Just a Little Blue House

If you read the title too quickly you will probably be expecting some sort of dramatic post filled with all sorts juicy gossip but alas, it says insulAting, not insulting….

Have no fear though because insulation can be pretty epic as well. Shards of glass, floating through the air, glistening in the sunlight as they find new and exciting ways of landing in your hair, clothing and eventually embedding themselves into your skin by the thousands causing an itch that can only be described true to form as “thousands of little pieces of glass stabbing into your skin.” As you have probably gathered, I hate the stuff. Putting insulation up on the bottom floor was the very first thing I accomplished when I became steward of the Little Blue House a year ago. It was a no-fun task then, and certainly hasn’t improved! Worth it? Yes, but not fun. I did learn a couple of things from last year…

• Wear a dust mask. You will have lung problems for a week if you don’t. Definitely not healthy.
• Formaldehyde-Free is definitely a good goal to achieve, as my downstairs ‘wall paper’ says over and over again in various orientations.
• Taping up the seams of batt insulation is a noble cause but far more trouble than its worth.
• Your hand will become INCREDIBLY tired if you use a squeeze stapler for that many rolls of insulation…

Our lovely wallpaper now on both floors!

So, with all these new tidbits of insulation knowledge and experience (not to mention with a new slap-stapler, more on the dangers of slap staplers later), Rebekah and I set upon the task of insulating the upstairs. With all the electrical work complete, our goal is to have the drywall put up within the next couple of months which means we would need to insulate all the exterior walls and some of the interior walls (sound proofing) before any of that can happen. Originally I had hoped to have the sheet rock put up by the wedding so we would have a master bedroom but with all the events between now and then, its not looking too probable.

Over a couple of days we got the exterior wall insulation up with very few hitches. We will have to wait to put up the interior wall insulation until after the majority of the drywall is placed. It may not have been the cleanest jobs ever but hopefully it will be covered up very soon. Rebekah did a great job with everything and definitely helped me out a lot.

Rebekah hard at work, complete with slap-stapler and dust mask (safety first!)

Rebekah opening a package of insulation

WARNING ABOUT SLAP STAPLERS: Please keep hands, toes, eyes, fingers, your significant other and any potentially stapled body parts away from a moving slap stapler! Disclaimer: You must have one hand on the slap stapler in order to actually use it…don’t get clever. If you fail to observe these warnings you might just end up hitting yourself in the finger at full hammer-swinging speed causing the underside of your fingernail to hurt beyond belief and turn black and blue. I’m pretty sure I did a good job at causing some damage but as far as I can tell my nail should remain! I’m just thankful I didnt actually hit the staple part on my finger…

Anyway, kind of a dull task to describe, but at least its done! Here are a few more photo highlights…

A shot through the two extra bedrooms. Insulation!

Aren't we adorable all covered in fiberglass?

BTHO In-sul-ation! Whoop!