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Many kinds of insulation can be used for the home. Kinds that are easily installed make good do-it-yourself tasks. These kinds include batts, blankets and loose fill. Avoid plastic foam. It is best installed by a contractor who has special tools for the job.
Batts and blankets are made of glass fiber or rock wool. Batts come in packs of four-foot lengths or eight-foot lengths. Blankets come in rolls. Both are sold in widths of 15 or 23 inches to fit normal spaces in house frames. Both come in thicknesses of 1 to 7 inches. Both batts and blankets are sold with or without vapor barriers.
To insulate an attic floor, lay batts or blankets between the joists. Batts and blankets can be bought with a vapor barrier on one side. To install, place the barrier face down so that, when it is in place, you no longer see it.
To insulate the floor above a basement, push batts or blankets between the floor joists from below. Be sure that the vapor barrier is facing up, towards the house. To support the insulation, lace wire back and forth between nails spaced two feet apart. Or you may tack chicken wire to the joists.
Instead of batts or blankets, you may insulate with loose fill. It is made from glass fiber, rock wool, cellulose, perlite or vermiculite. Loose fill tends to settle after a while. Yet, cellulose, which is made from recycled newspaper, makes an excellent insulator. It must, however, be treated to become fire resistant. Use the loose fill to fill in the spaces between the joists. You will have to put in your own vapor barrier. A plastic sheet may be stapled or tacked down before the loose fill is poured.
Your home may already have some insulation. Even so, you may wish to add some more. In that case here are a few hints. Do not put insulation on top of lighting fixtures for the floor below. Keep insulation at least three inches away from such fixtures. Do not cover eave vents with insulation. Be sure that there is enough space in the attic to let moisture out.
A well-insulated home saves you money. It keeps your home cooler in the summer. It also keeps the house warmer in the winter. Don’t be afraid to insulate your home yourself. It’s really not a difficult job!
