Home Insulation Video

Home Insulation

Putting insulation in your home is not too hard of a job. But, there are a few safety precautions that you should follow. If insulation bothers you, wearing a long sleeve shirt, a mask and cotton gloves are a good idea. Eye protection is also a good safety measure.

There are two types of insulation. One type with no facing and the other type with a paper facing. The facing acts as a vapor barrier. Using the unfaced insulation, you can add a clear polythene plastic vapor barrier before drywalling.

The insulation comes precut from the factory for standard stud spacing. So if your stud spacing is 16" on center, the space in between is 14-1/2". The insulation comes an half inch wider for a friction fit into that space. When cutting the insulation for length, be sure to cut it that same half inch longer to ensure an overall friction fit.

Insulation can be cut in two ways. First, use an insulation cutting knife. If you do not have access to that knife, you can use a standard razor knife. However, you will need a board to compress the insulation while cutting it with the razor knife. Once compressed, one or two passes with the razor knife should do it.

If there is an obstruction, such as an electrical wire, that will be behind the insulation, be sure to cut the insulation part way on the back side to fit around that cable. If you don't, you will end up with a gap in your insulation barrier.

Once cut, press the insulation in place, keep it fluffed up. Your vapor barrier will cover it and your drywall will keep it in place.