Home Improvement Stack Exchange
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Questions tagged [insulation]

Insulation is any material used to slow the transmission of heat or reduce the transmission of sound. Typical materials include fiberglass, foam, blown cellulose, and reflective foil. This should not be confused with weather stripping.

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Should I agree to have more insulation added to my attic?

I have a 6 year old home with about 12 inches (R-30) of blown-in insulation in the attic. Recently door-to-door sales representatives for an insulation company offered a free inspection and quote to add additional insulation. The pitch was that the…
JYelton
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Is it required for effectiveness to stretch interior window film?

Short version: I am using a Frost King window insulation kit on a window. Can I skip the hairdryer step and still get a good amount of insulating effect? Long version: I am using a Frost King window insulation kit on a window. The way these work is…
capet
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How do I remove blown in attic insulation?

I want to replace the drywall ceiling in my house. It's old and has been painted over a million times. Home was built in the 50s. How do I replace the ceiling without replacing the insulation? Or if I take out the insulation to replace it with new,…
Trevor
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Are there any dangers associated with rigid foam insulation?

Is there any danger of bad fumes/gasses being released from polyisocyanurate or polystyrene rigid foam insulation? I'm planning on insulating my bedroom from the inside (ie: putting the insulation between the studs), and I'm wondering if I need to…
Quasipickle
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Should I insulate an attic that's over an open porch?

I have a 6ft (approx. 2m) wide porch at the front of my house. The space above the porch opens into the attic, like this: Diagram of porch/attic/house goes here http://img825.imageshack.us/img825/7585/diyquestion.png I'm adding insulation -- R-38…
Niall C.
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How do I determine if I need attic insulation to keep cool in summer?

How can I determine if I need more attic insulation to keep cool in summer? I live in the desert of southern California so it can get pretty hot in the summer (110+ is not uncommon). I would like to lower my electric bill but more to the point I…
dark fader
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How do I insulate a whole-house fan during the winter?

I would like to insulate my whole-house fan in the winter. I've see insulating covers that you can attach with magnetic strips or velcro, but the look does not appeal to me and I don't trust how well a velcro seal would work (our fan is…
sourcenouveau
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How to properly insulate bedroom

I live in an 80-100 year old house (not sure of exact age...my great grandfather built it, and it has been passed down for a few generations). He built it out of whatever was cheap at the time, so in many of the rooms we found things like newspaper…
Grant
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What type of insulation is this and should it be replaced?

We opened one wall in an old New England building and found 4 types of insulation. What are the different types and which one should be replaced? Plan is to used R15 mineral wool batts. No idea what this is. I would replace. Stuffed newspaper. I…
user2503795
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How do I replace insulation in the corner?

I'm re-insulating a room in my house, and have come to the corner. The studs are arranged like so: x| | | - - x = the space I'm talking about, | = studs of an interior wall, - = studs of an exterior wall. Peeking in, I can see there is some loose…
Quasipickle
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Determining if there is insulation behind a wall

Learning today that some of our walls are a whole 20 degrees colder than others (all facing east) I'm convinced we may not have proper insulation (it's a new house, but we've head numerous problems before). What methods, short of cutting a hole,…
Sampson
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Adding Insulation to Exterior Walls

I am looking at purchasing an older home that is brick on concrete blocks on plaster (from the outside in). I recently heard from someone else in the neighborhood that those homes were not constructed with insulation in the exterior walls and have…
justkt
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Is radiant heat in a concrete floor unpleasant in a super-insulated house?

While reading about superinsulation, I came across the idea that a radiant concrete floor is a poor choice if you have really good insulation. The reasoning goes like this: In a regular house you heat through walls, ceiling, windows, etc., so the…
Jay Bazuzi
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Putting plywood between layers of attic insulation

Sorry if this is a silly question, but I've searched an haven't been able to come up with anything helpful. I'm planning on wiring my house for Ethernet, and I'm going up to the attic to do some cable drops. My attic has blown fibreglass insulation…
Andrew K
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What to do with this exterior insulation?

We have these sheets of pink insulation with a light coat of concrete-paint-like stuff (?) wrapped all the way around the base of the house, and as can be seen, it is degrading in both appearance and effectiveness... My question is a call for…
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