Redoing underbelly - bad idea?
Posted: Wed Aug 06, 2014 4:46 pm
Hello!
Long time lurker, first time poster.
I finally found a contractor to do a perimeter foundation for us. We've had severe mouse problems. They've made nests in all kinds of places using insulation from the underbelly. There's so many holes and even though I've patched them all, I can still feel the air conditioning blowing across my face. Also, this last winter, some of our heating vents started blowing cooler air. It's just in select rooms on both halves of the house where I've heard mice chewing on metal in the night. It may be my false assumption that the mice have managed to create gaps in seams in the ductwork?
I asked this contractor about gutting, checking the vents, and putting up new insulation and underbelly material. He keeps hedging saying it's a lot of work, which I'm quite aware of. He just wants to patch the holes and skip the ducts. Today, he brought up doing blown-in insulation. Seems reasonable, but I'm no expert. Would this cause a problem with heat around the water lines? Am I worried about the ducts for no reason? We are in the southwest, but we do get down to -30°F for days during the winter. I'm more than happy to spend the $ to make sure everything's going to be as energy efficient as possible.
Thanks ahead of time for any opinions.
Long time lurker, first time poster.
I finally found a contractor to do a perimeter foundation for us. We've had severe mouse problems. They've made nests in all kinds of places using insulation from the underbelly. There's so many holes and even though I've patched them all, I can still feel the air conditioning blowing across my face. Also, this last winter, some of our heating vents started blowing cooler air. It's just in select rooms on both halves of the house where I've heard mice chewing on metal in the night. It may be my false assumption that the mice have managed to create gaps in seams in the ductwork?
I asked this contractor about gutting, checking the vents, and putting up new insulation and underbelly material. He keeps hedging saying it's a lot of work, which I'm quite aware of. He just wants to patch the holes and skip the ducts. Today, he brought up doing blown-in insulation. Seems reasonable, but I'm no expert. Would this cause a problem with heat around the water lines? Am I worried about the ducts for no reason? We are in the southwest, but we do get down to -30°F for days during the winter. I'm more than happy to spend the $ to make sure everything's going to be as energy efficient as possible.
Thanks ahead of time for any opinions.