If the exterior walls of your house need insulation, you can add it to the spaces between studs without removing drywall or paneling.
The best choice is often blown-in cellulose, which flows past obstructions in the wall and fills cavities around existing insulation better than other loose-fill products. Furthermore, it seals air leaks, making a separate vapor barrier unnecessary.
Although many homeowners prefer to leave the job of insulating finished walls to a professional contractor, others have achieved satisfactory results doing it themselves. The idea is to blow insulation into each space between studs, one at a time.
Doing so requires that you cut a 2- to 3-inch hole in the wall between each pair of studs and as near the top of the stud space as possible. A hole saw in an electric drill makes short work of this part of the job. Save the drywall cutouts for repairing the holes later.
Feed the blower hose deeply into each cavity while a helper operates the blower and controls the mix of air and cellulose. Plugging the hole around the hose with a rag prevents insulation from escaping. As the space fills, gradually withdraw the hose from the hole.
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