How To Insulate A Closet

If getting dressed in the morning is a chore because your closet is freezing, it's time to learn about a few strategies to keep it cozy and warm. But how do you add more insulation to a closet? We've researched this topic thoroughly, and here's what we've found out!

Insulating your closet can help you address your chilly closet problem. One of the most common reasons is a poorly insulated exterior wall. Here is what you can do:

  1. Drill holes in the wall between studs
  2. Use a blower to fill the wall with insulation through the holes
  3. Seal and paint the holes

In this article, we'll look at each step in more detail as well as how to find the source of cold in your closet and how to insulate if the culprit is the floor, ceiling, or interior wall. Keep reading to learn everything you need to know about keeping your closets warm throughout the year!

A large wardrobe with stylish women's clothing, shoes, accessories and boxes, How To Insulate A Closet

Reasons Why Your Closets Are Cold

Your bedroom closets will likely freeze over the winter if they have little to no insulation. There are two main reasons why bedroom closets feel cold in the winter.

Cute young woman in bathrobe standing in front of hanger rack and trying to choose outfit dressing for work or walk

Uninsulated Exterior Wall

It goes without saying that if your closets are located on an uninsulated outside wall, they will freeze in the winter. The frost may creep into your bedroom, resulting in an unwanted chill.

The closet Does Not Have a Duct to Supply Air

Air gaps under your closet door allow for better air circulation, which is beneficial for keeping your closet warm.

However, if your closet is still chilly despite having air supply vents and is insulated, there are perhaps more explanations behind this. 

The heat created by your heating system may be channeled to other areas during the winter, leaving your closets chilly.

This is most likely due to the vents not being fully open. If this is the case, you may need to partially open the closet door.

How to Insulate a Closet

Worker hands in white gloves insulating rock wool insulation staff in wooden frame for future walls for cold barrier

Below are a few basic procedures for heating a closet. Fortunately, the majority of these steps can be implemented without the help of professionals.

Determine the Source of Cold

Generally, touching the walls will reveal the source of the cold. Make sure you also check the coldness of the floor by touching it. All of the uncomfortably chilly sides should be insulated right away.

The cold in closets may come from an outside wall. However, cold can also originate from the floors or the ceiling. So, a thorough inspection is required. This way you can make sure your closet is well-insulated from all directions.

Let's look at how to insulate your closet from every angle so you can have the comfort you crave.

Insulate the Exterior Walls

Many people would rather rip off the drywall, insulate it, then hang and finish it. While hanging and finishing drywall is relatively simple and can be learned by most, removing may not be the easiest approach.

Instead, you can fill the walls with + insulation by making just a few holes between the studs. Let's look at how!

Step 1: Drill Holes in the Wall.

Electric drill making hole in foam sheet wall

  • Using a high-quality stud finder, locate all studs on the wall and mark them with a pencil.
  • Between each pair of studs, drill a tiny hole 1-2 inches in diameter.
  • The holes should be bored at the top of the wall so that the insulation can naturally pile up and form an even layer.

Step 2: Insert the insulation into the cavities with a blower.

  • Using a hose, inject cellulose or spray foam into the cavities until they are completely filled.
  • You'll need to inspect for any obstructions if you're injecting insulation into all outside walls.
  • You can choose whether to blow from the top or bottom, depending on the obstructions.

Step 3: Seal and Paint.

  • You'll need to patch the installation holes after you've filled the walls.
  • Replace the cutouts, then fill with wood filler and let dry.
  • After all of the holes have been fixed and dried, sand them smooth and paint them to match the rest of the wall.

Spray foam Insulation

Construction worker spraying expandable foam insulation

Spray foam injection is the way to go if you don't want to remove the drywall.

Spray foam is a polymer that's sprayed as a liquid before expanding when it comes into contact with air.

Despite its fluffy appearance, has a far higher R-value. Also, one of the most astounding features of spray foam is that it expands to fill cracks without leaving any air spaces.

Insulate the Closet Floor

You should also insulate the floor of your closet if it is uncomfortably cold. Fortunately, insulating the floor is even easier than insulating the walls, especially if you are a skilled DIYer.

If the closet floor is above the crawl space, the best thing to do is install insulation between the floor joist. 

