Installing Vapor Barrier Blown Insulation to Your Basement

When insulating your basement you'll want to consider blown insulation. When coupled with a vapor barrier you are assured of a sealed, dry environment. Blown insulation, which is forced into wall cavities with a blower, is preferable to other types because it can fill every void in your basements walls without cutting and securing boards. Although blown insulation is ideal for use in basement walls, it isn't perfect for attic spaces because if it becomes crushed it will lose it's R value and not be as good an insulator.

Step 1 - Choosing Type of Insulation

Blown insulation is very popular because it can easily and quickly be installed to any wall cavity without much work. There are a few different types of blown insulation which are popular.

The most popular types of blown-in insulation include fiberglass and cellulose. Fiberglass insulation is manufactured from silica which is then melted and spun into a very fine fiber which looks like wool. Cellulose insulation is mostly made from recycled paper, and ammonium sulfate or boric acid which make the material fire proof. These fibers are then blown into the wall cavities to provide insulation.

A vapor barrier can also be blown in at the same time, these are also made from several different materials. They are thin plastic sheets or other materials which will prevent water from getting through the barrier. There are also some barriers which can be painted on top of which are ideal for installing on top of finished walls.

Step 2 - Calculating Amount of Insulation

Before buying the insulation you will have to calculate how much is needed to fill the voids in your walls. Take advantage of the many insulation calculators available on manufacturer's websites. Make sure that you allow for 20 percent more filling than you need because blown in insulation can settle over time which will result in worse efficiency than expected.

A loose fill insulation machine will be required to complete the project. These can be rented and will run using electricity.

Step 3 - Preparation

Now you either need to cut a hole in the cavity wall to allow access, fit cardboard baffles all the way around this hole to prevent the filling from coming back out again.

Take the time to read the manual and find out exactly how to use the loose fill insulation machine so that you don't waste any time or money on hire costs.

Step 4 - Filling the Hole

The wall cavity should now be filled using the loose blown insulation by loading the machine with the loose fill insulation and then switching the machine on. Every insulation machine works slightly differently so you will need to read your user manual to find out how to use it. Most will have trigger controls which make it possible to control the flow of blown insulation easily.