How To Add Extra Insulation To The Attic

Remove the outlet cover and shine a flashlight into the crack around the outlet box.

How to add extra insulation to the attic.

It s safer to build a small enclosure with hardware cloth or plywood to keep loose insulation away from lights and exhaust fans. Pull out a small amount of insulation if needed to help. Put on goggles and gloves to protect yourself while handling. Fill all cracks between the living area and the attic with caulk or expanding foam.

A tightly sealed house is just as important as insulation. You can add loose fill on top of fiberglass batts or blankets and vice versa. An adequately insulated attic reduces your home s energy costs by keeping warm air in during the winter and hot air out during the summer. Then pivot in place and do the same thing to the other side.

It needs to be unfaced. You should be able to see if there is insulation in the wall. Use cardboard or rigid foam baffles to keep soffit vents open. Check the depth using a tape measure.

Install fiberglass batts over existing batt insulation. How do i add insulation to existing attic insulation. See below for a shopping list and tools subscribe to this old house. Turn off the power to the outlet.

Any existing batt or roll insulation in the attic should have the facing against the attic drywall floor or no facing at all. But if the floor is covered in plywood you can t stuff enough insulation beneath it to do the job sufficiently not even in warm climates. For the center areas hold the hose level and blow in insulation evenly until you ve reached your level lines photo 6. Move across the attic until you ve hit your desired height at every point.

Measure how much insulation you already have. Cost effective way to save energy with this old house general contractor tom silva. If you use fiberglass over loose fill make sure the fiberglass batt has no paper or foil backing. Batt or rolled insulation or blown loose fill insulation fiberglass or cellulose can be installed on top of old insulation.

Insulation should be rolled out perpendicular to the joists and unfaced rolls should be used. Inspect the exterior walls by using an electrical outlet. Blow in insulation until the hopper is empty. Because the simplest and cheapest way to insulate an attic is to add material to the floor.