The steps for insulating the closet floor are as follows:

Step 1: Check If There's a Crawlspace Under the Closet

  • You'll want to make the crawlspace as accessible as possible.
  • Check it regularly to ensure that it is in good condition.
  • Insects or other rodents can get into a crawl space and cause damage to the insulation, so make sure to check that too.

Step 2: Use Spray Foam Insulation

  • The natural movement of your home's settling might potentially remove insulation.
  • You can avoid this by using spray foam insulation, which is more costly than fiberglass. However, spray insulation is much more efficient. 

Step 3: Insulate on the Top

  • If your home is built on a concrete slab and you want to put in new flooring, you need first to lay down a layer of rigid insulation.
  • Placing area rugs in the winter is a basic type of insulation if you're not in a rush to replace your current floors.
  • Because of the risk of mildew, placing wall-to-wall carpeting over a poorly insulated and unheated concrete slab might be challenging.

Insulate the Closet Ceiling

The cold in your bedroom closet could be coming from the attic. So, you'll also need to insulate the ceiling.

Fiberglass insulation can be used to insulate your ceiling for maximum energy efficiency.

Here's how to go about it. 

Step 1: Determine the size of the space.

  • Measure the distance between joists and make sure you include all spaces in your calculations.
    • The usual joist spacing is 24-inches.
  • Determine the approximate size of the area you wish to insulate.
    • Unless you wish to insulate the entire ceiling, this is the region above your bedroom closet.
  • You'll also need to figure out what R-value you'll require — R-value can be given via code.
    • The better the insulation, the greater the R-value.

Step 2: Prepare to put the insulation in place.

  • Almost every home has wires going through the ceiling, so you must turn off the electricity before beginning installation for safety reasons.
  • It's also a good idea to see if your ceiling is solid enough to support the weight of the insulation.
  • Plumbing lines rarely, but may sometimes pass through the closet in the bedroom.

Step 3: Put in the insulation.

  • Filling the crevices between the joists is the first step in applying insulation.
  • Cut the batts to the right size before tucking them into cavities without squeezing them.
  • The efficiency of fiberglass insulation is reduced when it is compressed.
  • Place the basts between all of the joists and onto the ceiling plaster.
  • After filling the gaps between the joists, add a second layer of unfaced insulation to completely cover the joists.
  • Keep an eye out for recessed lights when putting the insulation.
  • Keep insulation at least 3-inches away from fixtures unless they are insulation-contact (IC) rated.

Insulating the Closet Wall

As previously stated, the external wall is the usual suspect for a cold closet. Installing insulation on the interior walls, on the other hand, will ensure that the closet retains as much heat as possible.

Although R-1 is the suggested R-value for closet walls, there is no harm in increasing it. The higher the R-value, the better insulation it will provide. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is my closet cold even with the insulation?

When it comes to temperature control, the closet is probably the worst place in the house. It's fairly common for the closet to be cold, particularly if there are no supply air ducts.

If you live in a particularly cold climate, your bedroom closet may get cold even if it is insulated. Although R-11 is the required R-value for a closet wall, you will get better results by opting for a higher R rating.

Installing insulation with R-30 can be more effective in icy situations, and it won't cost much more than R-11.

What is Pink Insulation Called?

That fluffy insulation that looks like pink clouds is made of fiberglass. As many as 90% of buildings in the US use fiberglass insulation. Russell Games Slayter invented this product back in 1938 for Owens-Corning.

What is Batt Insulation?

Cutting Mineral wool with utility knife

Mineral wool (also rock wool) is used to make batt insulation. Traditionally, batt insulation was made in rolls, but it is now made in precut sizes to meet industry standards. Batt insulation can be put with or without a facing, also known as kraft-faced batts.

Is R13 good insulation?

In many of the country's southern regions, R13 is effective at reducing chilly temperatures. R13 insulation is often the primary choice for many property owners because many homes have 2x4 wall framing, particularly in their basements.

Conclusion

If you're a skilled DIYer, you'll find that installing insulation in your home closet is simple, so long as you know what to do.

Now you know how to identify the source of cold in your closet and insulate it to keep your closet as cozy as the rest of your home!

I hope you found this article useful! Below are more worthy reads you could check out!

Where To Buy Rigid Foam Insulation?

What R Rating To Use For Attic Insulation?

 

 

Share this article

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *