Handyman Guide > Insulating Your Home

Walls and Roof. The most practical and effective means of preventing heat loss through the walls and roof of a house is by insulation. The value of insulation as a means of keeping the house warmer in winter and cooler in summer has been so well established that today insulation is built into the house along with the heating and plumbing systems. A well insulated house will be considerably cheaper to maintain than one in which insulation was omitted because of the additional cost.


The best time to add insulation is during the construction of the house. A large part of the cost of insulation is the labor involved, and this can be reduced by having the walls and roof insulated before the inside walls are added.

There are many concerns which will insulate a house after it has been completed, and many of them do a very thorough job. The method usually employed is to remove a portion of the exterior wall and blow the insulation into the area between the inner and outer wall by means of air pressure. While this is the quickest and probably the most complete way of insulating a house, the home mechanic can do an adequate job himself, provided he has the time. By taking a small portion of the house at a time, he can completely insulate during the course of the summer and save himself a great deal of money.

Types of Insulation. There are several kinds of insulation. Some come in rigid sheets and can be used like wallboard. Do not, however, expect the inexpensive grades of wallboard to provide good insulation. They are not made for this purpose and should not be used for it. Another form of insulation is the blanket type, and a third type is the dry fill. The choice will depend upon what is to be insulated. In the case of an unfinished attic, for example, it would be impossible to use a dry fill between the roof rafters, and the choice would be either rigid or a blanket type. Likewise, in filling the space between an inner and outcr wall, blanket or rigid insulation would be of little value, and dry fill would be selccted.

A good insulating material, aside from being a poor conductor of heat, must be fireproof, or at least fire-resistant. Using any inflammable material between the walls of a house is a very dangerous practice.

Tested Insulation. Many materials have been tested by the Government laboratories for their insulating qualities. The findings of these tests can be had by writing to the Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C., and requesting the leaflet entitled "Thermal Insulation of Buildings."

The Attic. The best place to start insulating a home is the attic. The greatest heat loss occurs through the roof of a house, and this can be easily verified by noting the length of time required for snow on the roof to melt. If the snow melts rapidly, an excessive amount of heat is being lost. If the snow remains for a long period, it can be assumed that the heat loss is slight.

If the attic is semifinished, and is a sloped type, a very good insulation to use is the blanket variety.

Continue to Blanket and Rigid Insulation








Tools and Materials

Hammers - Handsaws - Screwdrivers - Chisels - Brace and Bit - Hand Drill - Brad Awl - Planes - Files - Measuring Tools - Rules - Squares - Marking Gauge - Levels - Pincers - Nail Set - Drawknife - Cabinet Scraper - Small Tool Kit - Putty Knife - Pliers - Wrenches - Paint Scraper - Sharpening Tools - Nails - Wood Screws - Corrugated Fasteners - Mending Plates - Bolts - Abrasives - Woodworking Glue - Splices and Joints.

The Workshop
Equipping the Workshop - Heating - Fire Precautions - The Workbench - Saw Bucks - Tool Rack.

Home Construction
Elements of the House - Building Materials - Lumber - Molding - Kinds of Wood and their Characteristics - Plywood Wallboard - Roofing Materials - Concrete - Mixing Concrete - Cement Mortar - Concrete Forms - Concrete Blocks - Cinder Blocks - Bricklaying - Fieldstone - Anchoring in Masonry - Soldering.

Furniture
Upholstered Furniture - Furniture Upkeep - Removing Stains - Removing Dents - Leather Upholstery - Cane Seats - Furniture Repairs - How to Repair Breaks - Levelling furniture - Remodeling Furniture - Polishes and Polishing - French Polishing - Painting Furniture - Sticking Drawers - Metal Furniture.

Painting
Paint Brushes - Storing Brushes - Varnish - Water Paint and Plastic Paint - Types of Paint - Paint Thinners - Mixing Paints - Preparing the Surface - Painting Flaws - Removing Paint - Exterior Painting - Painting New Wood - Repainting - Metal - Interior Painting - Calcimine - Painting Woodwork - Old Wood Trim - Staining - Fillers - Varnishing - Bleaching - Enameling - Painting Radiators - Painting Concrete - Shingles - Stoves and Stove Pipes - Whitewash.

Heating
Home Heating Systems - Chimneys - Coal Furnaces - Fuels - Burning Wood - Furnace Dampers - Starting a Coal Fire - Removal of Ashes - Coal Stokers - Oil Burners - Kerosene Heaters - Thermostats - Boiler Dampers - Fuel Economy - Warm Air System - Steam System - Vacuum System - Hot Water System - Radiators - Boilers - Maintaining the System - Insulating the System - Home Insulation - Storm Windows - Weather Stripping - Insulating Your Home - Blanket and Rigid Insulation - Unfinished Attic and Exterior Walls - Winterizing a Cabin - Preparing the foundation - Winterproofing a Cottage - Fireplaces - Reducing Condensation - Humidity.

Plumbing
The Plumbing System - Fresh water supply - Low Water Pressure - Hot Water System - Hot Water Heaters - Hot Water Tanks - Dirty Hot Water - The Sewage System - Sewage Disposal - Cesspools - Septic Tanks - Clearing Sewer Pipes - Clearing Drains - Plumbing Traps - Toilet Traps - Noisy Plumbing - Leaks in Water Tanks - Frozen Pipes - Clogged Water Pipes - Hard Water - Faucets - Shower Mixing Valves - Leaky Flush Tanks - Flush Valves - Removing Toilet Bowl - Leaky Pipes - Draining the Plumbing - Sealing Traps - Draining the Heating System - Types of Pipe - Insulating Pipes - Water Corrosion - Cleaning Fixtures.

Electricity
Definition of Terms - Ohm's Law - Alternating and Direct Current - Sources of Electrical Power - The Electrical System - Overloading the Circuit - Rewiring - Reading a Meter - Precautions - Fuses - Types of Cord - Splicing Wires - Replacing Plugs and Switches - Home Lighting - Electric Motors - Signaling System - Transformers - Burglar Alarms - Repairing the System - How to Install a Bell System.

Sign up for our weekly newsletter about how to start a handyman business. Get tips for finding clients, managing work and more.

More articles about starting a handyman business:

How to Start a Handyman Business

Handyman Business Cards

Handyman Clients: How to Find the Best Ones

Are You Cut Out to Be a Handyman?

Tools for a Handyman Business

Payment Options for Handymen

How To Advertise a Handyman Business



Customer Service Tips for Handymen

Choosing a Name for a Handyman Business

Record Keeping Basics for Handymen

Being a Handyman Versus Having a Handyman Business or a Franchise

Getting a Website for Your Handyman Business

Getting Paid Upfront: Deposit Policies for Handymen

How Much To Charge Per Hour

Should You Charge by the Hour, or by the Job?

Insurance for Handymen

Handyman Business Book Reviews

The Handyman Guide: How to Fix and Build 1000s of Things Around the House