Garage Wall Insulation

[Kid]

I would like to insulate a wall of my garage. I live in a raised ranch and the outside wall is not insulated. However it is drywalled and I don't feel like rippping it down. Any tricks to blowing it in from the top between the studs? Anything I should take into consideration? It doesn't seem like it would be tough to cut a hole at the top between each stud, then cover it up with a vent cover or something like that. The wall is approximately 8' x 20' and I assume it's probably 4" thick. I have nothing hanging on the wall that isn't attached to a stud, so there shouldn't be any obstructions. Thanks all!

[pushkins]

If you cut a 4" round hole at the top of each stud cavity (on the drywall side) you then can hire one of the cellulose pumps (like from Lowe's/Home Depot) and then shoot the insulation down inside the cavity then patch the drywall.
You will want to wear a mask when doing so as it's a little messy with fine particular.

[HayZee518]

get a stud finder that has deep penetration. between your stud spaces, run the stud finder up and down to locate any horizontal fire stops. if there are some then you'll need to cut another hole BELOW this fire stop to fill the stud space. make a sheetrock patch and apply to the holes. you don't want air moving within a wall space so don't use a vent at the top holes, patch the hole.

[Kid]

Thank you both for your great advice.

[Kid]

I know it's been a few months, but I'm ready to tackle this project. I've cut a hole in one section and, sure enough, there's nothing in the wall and the one I cut has a clear shot to the bottom. (Why would someone hang drywall without hanging some insulation first?) Oh well. That's another issue. Anyway, I do have a question before I proceed....

I recently received a quote from a roofer and, while he was here, just for the heck of it, I asked for a quote for this garage wall insulation job. As I expected, I'd rather save the bucks and do it myself, but he mentioned something in the quote that has me thinking.

He said that his company would not be responsible for nail pops in the garage as a result of blowing the insulation in the wall. How can blowing the insulation cause nail pops? (It's not like I'll be pouring concrete into the cavities!!! And I'm not going to keep jamming it in there till it's solid as a rock.) His "warning" made me a bit nervous, especially since I just had the house resided and don't want to take any chances with it.

Thanks for your thoughts on this.

[pushkins]

The hole you cut in the top of each drywall cavity MUST be bigger than the hose from the cellulose blower, two reasons. 1, it pumps the cellulose with air, this air must escape the cavity or you will not fill th cavities evenly, there will be pockets or air. (this is the reason you MUST wear a mask, with the air coming out there will be cellulose dust)
2. If the hole cut for the hose is not over sized you do run the risk of pumping in too much cellulose, sometimes, just sometimes this can lead to pressure on the inside of the cavity causing nail pops.
If you cut a min. of a 6" hole for a 4" hose you should be good to go, obviously the bigger the better, so cut it as big as you feel comfortable patching.
You will have to slow down the fill rate at times just to allow a more controlled fill, remember these pumps are designed for attic blow ins and obviously there in the attic you have the ability to spread the cellulose over a large area quickly.
It's a two person job, one on the hose and one at the blower.

[Kid]

Hi Pushkins!
Thanks for the information. My plan is to cut about a 5" rectangle hole across the top of the entire wall. (Thus the hole for each cavity will be about 5" with the width being stud-to stud.) I figure I can cut it out in one piece and then patch it with the same piece. (If it breaks into smalller sections it will still be easy to use as the patch.) Yes, I willl be careful to adjust the saw blade so I don't cut the studs. (That would kinda ruin my day!) That should take care of any potential pressure issues and give me plenty of visibility. That should do it, eh? Thanks

[Kid]

Well, I finally got around to finishing this job before the real cold arrives. You were right, what a messy job. If air goes in, it also forces air out, along with the particles. It sure didn't take long to fill the cavities though. After the first few I was able to time it just right to keep mess as minimal as possible. I was also able to cut the drivewall and remove it in a few pieces, so it went right back up and fit like a puzzle. Total cost to do the wall - $57.00.... and an hour or two to clean up the mess and return the equipment to Home Depot.
Thanks again all!