Insulation is one of the fastest and most affordable ways to make a home more energy efficient, but it's not always easy to find the right insulation for an old house. If you're considering adding insulation to your house, it's important to find an insulation contractor that can keep that old farmhouse aesthetic while making the home comfortable and energy-efficient.
You can also add insulation yourself, but you should be careful not to damage the home's finishes. The National Park Service says that cellulose insulation treated with sulfates reacts with moisture, which can cause wood, stone, brick, and copper to rot. Instead, it recommends using cellulose insulation that has been treated only with borates as a fire retardant.
It's also a good time before you begin with any step to installing insulation to get help from a professional gutter cleaning service such as Gutter Cleaning Raleigh NC service to check your gutters and make sure that there will be no clog that might water damage everything from your interior including
The first step to adding insulation to an old house is to identify areas where you may be losing heat. This includes chimneys and fireplaces without dampers, cracks in walls, air ducts, and electrical outlets. It's important to seal these areas before adding insulation to reduce the risk of air infiltration and create a more comfortable living environment.
To begin, measure the distance from the furthest point of the wall joists to the inside joist on the other side. This will give you the center measurement you need to cut a batt of blown-in insulation. Once you've cut a batt, use a utility knife to cut out a hole in the middle for your wiring.
For a faster and easier job, you can tuck the insulation into the gaps between the floor joists, instead of cutting it. Then, you can pull the wiring up and sit it on top of the insulated area. This will help prevent any wires from falling through the gaps, and it will save you time by preventing wiring from running into the floor.
Another good place to insulate an old home is the crawl space or basement. These spaces often have stone walls, which can be sprayed with foam insulation to create an air seal.
Spraying the foam insulation is a relatively simple task that can be done by homeowners with basic carpentry skills. However, it is important to be cautious and use appropriate protective equipment when spraying the foam. The flammable vapor that comes out of the foam is a potential fire hazard, so it's best to be careful and wear an approved respirator and safety glasses.
Besides being easy to spray, foam insulation has other benefits as well, including being resistant to mold and mildew growth. It also helps to improve a house's thermal performance.
The most effective way to add insulation to a old house is to tuck it into the roof cavity, which is usually filled with cold and hot air in winter and summer. Adding attic insulation is relatively easy, and can help to keep your home warm and cozy. It's also a great way to make your home more energy-efficient and save money on heating costs.
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