Adding Insulation To Walls

Roll or batt insulation.

Adding insulation to walls.

On open walls a fabric sheath is attached to studs providing a type of cage that contains blown in fiberglass not cellulose insulation in pellets and other forms. Seal the gap between the bottom plate of the wall and the floor with acoustical sealant or caulk. Buy unfaced friction fit batts and seal the walls with a 4 mil poly vapor retarder. Adding extra insulation to the exterior walls of an older home when renovating or remodeling is a great way of improving a home s walls thermal performance and reducing energy use while reducing heating bills carbon footprint and improving a building s comfort level.

Use special airtight electrical boxes see photo tip 5 or seal the poly to the electrical box with acoustical sealant. If you were looking to add insulation inside the walls there are a few ways to go about this. Turn off the power to the outlet. Blow in blanket system bibs is the trademarked name for a patented new construction method of insulating walls with blower injected insulation that can be used for either open or closed walls.

Do not tack down roll or batt insulation because compacting reduces its effectiveness or r value. Fiberglass is a great way to insulate an existing wall. Most communities have building codes that require a minimum amount of insulation in a house s exterior walls and ceiling. This type of insulation typically fiberglass or cellulose insulation can be added over existing insulation provided it s installed perpendicular to joists.

With a hole saw cut a small hole between 2 and 3 inches wide between two studs and near the top of the wall and place the cut portion aside you will reattach this later. Inspect the exterior walls by using an electrical outlet. You should be able to see if there is insulation in the wall. Dry bits of insulation that get blown into wall cavities through holes 1 to 2 inches wide.

It either goes in from the interior walls which requires patching holes or from the exterior which requires prying up siding and drilling through the sheathing adding to the cost of professional installation. With a small hole and a pump you can insulate your existing walls with minimum fuss. Press the poly into the sealant. Insulating interior walls isn.

Fiberglass does have one weakness however. Repeat this step between each pair of studs. Pull out a small amount of insulation if needed to help. You can remove the drywall or whatever interior sheathing you have and stuff the wall cavity with batten insulation pink fiberglass rock sol etc or you could do a spray foam.

While fiberglass often comes in batts it does come in loose fill form as well making it easy to install without tearing open any walls.