Putting Insulation In Walls

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

Putting insulation in walls.

Most communities have building codes that require a minimum amount of insulation in a house s exterior walls and ceiling. Rigid boards work best on exterior walls along with a vapor barrier. Walls both exterior and interior are the next area to insulate in a home. Put the batt in place and use a scissors to snip around the box.

So if your house was built before insulating walls became standard you can potentially save a great deal of energy by insulating. 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. Achieving greater r values in attics the higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation. The third area that needs proper insulation is the floors.

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. Unfortunately however builders didn t insulate the walls of most homes built before the 1980s. Insulating interior walls isn. Fiberglass batts foam or cellulose can be used to insulate the interior walls.

Choose fiberglass insulation batting. The r value of the batt measures the thermal resistance so the higher the r value the more effectively. Don t wrap fiberglass batts around electrical boxes or stuff full batts behind them. The advantages of insulating interior walls.

Only a cost benefit analysis in relation to your own situation can help you arrive at the right answer. That creates gaps and air convection routes around the box. Find your zone on the map and then use the chart to determine the level of insulation you need to properly insulate your attic walls floors and crawlspaces. Check the attic walls and floors adjacent to an unheated space like a garage or basement.

In some cases the cost of adding insulation may exceed the cost of energy needed to heat or cool it. In most wall applications you will use r 13 or r 15 kraft faced fiberglass insulation rolls for these two by four stud walls. Retrofit wall insulation is a debatable subject because there is no single right answer for all homes and homeowners.