NORTH BROWARD & BOCA Blog

Reasons why insulation is not a DIY project

While installing insulation may seem simple, there are many complex factors to consider when doing the job. That’s why it’s best to hire a professional insulation technician. A properly insulated attic will reduce energy consumption, lower your utility bills and make your home feel cooler throughout the year. However, to fully achieve these savings and benefits, it's imperative that the insulation is installed correctly. Insulation is a skilled trade that takes time and practice to receive a safe and effective insulation installation. Without expert help from an insulation contractor, it’s easy to make costly or even risky errors. If you were thinking about DIYing your insulation you might want to think again, there are many possible mistakes that could make the job dangerous and the results inadequate and ineffective.  

Common DIY Insulation Mistakes

Choice of insulation

There’s many ways your DIY insulation can go wrong but the most common mistake made is usually in the beginning of the insulation process. When it comes to insulation there is  an endless choice of insulation materials and application methods you can choose, and as a non-expert it is incredibly difficult to make the right decision. When deciding between fiberglass, cellulose, spray foam, batt, blown-in, loose fill, open cell, closed cell etc. there's a lot you have to have in mind. A trained insulation technician knows exactly which type of insulation is the right one for your home with its distinct environment and your specific needs. Sometimes you could even benefit from different types of insulation, the best way to find out is with our free in-person evaluation.

Preparation and safety

If not handled properly, some types of insulation can pose serious health risks and expose you and your family to hazardous chemicals. One of the most popular types of insulation in the North Broward and Boca area is, Spray Foam, one of the safest choices for homeowners when applied properly, keeping in mind that the chemical composition of the product needs proper air circulation at the time of application to be safe - something amateurs often overlook. 

Like with most home improvement projects, there’s personal and professional equipment. DIY spray foam equipment might be a lot cheaper than its professional counterpart but it comes at a loss of quality which will end up making your insulation less effective. Professional equipment can be rented but requires some serious skills and you will need a long list of things to make the process efficient and safe:

• Spray Gun
• Heated hose
• Air compressor
• Transfer pumps
• Proportioning machine
• Respirators
• Disposable suits

Additionally, rented equipment from home improvement stores is often damaged or not up to date. Here at Koala Insulation of North Broward and Boca, we maintain our machines constantly and are always on the lookout for updates or new technologies that can improve your insulation experience. 

Thickness of insulation

When installing insulation your first instinct might be to add as much insulation as possible - the more insulation, the higher the R-Value, the better, right? Actually, that is a mistake as too much insulation will create hotspots that your A/C unit will have to work extra to cool down and stuffing too much insulation into a space will compress it which makes it less energy efficient. On the flipside, too little insulation will not do its job properly and allow for heat to transfer between the outside of your home and the costly air-conditioned inside. Due to experience, an insulation expert can easily assess how much insulation you need and make sure you don’t overspend on unnecessary insulation material or your energy bills if the insulation doesn’t work efficiently. 

Leaving Gaps

Insulation needs to cover the entire surface you’re trying to insulate, otherwise it cannot effectively block the air flow and heat transfer in your home allowing air to  easily sneak through crevices and make your insulation useless. This can mean that you’re spending a lot of time, money and effort installing your own insulation just to be left with basically the same problems as before - air escaping or entering your home. 

Some bigger homes have attic walkways so you can move around the attic and access air handling systems and basically all homes have attic doors. Leaving these spaces without insulation or simply under-insulated can cause many unwanted problems. All surfaces in your attic should be fully insulated to ensure proper protection.

Ventilation
 

We’ve been emphasizing how important it is to install sufficient insulation to avoid air flow between the attic and the living space.However, insulation is not that simple. It is actually important to balance insulation with ventilation, meaning that some air needs to be able to flow to maintain good quality indoor air. Without ventilation, air can get stale and moisture and condensation in your home can cause mold and mildew. As a result, it is important not to cover up ventilation when installing your insulation so that air can pass through vents which are usually located in the soffit, along the underside of the eave, along the ridge of the roof or on the gable end of the house. Neither of those words sound familiar? You should consider hiring a professional then to take care of your insulation.

If you need insulation installation, call your local Koala Insulation provider. Our team is composed of seasoned insulation experts that provide high quality products and high-quality service.