The Technique
Installing Insulation is not a complicated task however; to do it right several guidelines must be adhered to. Your local municipality will have specific "R" factors to insure your home will meet basic energy efficiency standards. These standards are will help reduce the amount of energy loss due to inadequate protection from natures seasonal temperatures. To find out your required insulation factor visit www.ornl.gov/~roofs/zip/ziphome.html. this is the Department of Energy website, use the zip code calculator to find out specifics for your area. This is a pretty neat website it gives you the average number of heating days per year and the same with the cooling, once you input the needed data it will give you the insulation "R" factors needed. Now lets take a quick look at the installation process: Wall insulation will be cut to lengths and gently tucked into the space between the wall studs. During this process you do not want to compress the insulation, you just tuck it in making sure it fits tight in both the upper and lower edges of the wall cavity. When top to bottom of the space is covered use the tabs on the edges of the insulation to staple the insulation to the wall studs. You will want the vapor barrier ( paper or foil) to be neatly stapled leaving no wrinkles on the stud where you staple the insulation. Remember you have drywall that will go on next and any staples that are not in all of the way, or any wrinkles in the insulation can cause the drywall to bulge leaving a wavy wall. Please note in the video how nice and neat the insulation appears when she has completed the process, this is how your job should look. If you are doing a ceiling you have the options of using batting after the sheet rock is installed or blowing in the correct amount of insulation to meet the "R" factor (which is the thickness) required. When applying insulation to the walls you will need to separate the insulation and tuck approximately 1/2 of the thickness behind electrical boxes and plumbing pipes to insure they do not freeze in the winter. Once the back half has been tucked into place you simply apply the front half as you have done in the cavities that did not have plumbing or electrical to deal with. It is very important that you do not have insulation protruding over the stud in any area of the wall, make sure the insulation at the top and bottom of the wall is even with the top and bottom plate but not overflowing onto the wall surface. Before you cover the insulation with drywall make sure you have your local inspector signs off on the application, this process is required almost unanimously. Better to get it signed off now instead of having to remove the covering so they can do it later. With the insulation neatly tucked and stapled you can now caulk around window studs and floor plates to finalize the seal. You are now complete and ready for the drywall!Insulation How to Install
Here is a video that covers the installation process in great detail. This video covers installing the insulation in a new addition, the process would be the same in a remodel as long as the drywall or plaster was removed.Insulation Batting
Here is a great article explaining the installation process of a batting type insulation, but remember most areas require a vapor barrier (one that has a foil or paper backing attached). The process is the same for this and the vapor barrier type insulation and this article shows how it is done! The only difference is the vapor barrier type will be stapled on to the studs with the paper flanges attached to the insulation.
Insulating the Attic
This article shows in detail how to insulate the attic of your home. This is very detailed and explains the use of baffels at the soffits allowing essential air flow into the attic space. This article will take you all the way to completing your insulation project