NEW ORLEANS Blog

DIY Home Insulation: Cheap Now, Costly Later

We get it, as a homeowner your to-do list can get pricey and if there is a way to save when it comes to home improvement, it’s a route you’ll want to take. Even Home Depot has an entire marketing strategy devoted to DIY projects, making the basic homeowner believe there is no project he cannot tackle on his own. When it comes to home insulation, however, the homeowner needs to leave it to the professionals because things can quickly become hazardous and costly.

Home Damage

The first step in insulation is inspection. A professional can step into your attic, and quickly detect mold and mildew growth, structural damage, and even an infestation. After an initial inspection, a professional will have the right idea in terms of what your home needs and how to get started. There are many types of insulation materials, and areas of your home may need a specific type of material. A professional will make the right choice for all areas of your home and install the insulation correctly.

A DIY’er will have no idea or know what to look for at inspection and may end up causing even more damage to their home by installing incorrectly or choosing the wrong insulation materials. A DIY’er most likely will not have the proper equipment and because of this, they may leave many spaces open during insulation installation that lets air escape. A bad insulation job will lead to excess moisture in your home and cause the growth of mold and mildew, along with potential structural damage.
 

Risk of Injury

Installing insulation is laborious, dangerous, and messy, and needs to be done by a professional. It’s a risky job and there has to be the right safety measures and equipment in place to ensure no one gets hurt. A DIY’er is putting their safety on the line and runs the risk of a bad injury by not hiring a professional.

Professional installers have to suit up because they are going into a chemical zone with dangerous fibers getting everywhere. Professionals also have to be extremely mindful of where they step, because one wrong step can result in falling through the attic floor. Insulation tools can be challenging to figure out, and if they are improperly used it can lead to accidents and injury.

Health Risks

Without properly suiting up, a DIY’er will breathe in insulation materials that contain harmful chemicals that will threaten their health. “Chemical off-gassing” occurs when insulation is improperly installed, and is the release of toxic chemicals and vapors. Breathing in these chemicals will lead to breathing problems, throat irritation, and severe allergic reactions.  Eye and skin contact and exposure to the insulation materials with cause severe irritation. 

DIY’ers also run the risk of being exposed to asbestos if they have an older home. This is because many older homes built before 1990 had vermiculite insulation installed, which contains asbestos. Asbestos can cause cancers such as mesothelioma and lung cancer when inhaled because it is highly carcinogenic. If a DIY’er is handling the installation himself, he could very easily disperse asbestos fibers into the air and increase everyone in the home’s risk of exposure. Because asbestos is highly dangerous, a professional asbestos remover needs to be contacted to remove and dispose of the asbestos safely without harming both humans and the environment. 

Also, attics can easily reach 150+ degrees in the summer in the New Orleans area.  This can cause heat-related issues even if you expose yourself to that type of environment for a short period of time.  Working in that type of space is not very fun and we often find projects that have started, but not completed because the weekend warrior found it too challenging and decided to call in a pro.

What Koala of GNO Can Do

Home insulation is no quick and easy DIY job. It’s a highly dangerous and tedious job that needs to be handled by professionals. When you choose Koala Insulation of GNO to handle your home insulation, you’re choosing quality assurance, health, and safety. A DIY job could cost you more money in the long run because of home damages, health risks, and injuries. Let our team of professionals handle your insulation job. We’ll get it done right and even save you money on your energy bills. Contact us today to set up a free home evaluation. Call us at (504) 930-4093 or book your evaluation here.