Attic Insulation Tips Diy

How to insulate a finished attic.

Attic insulation tips diy.

The pros charge 1 500 to 2 000 to do a 1 200 sq ft. Heat has a natural inclination to both rise and migrate to colder areas. In attics vapor barrier on insulation should face down toward the living space. For diy attic insulation you ve got two choices.

Both can be added to uninsulated attics or layered over existing material. Once you ve decided which type is best for you examine the material options and prices to home in on the right product. However blowing insulation into an attic can be a diy task. For most of us installing spray foam insulation in their attic is just not a diy project and it is too costly for your average homeowner.

A finished attic should be insulated much like the rest of the house with insulation in the walls and ceiling. If you need to add insulation in your attic save big by blowing in cellulose insulation yourself. Cut slits in. Proper attic insulation is the best way to prevent heat loss in the winter and retain cool air in the summer.

Either way the house is probably wasting energy and the homeowners money. Check the attic to make sure the insulation is installed properly. Houses built before the energy crunch in the early 70s might just have a little bit of fiberglass insulation in the attic or empty cavities between the joists. You can do it yourself for about 500.

Blown in insulation overview. With a finished attic insulation must help keep the attic areas comfortable. If it is installed incorrectly with the vapor barrier facing up then the insulation will trap moisture causing possible water problems. Statistics show that 85 percent of a house s heat loss is straight up through the attic space.

To cut the insulation use a long sharp knife with a serrated edge such as a bread knife. Combine these two tendencies and you can see why air bypasses can reduce the effectiveness of attic insulation by 30 to 70 percent. When you reach a cross beam cut the insulation flush with the beam then start again on the other side working in from the eaves. Sandwich the insulation between two boards and using the top board as a guide run the knife along the edge for a straight cut.

Blanket insulation is available as batts or rolls and is the easiest diy. It doesn t require any special skills but will require you to crouch under low sloping attic rafters in order to distribute the. If you have the money to pay for spray foam in your attic then you may want to stop reading now and go get that done. Loose fill or batt the common term for blanket insulation.