Can I Put Board Insulation Under Drywall?

Benefits

• Installing board insulation is an effective way to save money on your heating and cooling bills. Many types of board insulation exist, each having a different R-value, which is a measure of an insulator’s ability to block the transfer of heat. A high R-value indicates an insulator is effective.

Expert Insight

• The U.S. Department of Energy recommends hiring a certified insulation contractor. An expert can help you determine what R-value your home requires and whether board insulation is the most effective way to achieve it. Also, board insulation might seem easy to install, but a single mistake can compromise the integrity of an entire wall or ceiling. For example, failing to seal the gap around an electrical outlet can allow drafts to enter your home even if you install expensive board insulation everywhere else. An expert can anticipate such problems, saving you money in the long run.

Considerations

• If your home’s interior is already covered with drywall, installing board insulation might be too expensive. You’d have to remove all the drywall before you could install the board insulation. Then you would need to install, finish and paint the new drywall.

Alternative

• Blown-in insulation might be a more cost-effective option than board insulation. The contractor will cut holes in your wall or ceiling to blow in tiny pellets of insulating material, filling the spaces between studs. All that remains is to plug the holes with drywall patches. Also, blowing in insulation is a fast way to increase the R-value of attics and crawl spaces, where tight spaces might make installing board insulation inconvenient.