DIY Loose Fiberglass Installation

Insulating walls in new construction, or in remodeling projects in which the walls have been ripped open, usually entails just setting rolls of fiberglass insulation between the studs. If the walls are closed, however, insulating them gets more complicated. In that case, the solution is to blow the loose fiberglass insulation in through holes bored into the wall, near the top, between each set of studs. If your home has horizontal siding that can be partly removed and reinstalled, you can blow it in from the outside, which makes for easier repairs than doing it from the inside.

Hammer
Pry bar
Electronic stud finder
Pencil
Insulation blower
Jigsaw
Loose fiberglass insulation
Spray foam insulation (in cans)
Trim nails
Work gloves

Instructions

- 1
  Pry off a horizontal line of exterior siding from the wall you want to insulate, at a level that will put it even with the top of the wall on the room inside. Don't break the siding as you remove it. Set it aside for reinstallation later.
- 2
  Use an electronic stud finder to locate each stud in the exposed part of the wall. Draw a pencil mark halfway between each pair of studs. For a house with standard studs, the marks should end up being 16 inches apart.
- 3
  Press the round end of the blower hose from the insulation blower into the wall at the first mark. Trace around the hose end with a pencil to put a circle on the wall.
- 4
  Use a jigsaw to cut out each of the traced circles.
- 5
  Load the insulation blower with loose fiberglass insulation. Insert the blower hose into the first hole, feeding it all the way in to the bottom of the wall cavity inside.
- 6
  Turn on the blower. Fill the cavity with loose insulation, withdrawing the hose gradually as it fills. Pull the hose out completely and turn off the machine. Repeat this step with each hole.
- 7
  Block each of the holes with foam insulation, spraying it into the mouth of the holes and letting it set.
- 8
  Reinstall the siding, nailing it back in place with a hammer and trim nails, covering the holes.

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