How To Blow Insulation into Your Attic To Control Energy Loss

A poorly insulated attic can lose you energy year-round. It is much easier to tell that you are losing energy in the winter (those ice dams that form along the edge of your roof are a sure sign), but it can happen just as much in the summer. Blown-in insulation helps to minimize the loss of energy by preventing heated air and air-conditioned, cool air from drifting out of your house. Here is how you can insulate your attic by using blown-in insulation.

You will need:

• blown-in insulation
• blow-in insulation machine
• respirator
• protective body wear
• measuring tape

Buying Insulation

You need to figure out the total square footage of the area you are going to cover with insulation. If the attic is wide open, you measure the length and the width of the attic and multiply the two together. For example, an attic 20 feet long by 10 feet wide would have 200 square feet of space (20 x 10 = 200).

The easiest thing to do at this point is take your measurements to your local home improvement store. These stores have personnel who can help you choose the best type of blown-insulation you should use for your geographical region and how much you should buy based on your measurements.

You should also rent a blow-in insulation machine while you are at the store.

Blowing In Insulation

Before you start using a blow-in insulation machine, you should make sure you are wearing a respirator, protective eye glasses, and a light protective suit to cover your clothing. You will want to make sure the attic is clear of anything you don't want covered in insulation. You should also mark the spots where the soffit and eave vents are located in case you cover them with insulation (these vents allow air to flow through your attic to help keep it dry to prevent moisture damage) and need to remove it after you are done blowing insulation into the attic.

The insulation is placed in a hopper attached to the blow-in insulation machine. The insulation drops from the hopper into the machine, which blows it up a hose to where you are standing. You want to start from the furthest wall away from you and slowly work backwards until you have reached the recommended depth of the insulation based on the directions on the bag. You should make sure you read the directions at the store in case you have any questions the store personnel can answer. You should fill in empty rows between the joints—make sure you put the hose down far enough to get under wires, pipes, and air ducts. Keep repeating this process until the entire attic has been covered in insulation. If you have more questions or would rather have a professional insulate your attic, contact a representative from a company like Durham Insulation.