Where to Install Insulation 

by | Nov 15, 2022 | Spray Foam Insulation

For those who don’t know, you can install insulation in more areas than you think. Aside from attics and walls, you need to install spray foam insulation Michigan in floors, ceilings, in between interior walls, knee walls, floors over unheated porches or garages, cathedral ceilings, knee above vented crawl spaces, basement walls, and ceilings with unheated spaces. Your objective should be to produce a steady wrap around your house. 

However, not all areas can be accessed easily. Attics and ceilings are always great places to begin since both are accessible and heat escapes more in these areas compared to other parts of the house.  

Easy to Overlook Places 

It is crucial to insulate any space where comfort can be compromised and energy can be lost if you want to achieve maximum thermal efficiency. Oftentimes, the following areas are overlooked.  

  • You should insulate junction boxes for convenience outlets and wall switches at outside walls. Between the sheathing and the rear of the box.  
  • You also have to insulate openings through building sections. This is the area where ductwork, wiring, or pipes penetrate a building section. To lower air infiltration, insulation needs to be tightly packed into the openings.  
  • Before the fixtures are installed, you should insulate first the sidewalls where plumbing fixtures are to be installed.  
  • You should also insulate floors over open or unheated spaces such as cantilevered floors, unconditioned basements, porches, or garages.  
  • Ceilings and sloped walls or attic areas that are finished as living spaces should be insulated.  
  • You should knee walls attic areas finished as living spaces. 
  • You also have to insulate walls between unheated garages and living spaces, adjacent lower, places of walls above ceilings, and dormer walls.  

Ductwork 

Probably the simplest place to overlook for insulation in the house is the ductwork. To improve indoor comfort, insulation products such as duct liner, duct wrap, and duct board are utilized. They do this by delivering cooled and heated air from room-to-room at design temperatures, lowering noise such as HVAC equipment noise or cross-talk heard between two rooms, and controlling condensation.  

Flat Ceilings and Attics 

R-30 and R-38 mineral wool batts or fiberglass are the most common products for flat ceilings and attics. Keep in mind that these products are around 15” up to 24” wide. This is to ensure that the insulation fills the gaps between the trusses’ bottom chords or the ceiling joists. It also extends above and closes over almost every wood member. You can utilize two layers and combine their R-Value if you want to achieve R-values of R-38 or bigger. For instance, if you want an R-49, you can combine an R-30 to an R-19 batt. 

You can also use mineral wool or fiberglass loose-fill insulation. You can install this type of insulation using any R-value. But, it is very crucial that the minimum thickness and proper amount of insulation are installed to obtain the right R-Value. You should always talk to a professional to know how to achieve the right R-value for your property.