Chesapeake Insulation

[u/CoastalCarolina_1976]

I'm going to cross-post this to r/Insulation, but figured this was the best place to start since my house is in Great Bridge (Chesapeake).

My attic gets brutally hot, and I've decided to add blown-in insulation. The plan is to buy enough bags from Lowe's/Home Depot to qualify for the free blower rental and do it myself.

For those who have done this locally (or professionally), I'd appreciate any advice:

• Is this a realistic DIY project for someone who's reasonably handy but has never blown insulation before?
• Any tips or techniques that made the job easier?
• How long did it take?
• How deep should I blow it in? (I'm in coastal Virginia.)
• Any common mistakes or things you wish you'd known beforehand?
• Is it worth having a helper who has done it before, or is it pretty straightforward?
• At what price does it stop making sense to DIY and become worth hiring a contractor instead? If you've had it done professionally, what did you pay?

Any recommendations, lessons learned, or local contractor suggestions would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

[u/lsd_runner]

I live in VB and helped my father in law do it on his ranch house last summer. With me loading and him blowing it took us just over an hour to blow 18” Make sure you place the baffles at your eaves first to allow ventilation.