How to Insulate a House Better
If your home is drafty and cold, you may need to add insulation inside your walls. The good news is that you can do this yourself without removing any walls by blowing cellulose fiber insulation between your interior and exterior walls. Cellulose is a "green" material because it's made from recycled newspaper; it won't release any toxic chemicals into your home. It is sold in bags at your local hardware or building supply store. You will also need a hopper, a machine that breaks the cellulose into small particles that you blow through a hose into your walls. It is best to have a friend help you with this project. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Hopper
- Stud finder
- Hole saw
- Step ladder
- Safety goggles
- Dust mask or respirator
- Rag
- Drywall compound
- Putty knife
- Fine sand paper
- Paint brush and paint to touch up your wall
Instructions
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How to Blow Insulation Into Your Walls
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Rent a hopper from your local hardware or building supply store and purchase the cellulose you need for the size job you're doing. Ask a sales person at the store to help you calculate how much you need.
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Place a stud finder against your drywall to find the location of the wall studs. You will blow the insulation between these studs behind the wall.
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Cut a 2- to 3-inch hole with a hole saw between two of the studs. Cut the hole near the top of the wall. Save the piece of drywall you cut out so you can replace it later. Repeat this process between the other studs of walls where you will blow the insulation.
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Insert the hose from the hopper into the first hole. The nozzle to the hose should be pointed down into the space between the wall studs. Form a seal around the hole and the hose (wrap a rag around the hose). This will keep insulation from blowing back in your face.
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Have a friend turn the hopper on while you direct the insulation into the cavity between the wall studs. As you feel the space filling with insulation, slowly pull the hose back out of the hole (but not completely) to make room for insulation. Fill the space as close to the top of the wall as you can. Keep the seal in place with the rag while you do this.
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Ask your friend to turn off the hopper when you think the space has been filled with insulation (you should feel resistance against the hose). Pull the hose out of the hole so you can move on to the next section.
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Repeat this process until you have completely filled all the remaining spaces in the wall. When you are finished, insert the drywall piece you cut out back into the hole. Patch it with some drywall compound, sand it and paint it to match the paint on your wall.
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Tips & Warnings
Wear safety goggles and a dust mask or respirator when you work with any kind of insulation.
