The Spruce / Jason Donnelly
Most houses benefit from insulation in the walls.
Learn the options for adding insulation to walls that are already finished withdrywall panelsandpainted.
Professional injection foam installation is best.
The Spruce / Jason Donnelly
A few manufacturers do offer moderately expensive do-it-yourself kits.
Foam insulation is best left in the hands of professionals, though.
It expands to work into difficult areas that blown-in insulation may ignore.
The Spruce / Jason Donnelly
The injection foam process creates holes in the walls that need to be filled, patched, and painted.
Pressure from the foam can damage walls if not applied properly.
Loose-fill cellulose insulation begins as paper and gets turned into insulation.
The Spruce / Jason Donnelly
The key ingredient that makes this work is boric acid.
Loose-fill cellulose insulation tends to settle, potentially resulting in higher energy bills.
While the pellets usually fit around obstructions, this isn’t guaranteed.
The Spruce / Jason Donnelly
Pellets may clog at key points.
BIBS helps to bridge the gap between injected insulation and roll insulation.
The product does not settle.
The initial volume you fill will remain at that volume.
Certified BIBS materials do not soak up moisture, somold and mildew growthis inhibited.
Either fiberglass or rock wool is used.
Rock wool is a mineral that is heated and then spun into a fiber.
Adding roll insulation ensures full coverage in the wall cavities.
The insulation works through or around obstructions like electrical wires, pipes, and cross braces.
The insulation itself is inexpensive, though the overall project is not.
If the walls were painted in lead-based paint, this is a health hazard.
After the insulation has been added, new drywall must be hung, finished, and painted.
