DIY Insulation: What You Can and Shouldn’t Do

man installing insulation in walls

If you find yourself researching DIYinsulation projects, then you already know that a well-insulated home is crucial for maintaining comfort, reducing energy costs, and enhancing overall efficiency. There are some insulation projects you can tackle yourself, however, it’s essential to understand what you can do yourself and when it’s best to call in the professionals. This guide will help you make informed decisions about retrofitting your home with insulation.

Different Types of Insulation and How They Are Installed

Cellulose Insulation

Made from recycled paper products, cellulose insulation is an eco-friendly option. It is often blown into walls and attics, making it ideal for retrofitting. Proper equipment is necessary for installation, which might be challenging for DIYers.

Rigid Foam Board Insulation

These boards are great for insulating sheds, accessory dwelling units, some residential exterior walls and basement foundations. They offer high insulation values and moisture resistance. Cutting and fitting rigid foam boards can be labor-intensive, but it’s manageable for experienced DIYers.

Spray Foam Insulation

This type provides excellentair sealing and insulation. It’s sprayed into place, expanding to fill gaps and cracks. Spray foam requires specialized equipment and expertise, making it not suitable for DIY projects.

DIY Insulation: What You Can Do

For homeowners looking to take on insulation projects themselves, it’s best to focus on areas that are easily accessible. Using materials like batt insulation or rigid foam boards—especially if you’re comfortable with them—can be a manageable task. However, it’s important to recognize the limits of DIY insulation. Larger projects, particularly those that are part of a comprehensive whole-home energy efficiency upgrade, as well as spray foam insulation are best left to the professionals. Expert installers have the training, equipment, and experience necessary to ensure that insulation is installed correctly and works in harmony with other crucial elements like air sealing and ventilation. This not only maximizes energy savings but also ensures long-term performance and comfort.

When to Call the Insulation Professionals

To maximize the energy saving potential of insulation and secure it for as long as possible, you are going to want to call an insulation professional to handle your insulation needs from top to bottom. A call to Halco gets you more than just insulation—it gets you: 

Expertise and Equipment

Halco has the expertise and specialized equipment to install multiple insulation materials and access to the right material for the job every single time.

Comprehensive Solutions

As whole-home comfort and efficiency experts, we provide comprehensive solutions that include air sealing, moisture control, ventilation, andheating andcooling to ensure your home is energy-efficient and comfortable.

Air Sealing

Insulation of any type will be dramatically less effective if the home is not thoroughly air sealed. At Halco, insulation and air sealing are rarely talked about separately, because when we do one we also do the other. Using the results of a blower door test, Halco will permanently seal up the air leaks in your home to stop outdoor air infiltration.

Diagnostic Assessments

Another reason to trust an insulation professional is for a thorough assessment of your home’s current insulation status and to identify areas that need improvement. Halco’s assessment process includes diagnostic equipment like thermal imaging, as well as precise load calculations to better customize your insulation upgrades. 

Access to Incentives

By hiring professionals, you might be eligible for NYSERDA (New York State Energy Research and Development Authority) programs and rebates. These incentives can significantly reduce the cost of your insulation project and improve your return on investment.

Call Halco – ‘Cause We Do It All!

While DIY insulation projects can be a great way to improve your home’s comfort and energy efficiency, certain tasks are best left to the professionals. By understanding the types of insulation and assessing your home’s needs, you can make informed decisions about retrofitting your home. Remember, working with professionals not only ensures quality installation but also provides access tovaluable incentives through NYSERDA programs. Contact Halco today to learn more about how our professional insulation services can help you achieve a more comfortable and energy-efficient home.

Tell a Friend About Halco and Earn up to $500

As a token of appreciation for spreading the word about our services, we’re offering a referral bonus of 5% of the sale, up to $500, for each successful referral. It’s our way of saying thank you for trusting us with your referrals and helping us create healthier, more comfortable homes for our community

Find the right insulation and air sealing solutions for homes in the Finger Lakes. Call Halco at315.946.6200.

Whole-Home Comfort, Health, and Energy Efficiency

With heating, cooling, electrical, solar, plumbing, insulation, healthy home services and (much) more, Halco’s in‑house team delivers complete, high‑performance solutions across the Finger Lakes.

Click a county on the map to see the specific cities we serve

Our Service Area

Halco proudly serves homeowners across the Finger Lakes, with teams based in Phelps, Ithaca, Syracuse, and Rochester. No matter where you are, you can count on fast response times and a friendly, local team that knows your community.

