Batt insulation is by far the easiest insulation to install — poorly
Corey Binford is not a professional insulation contractor, he is just a guy who insulated the heck out of his old house. Corey does a good job of explaining how to install batts right.
The goal is to achieve a continuous layer of fluffy insulation because this type of insulation works by trapping air. If you compress the insulation or leave gaps on the edges, you could sacrifice a significant amount of the R-value that you paid for.
You have one chance to insulate right. If you do it wrong, you’re going to have a cold room, your wife is going to be mad at you, and you’re going to waste money — all bad things.
Insulation installation tips:
- Measure each stud bay individually.
- Create a cut station where you can do multiple cuts.
- Add 1/2 in. to each piece’s length o — this makes sure the fit is snug.
- Use a 1x board as a straight edge
- Corey likes the FAT MAX knife. It has a long blade which cuts through thick insulation and the dull segments snap off ($12, #WorthIt)
- For narrow cavities use a long straightedge, like a level, to make sure the cavity is full. Don’t cut it freehand by holding the batt to the wall and cutting in place, and don’t just stuff a full-width batt in there either.
- Fluff up the face before stapling.
- Staple on the face of the stud, not the side.