Installing Retrofit Wall Insulation

Lead Image for Installing Retrofit Wall Insulation
  • 6-10 hours
  • Beginner
  • 350-1,500
What You'll Need
Loose insulation
Drywall machine
Hole cutter
Tape measure
What You'll Need
Loose insulation
Drywall machine
Hole cutter
Tape measure

Old homes either don't have insulation or don't have enough of it, this can be a major problem, but it can be resolved by retrofitting wall insulation. Wall insulation is something that is required to ensure that your home is energy efficient and that heat isn't lost. When installing Retrofit wall insulation there are some important things to consider and bear in mind.

Choosing the right type of wall insulation will help to make your home much more energy-efficient. By far the easiest solution for retrofitting insulation is to use the blow fill technique. This uses loose fibers that are blown into the wall cavity through a series of access holes. While this does involve cutting holes in your wall it does mean that you can leave most of the drywall intact.

Measuring Up

Measure the size of the cavities that you want to fill with insulation. This will require a fair amount of guesswork, but that shouldn't be much of an issue. Using your tape measure start by measuring the size of the walls which you want to install the insulation.

Choosing Insulation

There are a number of different types of blown insulation that are suitable for residential use. The most common types of insulation include cellulose, foam, and fiberglass. The type of insulation you choose will normally depend on the location where you are installing the insulation. Fiberglass is ideal for any areas which are hard to reach because it fluffs itself up and is a great insulator.

Cellulose insulation is made from around 80% recycled paper and fire retardant chemicals for safety. Cellulose insulation is useful for wall insulation because it has very fine fibers that fill any voids in the wall. When retrofitting insulation cellulose insulation should only be applied dry, this can take a long time to settle though.

The best material for retrofitting into existing walls is foam, this is a solution that is made out of Sea Water and is very efficient. The foam can be sprayed into the existing walls and it will not shrink or expand which makes it ideal for existing buildings.

Cutting Holes

Mark the position of the holes on the wall and then use the hole cutter to cut holes in the wall. Make sure that these holes are strategically placed to allow easy access to the wall's cavity. You will also need to check that you're not going to accidentally cut through any pipes or wires which might be running through the walls.

Filling with Insulation

Load the machine with chosen insulation material and then push the nozzle into the holes that you've cut in the wall. Press the trigger to push the insulation into the walls, by moving the nozzles around you will be able to ensure that all of the space inside the wall is filled with the insulation material.

Repairing the Walls

The holes in the walls will now need to be repaired by patching the holes. Then you can redecorate the walls and make them look as good as new.