Cozy Nest

Insulation is one of those things that you don’t ever see and probably never think about… until you start paying the energy bill. It can really make a difference in the overall comfort level of a home.
 
Except for a few areas where windows had been replaced or covered up in the last 50 years, during demo we saw that the house basically had zero insulation in the walls! There was a very small amount in the attic, but not much.  I suppose back in the day, coal was cheap and plentiful so insulation wasn’t a major consideration when building a house.
 
 
Southern Illinois Coal Mine – Early 1900s
Source
 

 
To make our home super cozy and energy efficient today and for many years to come, Blaine brought out the big guns – Spray Foam!
 
 
 
Bare walls, before the spraying began.
Note, the heavy heat registers also had to be moved out of the way.
 
 
Then, the windows, floors, and interior walls were taped off.
 
 
 
 
In the process of prepping for the insulation, Blaine and Dad found a treasure – some artwork on the north closet wall, courtesy the young Oglesby brothers no doubt!

Mean Machine!  Below is an old ad from eBay of the same bike. Pretty good match – somebody has a hidden talent!  ðŸ™‚

There was another sketch that mom’s little brothers drew in the closet, but it’s not politically correct enough to share with y’all here!  ðŸ™‚

So anyway, the prep work continued…

 
First, the attic got a thick covering of spray foam. The foam we put up there is more dense than the wall’s spray foam.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Next, all the exterior walls got a generous covering of foam. Every nook and cranny was covered.
 
 
Once the wall foam hardened and cured, it was shaved off to be level with the studs.
 
 

Dining room and kitchen – pre-shave.

The shaving process gets really messy!!!
Below is the den/office.

 
 

The master bedroom.

 

Master closet.

 

Master bath.

Guest bath.

 
 

The north bedroom.

 

Now the old house is going to be so comfortable.  This was one important step we wanted to do right to make it a comfy home.

While the crew did the spraying & shaving work inside, Blaine got some work done outside – like bush-hogging the pasture and chopping down the partially burnt lightning-struck tree.

 

Meanwhile, the Dobes did their thing.
Yes, that’s a snake out in November!

 

And I flew up to meet Blaine for Thanksgiving with the family.  Hopefully next year we’ll be able to host Thanksgiving dinner at Hannah’s Hill.

Looking north from the front porch.

Sending you warm wishes until next time!

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *