There are other materials and systems that you can use to insulate your attic.
Alternatives to dry wall attic insulation.
Some of these alternatives are designed for high moisture environments such as basements while others do have that inherent visual interest lacking in drywall.
In my example below i used xps right under the roof deck for a cathedral type of ceiling.
It s a sandwich of rigid foam insulation and plywood or osb oriented strand board the flaky plywood.
Cotton denim insulation is made from industrial scraps in the textile industry using the leftover clothes from retailers to recycle it into insulation.
Paneling or a custom finish are two of the most popular alternatives to drywall in the basement.
If you don t intend to finish your attic you could put the xps sheets on the floor instead.
One of the strongest home insulation alternatives icynene is a spray foam made out of castor oil that expands about 100 times its volume when you spray it into a wall or ceiling.
Plastic paneling is very easy to install making it an easy drywall alternative to recommend.
Made from tiny thin strands of glass woven together and sprayed with formaldehyde yes the same chemical used to embalm corpses it s most attractive to homeowners for its affordability.
Even if you use drywall as the base some of these other options can be installed on top of the drywall.
Instead of using spray foam some builders that are looking to make greener buildings are using alternatives like cotton denim and cellulose insulation.
For diy attic insulation you ve got two choices.
Once you ve decided which type is best for you examine the material options and prices to home in on the right product.
If you don t have an attic however there is no alternative but climb a ladder and do it by hand before you hang the drywall.
Not only does it.
One that i like a lot since i built a house out of them is the structural insulated panel.
You can put them right over the studs so it s really convenient overall.
However it s not the best insulator for your home.
Leaving the bare insulation open to view is both ugly and impractical so you ll need an attractive covering to finish the look.
The best option is to install fiberglass batt insulation.
Types of alternative insulation fiberglass is the most common type of home insulation.
Loose fill or batt the common term for blanket insulation.
You can simply screw most plastic paneling into place and you will be able to cover up walls directly.
Closed cell foam is a great insulator but has drawbacks too.
But there are alternatives to drywall.