Tonight during the second shift, we ripped down the insulation from the garage. 2x10 floor joists comprise the ceiling of the garage (floor of craft and toy rooms). In 1960 the owner installed Sears fiberglass insulation, 2" thickness. It was paper covering on both sides, but the upper level of paper converted to dust since 1960. How do we know it was 1960? We found a March 1960 New York Herald Tribune laying above the insulation. The real estate section headline read "New Tract of Housing Opens in Bellmore, $20,000 class." Those of you who know what "Bellmore" means and $20k means enjoy that one.
Underneath the paper wrapped fiberglass was cardboard. Yes, the previous owner covered the fiberglass insulation with cardboard. Since 1960, they parked cars underneath 400 square feet of a very flammable material. Personally, we would not want to park a convenient source of ignition below a nice fuel mechanically attached to the building our family lives in.
So, pulling it all down was a chore. The installer was very meticulous about installation. The cardboard was supported with roofing nails. The cardboard was also supported by wood strips running perpendicular to the joists. The wood strips were a combination of scraps, pieces of strapping and old flooring. Pulling it all down was quite a chore.
What will we put back you ask? 10" (nominal) of fiberglass with drywall. We will go from an R-6 to R-30, a significant positive improvement (oil is ~$3.00 a gallon, ouch).
Why is this the second worst job ever? What is the worst?
Brooklyn Barrister pledged to help us last weekend. 4" of snow kept him away (even thought we drove through more snow to help move from Penn to Georgetown for a semester). When Brooklyn Barrister visits us in May, he will climb into the interstitial space between the East kneewalls and the roof. In there, he will remove 2-4" of OLD cellulose insulation and install 10" fiberglass. That is the worst job ever. We love you Brooklyn Barrister. We can't wait for your visit.
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1 comment:
Brooklyn Barrister is hoping for more snow in May. Didn't Brooklyn Barrister and his pop remove old insulation from your N. Valley Stream while wearing the hazmat suits? Doesn't that really mean we are even for your moving services? See you in May--weather permitting.
b.b.
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