How to Insulate a Sunroom or 3 Season Porch

When chilly days are ahead that means rising heating bills are back and finding new ways to keep out the cold for your budget are back in.

Covering your windo with plastic and using draft stoppers at windows and doors are one way to help keep the heat inside. Hanging thicker curtains and putting down floor rugs are another way to keep rooms toasty in the chillier months - they keep the heat in and help block drafts.

If there are rooms in your house that you do not use as often, be sure to turn off the vent and close the door to those rooms when they are not in use to keep your home warmer for longer and less money.

If you have a three-season room, adding an extra layer of insulation to accessible areas can make a big difference. You may even be able to warm it up enough to make it a room for all seasons. If your walls need insulation, it may involve a bigger project of adding new sheetrock over insulation, or having it blown into the walls. But, if you are just in need of insulation from below, if there is a crawlspace underneath the room, you can easily insulate it on your own without the help of expensive contractors.

Here's a quick explanation of what you'll need and how to do it

Supplies

• Polyethelene vapor barrier
• Rolled fiberglass insulation
• Protective goggles and work gloves
• Styrofoam insulation (2-inch-thick)
• Furring strips or wire
• Staple gun and staples
• Nails
• Wire mesh
• Plywood

How-to

• Use a vapor barrier to keep your floor above free from condensation caused by the new insulated area. This can be stapled up between the floor joists.
• Roll out the fiberglass insulation sheets between the joists, facing side up, making sure it is snugly in place. Make sure that you wear gloves and a mask for protection.
• Cut styrofoam insulation to the correct size and layer it below the fiberglass already in place. Nail or staple the furring strips between the joists to hold the Styrofoam in place. Alternatively, you can use wire crossed diagonally back and forth between nails to hold it up in place.
• Cover the entire area with wire mesh stapled into place to prevent critters from moving in.
• Lastly, nail up a layer of plywood to enclose the insulated area as an extra layer of protection from the elements. Be sure to leave two small open holes covered with mesh on either side of the area for ventilation.

Chances are, if your room is not insulated from below, the walls and roof may not be either. Now that you are inspired from this quick insulation fix, you can move on to these new tasks knowing the basics and continue learning more about wall and ceiling insulation, giving you a room that you can use year-round.

Just having the insulation from below as described above should make a difference in how long you can use the room into the year, and will help keep adjacent rooms warmer as well.