How to Insulate Walls with Roxul: A Step-by-Step Guide

As I stand here in front of my exterior wall, I'm excited to share with you how I insulate it using Roxul insulation. This is a project I've always wanted to tackle because Roxul is not only an effective way to insulate and lower your utility bills but also soundproofs your house to a certain extent. With its proven track record of performance, I'm confident that this method will be a game-changer for homeowners looking to upgrade their home's energy efficiency.

Roxul ComfortBatt: The Insulation of Choice

The Roxul ComfortBatt is the insulation material I'll be using in this project. Not only does it save energy, but it's also fire-resistant, which is why I chose it for this task. Fire-resistant insulation is essential, especially if you live in a region prone to wildfires or have children who may accidentally knock over candles or other open flames. The ComfortBatt fits into 2x4 studs and joists, making it easy to install. Each bag provides about 60 sq. ft. of coverage for exterior walls, basements, and crawlspaces, with 12 batts per bag. The batts are 3½" thick and 15¼" wide, ensuring a snug fit in standard stud bays.

Wearing Protective Gear is Crucial

Before starting the project, it's essential to wear protective gear. Roxul insulation can be itchy if you get it on your skin, so I recommend wearing a respirator, long-sleeved shirt, and gloves to prevent any discomfort or allergic reactions. With these precautions in place, I'm ready to begin the installation process.

Placing the Batt at the Top of the Stud Bay

To start, I'll place the batt at the top of the stud bay, ensuring it's flush with any header. Then, I'll tuck it in so that it's flush with the studs. It's essential not to smush the batt down, as this can ruin its R-value and compromise the insulation's effectiveness.

Cutting the Batt to Size

More often than not, you'll need to cut the bottom batt to size. To do this, I'll measure from the bottom of the top batt to the top of the bottom base plate. This will ensure a precise fit in the stud bay. I'll then cut the batt using either a drywall knife or a standard bread knife, making sure it's ½-1" longer than my measurement.

Adding Extra Width for Irregular Bay Sizes

If you have an irregular-sized bay, such as one that measures about 10", I recommend adding ½-1" to the width of the Roxul piece. This will provide a snug fit and improve energy efficiency. In this case, my stud bay was about 10" wide, so I cut the Roxul at 11".

Tucking in the Batt

Once I've cut the batt to size, I'll tuck it in tightly, ensuring there are no gaps between the batts and the top and bottom of the stud bay. This will ensure optimal energy efficiency and soundproofing.

Handling Pipes in the Stud Bay

When working with pipes in your stud bay, it's essential to measure from the edge of the pipe to the edge of the stud and transfer that measurement to the Roxul batt. I'll then cut out a groove in the Roxul using the same width as the pipe. Next, I'll remove about half of the insulation, taking care not to damage any pipes or wires.

Cutting Around Pipes

When cutting around pipes, it's best to fit the Roxul in the center of the stud bay, allowing for flexibility and easy installation. This will ensure that the pipe can slide up into the bay without any issues.

Handling Electrical Wires

Electrical wires require a slightly different approach. I'll look at the wire and cut a groove into the Roxul according to the manufacturer's instructions. Then, I'll place the batt into the stud bay so that the wire fits snugly into the groove.

Working Around Electrical Boxes

When working around electrical boxes, it's essential to measure carefully and cut out sections of the Roxul to fit snugly around the box. This will ensure a secure and efficient installation.

Conclusion

And that's how you insulate walls using Roxul! With these step-by-step instructions, you'll be able to upgrade your home's energy efficiency and soundproofing, creating a more comfortable and sustainable living space. Remember to always wear protective gear and measure carefully to ensure optimal results. If you have any questions or need further clarification on any of the steps, feel free to leave a comment below. Thanks for joining me today, and I'll see you in the next video!

"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enHi, I’m Jeff Patterson with Home RepairTutor, and in this video I’m going to sharewith you how to insulate walls, specificallyusing Roxul insulation. This is a projectI’ve always wanted to do because Roxul isreally, really cool. It’s a proven way tonot only insulate and lower your utility bills,but soundproof your house to a certain extent.So I’m super stoked to share with you howI did it. I hope this video helps you out.Let’s get to it.Here’s my exterior wall or walls – prettystandard stuff. Got your stud bays. Here’sthe Roxul ComfortBatt. That’s what I’mgoing to be using. Now it saves energy, andit’s fire resistant. The fire resistantpart is why I’m using it. It’ll fit into2x4 studs and joists, and each bag gives youabout 60 sq. ft. of coverage for exteriorwalls, basements, and crawlspaces. There are12 batts per bag. They are 3½” thick and15¼” wide. So it’ll fit a standard studbay. Roxul’s made out of stone wool, whichgives it the fire resistance. But make sureyou wear a respirator, long sleeved shirt,and gloves because, like, every insulation– it’s itchy if you get it on your skin.So start by placing the batt at the top ofthe stud bay, flush with any header. And thentuck it in so that it’s flush with the studs.You don’t want to smush it down becausethat’ll ruin the R-value. As you can seehere, it’s flush with the studs, and thathelps maintain its efficiency.More often than not, you’re going to haveto cut the bottom batt to size. So get yourmeasurement from the bottom of the top battto the top of the bottom base plate. Get thatmeasurement. And then you can cut your battusing either a drywall knife or a standardbread knife because this is kind of like cuttingthrough a loaf of bread. But you want to makethat bottom batt ½-1” longer than the measurementthat you got. And you do that because youwant the batt to fit tight to the bottom plateand then to the bottom of the top batt. Asyou can see here, the fit is pretty tight.There are no gaps in between the batts andthe top and the bottom of the stud bay.Now if you have an irregular-sized bay – soin this case, I have one that measures about10” – what you want to do is add ½-1”to the width of the Roxul piece that you’regoing to cut to size. So my stud bay was about10” wide, so I cut the Roxul at 11”. Again,it’s like cutting through a loaf of bread.All you need to do now is tuck in that pieceof Roxul, and that extra ½-1” distancegives it a really nice, tight fit and improvesthe energy efficiency.How do you handle pipes in your stud bay?Well, what you do is you get the measurementfrom the edge of the pipe to the edge of thestud, and you transfer that measurement tothe Roxul batt. And then you cut out a groovethe same width as the pipe into the Roxul.And then remove about one half of the insulation.What I found with pipes is it’s best tofit the Roxul in the center of the stud baybecause the pipe has a little bit of flexibility,and you can slide it up into the bay, likeI did here. So that’s how you cut aroundpipes.But wires a little bit different. So whatyou do is you look at the wire, and you cuta groove into the Roxul – now this is perthe Roxul directions. And what you do is youplace the batt into the stud bay so that thewire fits into that groove. So that’s howyou handle electrical wires.Electrical boxes are a little bit different.You need to get the measurement of where theelectrical box is, and then cut out sectionsof the Roxul so that the Roxul fits nice andsnug to the box.Well, that’s how you insulate walls usingRoxul. Super simple and straightforward, right?Not only does it insulate and lower your utilitybills, it also soundproofs to a certain extent– and that is really important if you gotloud kids or friends who like to stay overat your house late at night when it’s timefor you to go to bed.All right. Remember, if you haven’t alreadydone so, you can click the subscribe button.That way you’ll get one of my videos everysingle Friday. It’s meant to help you, thatis, the videos are meant to help you withyour own projects. I think you’ll really,really like them. So click that subscribebutton.And that’s it for today. Thanks for joiningme. I really appreciate your time. Take care.I’ll see you soon.\n"