insulation/vapor barrier replacement

[Claudia Ray]

I am replacing the walll insulation in my 1971 Lamplighter mobile home because of mice infestation. I have taken down the inside paneling, removed the insulation and now am down to the outside aluminum siding. The wall studs are 1 1/2" x 2 1/2" thick. What kind of insulation should I use? I would like to go with the formaldehyde-free type. Do I need a vapor barrier? If so, what kind and where should I put it? I'm trying to figure out how to make my mobile home "breathe", but haven't gotten a handle on it yet. Any advice would be wonderfully helpful. Thank you.

[Tom]

Using a foil backed insulation should solve both your problems. Stuff as much insulation as you can get in. Tom

[Claudia Ray]

Thanks so much for the information! Claudia.

[Mark]

Insulation works by creating air voids, packing the insulation in will do no good.
3" of unpacked insulation will work better than 6" of packed insulation, because the packed insulation is just a solid mass, that will transfer heat and cold like any other solid mass.

If you're serious about spending money on this, I'd go with the contractor sprayed insulation, it will perfectly fill the space and doesn't require a vapor barrier. Not as cheap as the rolled kraft, but finding insulation that is the right thickness for that wall will probably not be at Home Depot.