How to Add Insulation to a Ceiling
Having enough insulation for your home is key to lowering your energy bills. Older homes may not have the proper R-value insulation or may need more to add to the R-value. The most common way to add insulation to ceilings is to blow it in. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Eye protection
- Ear protection
- Respirator
- Gloves
- Long-sleeve overalls
- Drop cloths
- Ladder
- Stud finder
- Sheetrock saw
- Extension cord
- Blow-in insulation machine (rental)
- Bundles of blow-in insulation
- Drywall patch kit
Instructions
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Put on all protective gear. Set up your ladder and drop cloths.
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Determine the direction and spacing of your ceiling joists by using a stud finder. Mark the ceiling joist centers with a pencil. Work your way across the ceiling, from one wall to the other. The idea here is to find the spaces in between ceiling joists so you can bore holes in the ceiling and add insulation.
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Cut out 6-inch by 6-inch square holes at the center of the room. Use a sheetrock saw to make the cuts. Repeat this for each space that is in between the ceiling joists.
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Rent an insulation blower from a local retail shop or home improvement center. Measure the length and width of the ceiling space, using a tape measure. Multiply the two numbers to get your total square footage, so you know how much blow-in insulation to buy.
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Pour the blow-in insulation into the blower machine. Hook up the lengths of hoses together and climb up your ladder. Place the end of the blower hose as far as possible into the ceiling holes you made. Have a helper turn on the machine.
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Turn the hose the other direction and repeat the process. The idea is to get as much insulation into the ceiling opening as possible. This is why you made your holes in the center of the ceiling, so you can blow insulation into the ceiling space in both directions.
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Rotate the blower hose in a circular pattern so that insulation is being blown into the ceiling cavity in all directions. You will know when insulation in one direction is full when it starts to fall out of the hole. Then it's time to change directions.
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Repeat the whole process as you go from ceiling space to ceiling space--the area between the ceiling joists.
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Tips & Warnings
Consult with a local contractor about specific building code requirement when installing insulation.
Some blown-in insulation will require a breathable air barrier. Consult your contractor.
Buy more blow-in insulation than you think will be needed. You can always return extra materials later.
Each bundle of blow-in insulation will list how much square footage it covers.
Patch up the holes you made in the ceiling by using drywall patch kits sold at the local hardware store.
