Insulation Contortionism

I feel like I haven't posted in ages.  Probably because we're just starting to thaw out a little bit here in the frozen tundra.  Temperatures are thhiiiiiiissss close to being a positive number.  A couple of days ago we woke to -14 temps - brrr!  It's -1 today but feels like -24 because of the WIND!  Remind me why I live here again!?!

Anyhoo...dad & I have been focusing on getting the attic insulated & air tight these past couple of weeks.  We thought we had it sealed up pretty good until we went to put the foam board insulation on this weekend & felt a chilly draft coming through.  Ughh.  That meant another trip to Menards to pick up a couple of bags of mica insulation & a few more hours of scooting around under the eaves stuffing it down into cracks.  It was a total pain, but I'm glad it was a windy day & we could feel that draft now as opposed to discovering it after the entire attic is finished.  Sidenote: I was blowing insulation chunks out of my nose all day Sunday...probably should have worn a mask.  You live, you learn.  {Hopefully some of you can learn from me...wear a mask!}

Ok, so here's dad in that eave/crawl space stuffing that mica insulation down.  (Enter the contortionism I mentioned earlier.)  It's hard to tell from this angle, but it's a tight fit getting down in there!  That sawdust/sand looking stuff by his hands is the insulation.  We had to push it down in the corner handful by handful.  Fun stuff!

After we finished that type of insulation down the length of the house, we moved on to the foam board.  (We've just got 2x4s for the roof "trusses", so there isn't much room for insulation between them...the foam board will add another layer of insulation to keep us toasty warm in the winter & cool in the summer.)

Of course the rafters aren't 16" on center (that would have just been to easy), so we had to cut down the foamboard to fit down there.  Not hard at all, just more work.

A couple of days later & we're finished with that portion of the insulation.  My homework is to shop-vac the floor down there & get some of the attic clutter stored away to give us more room to work in the bedroom & on the landing.  Progress is progress, no matter how small!

Oh, I almost forgot!  After we had gotten all of the foam insulation hung, we took a few 1x3s & nailed them down in the corner where the roof meets the floor.  This gives us another layer of protection from any drafts that manage to work their way in, as well as acting as a barrier to keep that loose mica insulation inside the wall/floor where it's supposed to stay & not getting itself all over the items that we'll store in that area.

After I get my behind in gear & organize this space, our next steps are as follows:

• Rewire lights.
• Repair/replace old insulation.
• Frame out closets.
• Fill gaps under eaves with loose insulation. (finished on west, still need to do east)
• Foam board insulation on all ceiling surfaces. (finished under west eave, still need to do east eave & center)
• Frame out under eave storage & built-ins as well as door jamb.
• Wire for electrical outlets.
• Drywall (hang, tape, mud, sand).
• Wood planks on north & south walls.
• Hang lights.
• Baseboards, window & door trim.
• Knock out stairwell door.
• Paint & install stair railings.
• Prime & paint walls & ceiling.
• Closet systems.
• Finish built-ins.
• Flooring?

Remember, this is what I envision for the space.

My goal is to get it all completed by the end of April.  I think that's totally doable.  Right???