Putting Insulation In Walls

The grade of batting will vary depending on the wall that you re insulating.

Putting insulation in walls.

Fiberglass batts foam or cellulose can be used to insulate the interior walls. In most wall applications you will use r 13 or r 15 kraft faced fiberglass insulation rolls for these two by four stud walls. So if your house was built before insulating walls became standard you can potentially save a great deal of energy by insulating. The r value of the batt measures the thermal resistance so the higher the r value the more effectively.

Put the batt in place and use a scissors to snip around the box. The advantages of insulating interior walls. All kraft faced insulation is easy to cut with a sharp utility knife or insulation knife. Don t wrap fiberglass batts around electrical boxes or stuff full batts behind them.

Retrofit wall insulation is a debatable subject because there is no single right answer for all homes and homeowners. Most communities have building codes that require a minimum amount of insulation in a house s exterior walls and ceiling. Unfortunately however builders didn t insulate the walls of most homes built before the 1980s. When stapling avoid stretching the facing too tightly overcompressing the insulation or creating gaps or puckers.

Insulating interior walls isn. That creates gaps and air convection routes around the box. Check the attic walls and floors adjacent to an unheated space like a garage or basement. Choose fiberglass insulation batting.

There are various grades of insulating batting for different locations in the house so you ll need a different insulation for interior exterior attic or basement walls. Tuck the snipped out plug of insulation behind the box. The structural elements are usually exposed in these areas which makes it easy to see what type of insulation you have and to measure its depth or thickness inches. Kraft faced or paper faced insulation comes in batts and long rolls.

While rated differently these two types of insulation are close enough in thickness that they can both fit into modern two by four wall systems. Roll insulation is best for floors ceilings and roofs with a long joist or rafter bays and for tall walls. The third area that needs proper insulation is the floors. Staple the flanges of faced insulation to the interior faces of the wall studs or stud edges.

The batts are precut to fit into cavities on standard 8 foot high walls. If installing unfaced insulation in unfinished walls such as an interior wall allow friction to hold the insulation in place. Walls both exterior and interior are the next area to insulate in a home. Only a cost benefit analysis in relation to your own situation can help you arrive at the right answer.