You might be asking why you need attic batts if your floors are already properly insulated. Although floor insulation have their own benefits, you still need to properly insulate you attic because most of the heat from your household is lost through the attic which means more heat is needed to be generated by your heating system adding much on your energy bills. As you know hot air rises because colder air is pushing it to your roof. Insulating your attic will prevent the loss of heat and keep your household warm. You need to install new insulation or reinforce an old one which might not be working fine.
If you want to save some money on installation, you can choose to install it yourself. Just follow the following steps:
- Place a few pieces of plywood on the top of your ceiling where you can walk on while working on your insulation. This is very important for your safety some parts of the attic floors may not be able to hold your weight.
- Bring the rolls of attic batts up. Remember not to open it until you are ready. Batts are properly compressed in plastic and it will pop loose after opening. When opening, use a utility knife to carefully rip the plastic.
- Install full batts as much as possible. It is better to work first on the edges moving towards the center. Cut pieces to make the batts fit snugly. Don’t let them overlap.
- To cut batts, remember to place them on a flat surface. The paper should be facing you. Cut it using a utility knife holding it on the straightedge so you can cut it though one passing of the knife.
- Install the batts in between the rafters. The paper should be facing the attic. Use a staple gun to attach the paper to the rafters.
- If you have on old insulation, use batts without paper backing so that there will be no moisture barrier between the old and your new insulation.
- Don’t cover your attic vents. Be sure to leave a 3-inch gap around your recessed lighting or any heat source up in the ceiling. This includes metal heating fuels.
- You can lay batts directly on electrical wiring. Just be sure not to cut any wires or disturb any of them during installation.
- You also need to fill up the gaps between your stone chimney as well as the house framing. You need to use attic batts without paper (unfaced) on them.