How to Insulate an Attic With Drip Edge Soffit Vents

Insulating your attic is an important part of sealing your home and making it more energy-efficient. When laying fiberglass insulation, it's important to keep the area along the edge of the roof clear for ventilation purposes. Many homes have vents in the soffits, which is the flat area underneath the overhang. But if the house doesn't have a soffit, ventilation is installed using smaller vents called drip edge vents.

Fiberglass insulation batts
Safety goggles
Gloves
Mask
Utility knife
Plywood sheets

Instructions

- 1
  Unroll the first batt of insulation onto the ceiling between the ceiling joists. Begin laying the insulation in the eaves and working toward the center of the attic, but keep the space over the drip edge vents clear. Place the vapor barrier (the paper backing) on the correct side when laying the insulation. If you operate the heater more than the air conditioning, lay the insulation with the paper against the ceiling. If you operate the air conditioner more than the heater, lay the insulation with the vapor barrier facing the roof.
- 2
  Lay the second batt of insulation between the joists, butting the edges of the two batts tightly against each other. Cut the batt with a utility knife, if necessary.
- 3
  Continue to lay insulation between the ceiling joists until they're all covered with insulation.
- 4
  Place a second layer of insulation on top of the first layer, perpendicular to the batts in the first layer. Press the batts around the perimeter firmly against the roof rafters, but don't let it come into contact with the sheathing on the roof. This keeps a space clear for the vents. Rip the vapor barrier off of the insulation batts for the second layer before you lay them. Keeping the vapor barrier on can cause condensation, which can lead to mold problems.

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