At Alamance Insulation and Gutters, we know how complicated it can be to figure out what type of insulation will best suit your home or building. When it comes to installing insulation for the first time, we always recommend hiring a professional to get the job done for you. However, some may choose to install insulation on their own! While we don’t recommend doing it yourself, we can recommend some helpful tips that will help you get the job done.
Certain types of insulation materials are easier to install than others. For example, installing fiberglass or mineral wool insulation is possible on your own. But when it comes to spray foam insulation, you must hire a professional instead of doing it yourself. When you add insulation to your home, keep these things in mind:
- Make sure you air seal before insulating. Without air sealing, adding insulation won’t benefit you as much. Make sure that you have an air barrier in place and that if you have any leaks, they are sealed. This is an important first step, because insulating without air sealing is pointless.
- Make sure your insulation is not significantly compressed. If your insulation is compressed, this won’t give you the R-value level you see on the packaging. So make sure it’s not too compressed when you install your insulation – especially by walls or obstructions like outlet boxes, wires, and so on.
- If you notice large gaps in your insulation, this isn’t good. Pay very close attention to these seemingly minor details. If you have an attic that is 1,000 square feet and 10 square feet of your attic space is uninsulated (1% of your total attic), you might believe that your attic insulation is still 99% effective. But this is not true! Because of the way that heat flows, this would end up being much less effective than 99%. Details matter, so pay close attention to your insulation installation.
If you are adding insulation to walls, make sure to do a proper and in-depth inspection. This will help you ensure that all cavities where insulation will be installed will have 6 sides after the wall finish is installed. Regardless of where you’re installing insulation in your building, make sure to check for safety issues first before you get started.
While it’s certainly possible to install certain types of insulation on your own, we always recommend hiring a professional. Professionals are trained and certified in insulation installation, and they’ll get the job done right the first time. At Alamance Insulation and Gutters, we have been proudly serving the Triad area for over 20 years. Located in Burlington, North Carolina, we provide outstanding insulation and gutters for our loyal customers in central North Carolina, including Greensboro, Burlington, Hillsborough, High Point, and Mebane, North Carolina. Call us today for all of your insulation needs!