A major portion of the exterior house walls was added this past week with the arrival of 14,000 pounds of dense pack cellulose insulation, a product of up-cycled newspaper. The new backyard resembled a very tall hay bale maze, and the kids were happy to run and play between the stacks.

The walls of the house were prepped with webbing to allow for the insulation to be blown into the exterior wall cavity, constructed from 12 inch I-joists. This week, the insulation is being blown into the interior wall cavity as well, resulting in an R value of at least 48. The attic will have 24 inches of insulation, providing an R value of at least 70.

Once the insulation is completed, the next level of wall assembly will be added. Here is the buildup:

1. Fiberboard sheathing (Bildrite - breathable, insulating, environmentally friendly)

2. Vapor open wind barrier (Tyvek)

3. Fir framing

4. Scheduled siding (cement board)

Our drywall delivery was also pretty exciting; the driver invited our boys to sit behind the wheel of the huge truck and even blast the horn. We watched as the driver used his remote control boom arm to bring the drywall from the truck directly to the front door. For the second floor, they cut a hole in the sheathing and slid the 12-foot-long sheets inside, and then sealed the house right back up. This had to be done before the insulation was added. It pays to plan ahead!