Allegany

  • Alfred
  • Allentown
  • Alma
  • Almond
  • Andover
  • Angelica
  • Belfast
  • Belmont
  • Black Creek
  • Bolivar
  • Canaseraga
  • Caneadea
  • Centerville
  • Ceres
  • Cuba
  • Fillmore
  • Friendship
  • Houghton
  • Hume
  • Little Genesee
  • Richburg
  • Rushford
  • Scio
  • Swain
  • Wellsville
  • West Clarksville
  • Whitesville

Broome

  • Bible School Park
  • Binghamton
  • Castle Creek
  • Chenango Bridge
  • Chenango Forks
  • Conklin
  • Corbettsville
  • Deposit
  • Endicott
  • Endwell
  • Glen Aubrey
  • Harpursville
  • Johnson City
  • Killawog
  • Kirkwood
  • Lisle
  • Maine
  • Nineveh
  • Ouaquaga
  • Port Crane
  • Tunnel
  • Vestal
  • Whitney Point
  • Windsor

Chemung

  • Big Flats
  • Elmira
  • Horseheads
  • Pine City
  • Van Etten
  • Breesport
  • Chemung
  • Erin
  • Lowman
  • Millport
  • Pine Valley
  • Wellsburg

Chenango

  • Afton
  • Bainbridge
  • Earlville
  • East Pharsalia
  • Greene
  • Guilford
  • Mc Donough
  • Mount Upton
  • New Berlin
  • North Norwich
  • North Pitcher
  • Norwich
  • Oxford
  • Pitcher
  • Plymouth
  • Sherburne
  • Smithville Flats
  • Smyrna
  • South New Berlin
  • South Otselic
  • South Plymouth

Genesee

  • Alexander
  • Basom
  • Batavia
  • Bergen
  • Byron
  • Corfu
  • Darien Center
  • East Bethany
  • East Pembroke
  • Elba
  • Le Roy
  • Linwood
  • Oakfield
  • Pavilion
  • South Byron
  • Stafford

Madison

  • Bouckville
  • Brookfield
  • Canastota
  • Cazenovia
  • Chittenango
  • Clockville
  • De Ruyter
  • Eaton
  • Erieville
  • Georgetown
  • Hamilton
  • Hubbardsville
  • Leonardsville
  • Madison
  • Morrisville
  • Munnsville
  • New Woodstock
  • North Brookfield
  • Oneida
  • Peterboro
  • Solsville
  • Wampsville
  • West Eaton
  • West Edmeston

Oneida

  • Alder Creek
  • Ava
  • Barneveld
  • Blossvale
  • Boonville
  • Bridgewater
  • Camden
  • Cassville
  • Chadwicks
  • Clark Mills
  • Clayville
  • Clinton
  • Deansboro
  • Durhamville
  • Forestport
  • Franklin Springs
  • Hinckley
  • Holland Patent
  • Knoxboro
  • Lee Center
  • Marcy
  • Mc Connellsville
  • New Hartford
  • New York Mills
  • North Bay
  • Oriskany
  • Oriskany Falls
  • Prospect
  • Remsen
  • Rome
  • Sangerfield
  • Sauquoit
  • Sherrill
  • Stittville
  • Sylvan Beach
  • Taberg
  • Utica
  • Vernon
  • Vernon Center
  • Verona
  • Verona Beach
  • Washington Mills
  • Waterville
  • Westdale
  • Westernville
  • Westmoreland
  • Whitesboro
  • Woodgate
  • Yorkville

Orleans

  • Albion
  • Clarendon
  • Fancher
  • Holley
  • Kendall
  • Kent
  • Knowlesville
  • Lyndonville
  • Medina
  • Waterport

Steuben

  • Bath
  • Corning
  • Hammondsport
  • Painted Post
  • Prattsburgh
  • Wayland
  • Addison
  • Arkport
  • Atlanta
  • Avoca
  • Cameron
  • Cameron Mills
  • Campbell
  • Canisteo
  • Cohocton
  • Coopers Plains
  • Greenwood
  • Hornell
  • Jasper
  • Kanona
  • Lindley
  • Perkinsville
  • Pulteney
  • Rexville
  • Savona
  • Troupsburg
  • Woodhull

Tioga

  • Berkshire
  • Nichols
  • Owego
  • Richford
  • Spencer
  • Tioga Center
  • Waverly
  • Willseyville
  • Apalachin
  • Barton
  • Candor
  • Lockwood
  • Newark Valley
  • Smithboro

Wyoming

  • Arcade
  • Attica
  • Bliss
  • Castile
  • Cowlesville
  • Dale
  • Gainesville
  • Java Center
  • Java Village
  • North Java
  • Perry
  • Pike
  • Portageville
  • Silver Lake
  • Silver Springs
  • Strykersville
  • Varysburg
  • Warsaw
  • Wyoming