Never place insulation close to water heaters, oil burners or anything hot. The backing is especially flammable and will be a major fire hazard for your home.
The first layer should have the facing against the drywall to act as a vapor barrier. (The general rule for insulation is that the facing always goes toward the conditioned space.) The second layer of insulation should be unfaced so that moisture doesn't collect between the layers.
The tiny fibers of glass from insulation wool can irritate your skin and eyes. If you experience too much contact with fiberglass, it can cause what's called irritant contact dermatitis, or inflammation of the skin. Breathing in fibers can also increase the difficulty of breathing.
Insulate all exterior walls, including (3A) walls between living spaces and unheated garages, shed roofs, or storage areas; (3B) foundation walls above ground level; (3C) foundation walls in heated basements. 4. Apply insulation to floors above unconditioned spaces, such as vented crawl spaces and unheated garages.
If there are standard recessed light fixtures in the ceiling below the attic, be careful not to lay insulation on top of the fixtures. These lights create a tremendous amount of heat, which could ignite the insulation and cause a house fire. Keep all insulation at least 3 inches away from recessed light fixtures.
The answer is yes! Past a certain point, insulation in a vented attic will do more harm than good. In most of the United States, achieving an R-Value of 38 is more than sufficient. In the temperate Southern California region, an R-Value of 30 tends to be ideal.
A flat roof should preferably be insulated from above. A layer of rigid insulation board can be added either on top of the roof's weatherproof layer or directly on top of the timber roof surface, with a new weatherproof layer on top of the insulation. This is best done when the roof covering needs replacing anyway.
It is possible to over-insulate your house so much that it can't breathe. The whole point of home insulation is to tightly seal your home's interior. But if it becomes too tightly sealed with too many layers of insulation, moisture can get trapped inside those layers. That's when mold starts to grow.
Because a large volume of indoor heat is lost through the ceiling, the attic floor above is considered the most important area in the house to insulate for winter comfort and efficiency.
In most cases, interior walls are not insulated during construction. Unlike exterior walls, which must meet local and state codes for insulation, interior wall insulation is rarely required. This is because interior insulation has much less impact on your home's energy efficiency – but it can still play a role.
One of the best ways to banish cold from your living space is to insulate the attic. Since heat rises, the attic is the logical place to install insulation. You can insulate your attic either by blowing in loose-fill cellulose insulation or by laying fiberglass batts between the ceiling joists.
The most common symptoms include coughing, wheezing, and difficulty breathing. Inhaling large quantities of insulation fibers, including fiberglass particles or the chemical off-gassing of spray foam insulation, can also lead to lung inflammation and scarring. In severe cases, it can even be fatal.
If you're wondering what is the safest insulation to use, cork is definitely up there with the best of them. Cork is a natural material that comes from the bark of a certain type of oak tree found in North Africa and the Mediterranean.
CertainTeed: “We recommend stapling the tab to the inside. We do not (think) that it's very common to install it on the outside of the 2x4. It doesn't really make a difference … but we do recommend slightly tucking in the ends, stapling the tab on the inside.”
If you were on a very skinny budget and had to make a choice, you would insulate your ceiling first. Installing ceiling insulation can save around 35% on heating and cooling energy. Compare this to insulating your walls. Insulating your walls saves around 15% on heating and cooling energy.
If you live in a humid and hot climate, you might want to install both a vapor barrier and insulation in your walls and create an air barrier. You'll have less humidity buildup. If you live in a cold climate, they can work together to create thermal barriers and prevent air leaks.
Insulation is just as important in the summer as it is during the winter time. You need insulation during the summer to prevent your home from overheating by trapping the cool air, especially in your attic. It is also important in saving on energy cost.
For most homes, it can last for 20-80 years! That being said, like all things, insulation tends to wear down over time. If you are living in an older home and encountering some of the following problems, it may be time for a replacement.
Do the touch test. The interior ceilings, walls and floors in your home should feel warm and dry. When drywall and paneling inside a home feels damp or cold, there is not enough insulation. Alternatively, when touching an exterior wall, it should feel cold because insulation is keeping warm air inside a home.
In many cases you can add new insulation on top of old insulation, unless the old insulation is wet, mouldy, or vermiculite. If the old insulation is dry but appears to have previously been wet, you should look for the cause and repair the problem.
All of the time and work that your HVAC system puts into heating your home is wasted if you have roof insulation because the heat gets lost in the attic. You'll end up paying significantly more on your energy bills, and your HVAC's life span will be shorter.
Experts usually advise builders that you can't install fiberglass insulation directly against the underside of roof sheathing.
About the insulation touching the roof. If the insulation is installed properly, there should be a 2" air space above the insulation to the sheathing. In all practical purposes, this is should be easy to do if the rafters are 10" deep and the insulation is only 8".