values I stated take the settling into account. Snowdog plans to a do a spot check at the roof ridge in spring before the final metal roof goes on just to make sure math and gravity come to the same conclusion about possible sloughing. But we’re feeling confident given the “full fill” between the original roof deck right up the membrane that sits over the top of the rafter framing, plus the amount of insulation at top of ridge.
Brian, this is a real gem. An amazing amount of important information. The teacher in you coms through crystal clear. It looks to me like you’re doing a wonderful job of drafting chapters to a book. I’m so impressed and delighted by your work.
Nice documentation and the links to learn more about carbon storage is interesting. It IS amazing that shredded newspaper and cardboard can be both water absorbing and moisture shedding. Does the boric acid create that or is that primarily for pest resistance and/or fire retardation?
Glad you found the info of interest (that video blows me away), and thanks for reading! The affinity of the cellulose insulation for water ("hygroscopicity", for the scrabble word) is primarily inherent to the chemical and physical aspects of cellulose.As for boric acid, I went down a really fun rabbit hole trying to understand how it could have both fire retardation properties and anti-pest activity (across a wide variety of species, from rodents to fungi/mold to insects). Short version, it has different activities depending on the species. And its another reason we wear masks while installing!
Well that is a lot of weight for one to gain in a week, but it will keep you warm and cozy. Very interesting that paper and cardboard can be used as
Will this type of insulation condense down in the roof area after a few years that you will need to reinstall new insulation?
Another great read on the reconstruction of the house, and the inner workings of what is behind the walls.
Thanks for the thoughts, and good question re:settling of cellulose. Short answer: dense packed cellulose (e.g.—in walls) will not settle. Loose/semi dense cellulose insulation does settle. We (Michael, particularly) accommodated for the known settling behavior of loose fill (a little over 14 percent of volume, FYI) and sloughing from being on a sloped roof, when arriving at a fill plan.
Slightly more: The roof R-values I stated take the settling into account. Snowdog plans to a do a spot check at the roof ridge in spring before the final metal roof goes on just to make sure math and gravity come to the same conclusion about possible sloughing. But we’re feeling confident given the “full fill” between the original roof deck right up the membrane that sits over the top of the rafter framing, plus the amount of insulation at top of ridge.
Brian, this is a real gem. An amazing amount of important information. The teacher in you coms through crystal clear. It looks to me like you’re doing a wonderful job of drafting chapters to a book. I’m so impressed and delighted by your work.
Thanks for taking time to read and comment Dan! Appreciate your thoughts and ongoing motivation and support.
Nice documentation and the links to learn more about carbon storage is interesting. It IS amazing that shredded newspaper and cardboard can be both water absorbing and moisture shedding. Does the boric acid create that or is that primarily for pest resistance and/or fire retardation?
Glad you found the info of interest (that video blows me away), and thanks for reading! The affinity of the cellulose insulation for water ("hygroscopicity", for the scrabble word) is primarily inherent to the chemical and physical aspects of cellulose.As for boric acid, I went down a really fun rabbit hole trying to understand how it could have both fire retardation properties and anti-pest activity (across a wide variety of species, from rodents to fungi/mold to insects). Short version, it has different activities depending on the species. And its another reason we wear masks while installing!
Fascinating, informative, and wonderful. Can't wait to see it some day.
And we can't wait for you to visit! I will keep you in mind when we start framing the guest room! :)
Thanks for reading and commenting!