How To Insulate An Attic Cheaply

Fix drafty doors with a door snake.

How to insulate an attic cheaply.

Add thick curtains to your windows. If your house has lots of air. 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. If the attic is used as a living space say a home office or play room the insulation should be placed between the rafters.

Use weatherproofing strips and caulking to seal any air leaks in your doors and windows. Cover all areas of your house as thick or thin as you d like. Blowing attic insulation isn t hard but it s dusty sweaty work. R value refers to thermal resistance.

Department of energy recommends unfinished attics. The cheapest method for a diyer is to roll out unfaced fiberglass insulation over any existing insulation. To make insulating an attic easier grab a helper and set aside two days. The materials can either be manufactured from fiberglass cotton or stone wool.

One of the biggest mistakes here is installing insulation without a proper ventilation path between the insulation and the building exterior. Use a staple gun with 3 4 inch staples to attach rafter vents into the wood framework adjacent to any soffit vents. It still remains the cheapest option however if your garage is already finished with interior walls. Plug your chimney when not in use.

Blanket batts and rolls is a great inexpensive way to insulate your house. Just point the end of the blower where you want insulation to go and cram the inlet into the insulation and watch it fly. Spray foam insulation seals leaks and gaps inside existing walls. Plan to pull up the flooring and layer new insulation on top of the old.

Open a bag of insulation with a knife or tear it open. By the end of the weekend you re going to be sore and tired. Your goal should be to have insulation equaling an r value of 40 or above on top of the ceiling of the second floor. If the attic is unfinished the insulation should be installed on the floor.

Cellulose insulation will cost a bit more to install because you will probably have to rent an insulation blowing machine. Batt insulation also known as batt and roll or blanket insulation is one of the common and cheap ways of insulating walls ceilings attics basements and crawl spaces. We don t know what you have now r value or type. Try these tips for a warmer winter.

The most direct answer to your insulation question is fairly simple. One for attic prep and the second to actually blow the insulation. Cover any air leaks with weatherproofing. But saving 1 000 or more with blown in ceiling insulation will make up.

Seal your attic. Because the simplest and cheapest way to insulate an attic is to add material to the floor. Make sure that you set it somewhere that will support it.