Small Attic Insulating Tips

Above all be safe.

Small attic insulating tips.

Then put a short length of 2x4 at the point where you want to cut put your foot on the 2x4 and lean on it to compress the fiberglass. To cut a batt to size lay it on a piece of plywood. Then to really seal the attic access up tight says olson lay fiberglass batt insulation on the inside of the hatch or door and wrap it up tight like a christmas present photo 3. It will expand to as much as 6 inches thick.

Pull up and dispose of any material that s compressed water stained or moldy it s useless. Additionally a lightweight disposable coverall gloves and hat can keep itchy and irritating insulation off your skin. Be careful not to step between the joists. Here are eight diy tips for insulating your attic.

Wear knee pads to help prevent pain associated with crawling on attic joists. If you re finishing your attic insulating it to the proper r value can cause a dramatic loss of headroom if you limit yourself to fiberglass batts. Be sure to install insulation on the attic walls and ceiling. There are three types of insulation material fiberglass rock wool and cellulose.

Grab a tape measure and a flashlight to see what kind of insulation you already have in the attic and how deep it is. Then use the numbers in the chart at right to estimate its r value. However most older attics are under insulated so it s a good idea to raise the r value where possible. No matter how small your attic is what obstructions are in the space and what material is used it s recommended to make sure your space is properly air sealed and ventilated.

Install small pieces of insulation between the joists on the attic floor. Existing insulation that fills gaps well and just needs to be topped off. Loose fill insulation is great for installing in attics with very little headroom and multiple obstructions such as vents and cross beams. To meet all three goals insulating your finished attic ventilating the roof and maximizing headroom use a combination of dense batt insulation rigid foam sheeting and air chutes.

To keep the blown in insulation from falling through the attic hatch opening make a 2x12 dam around the hatch perimeter. A finished attic should be insulated much like the rest of the house with insulation in the walls and ceiling. It can be effectively blown over existing insulation and. Many pipes wiring and other obstructions.

Don t worry if the fiberglass batt insulation at the home center seems to be too thin. Simply put insulating the attic will make your entire home more comfortable and energy efficient. During winter attic insulation keeps heated room air from escaping up into the attic and in summer insulation prevents hot attic air from heating up the living spaces below.