How To Add Insulation To Your Attic

If you have an overhead crawlspace or attic, you can add some insulation to increase energy efficiency of your home. Ultimately, insulating your attic can help decrease your heating and AC bills dramatically. If you want to do the work on your own, you can make the project more cost effective and do a few random things that should help increase the effectiveness of your new insulation. This article explains how to add insulation to your attic.

Using Fiberglass Insulation

Fiberglass insulation comes in large rolls that are easy to cut and roll out. They are often already cut to fit between drywall days, which are usually 16-20" wide. It is a good idea to measure your bays before you buy your insulation. You can save yourself a lot of time if you don't have to cut them width wise (you will obviously still need to cut them to length). It is also very important that you wear the proper clothing when working with fiberglass insulation. The fibers can be very itchy, especially if they get in your eyes. You should definitely wear safety glasses or goggles. Additionally, you want to wear protective gloves and a long tea sleeve T-shirt. Basically, try not to let the fiberglass come in contact with your skin.

Adding Tape for Extra Insulation

Your job will be more effective if you re-tape the drywall seams throughout your attic. But, don't use normal drywall tape for this. Instead, use aluminum foil tape. This will create an airtight seal that will protect prevent air from seeping through the crack.

Adding the Insulation

The insulation will obviously need to be secure to the drywall or wooden siding. A staple gun is the best tool for this. You can double up the insulation on flat surfaces by just laying an extra layer on top of the first layer that is stapled down. The drywall between your ceiling and the attic is the most critical. An extra layer of insulation here will help trap the cold (or warm) air in the attic and reduce the effect on the temperature in your home.

As you can see, this is a fairly simple job. You don't need any power tools and the work is not too physically demanding. Just make sure that you try and do it on a day when the temperature is moderate, because temperatures inside attics can be quite extreme. For more information or assistance, contact companies like Leon Muenks Insulation LLC.