Putting Insulation In My Attic

Let s say the insulation you ve selected has an r value of three per inch and.

Putting insulation in my attic.

The answer depends on where you live the heating and cooling costs in your area your existing insulation levels local codes and more. Find your zone on the map and then use the chart to determine the level of insulation you need to properly insulate your attic walls floors and crawlspaces. First things first you need to go up into your attic inspect the condition of the insulation and calculate the current level of insulation. Put it in an attic full of blown insulation and you re forcing it to work harder to vent its heat.

See more on different types of insulation. You can add loose fill on top of fiberglass batts or blankets and vice versa. The first step is to make sure you ve sealed your attic bypasses. Loose fill or batt insulation is typically installed in an attic.

Nothing unusual about that. Then visit www eere energy gov and do a search for zip code insulation program use the insulation calculator to plug in your zip code lifestyle factors building design energy costs and budget to get a detailed recommendation. If you use fiberglass over loose fill make sure the fiberglass batt has no paper or foil backing. A lot of builders and homeowners are going with spray foam insulation because of the airtightness benefits but then the questioner mentioned that the spray foam contractor had intentionally left big holes to the outside by not sealing the gable vents.

Both can be added to uninsulated attics or layered over existing material. In addition to making the unit hard to get to for service high attic heat can trigger the. Loose fill insulation is usually less expensive to install than batt insulation and provides better coverage when installed properly. It needs to be unfaced.

Once you ve decided which type is best for you examine the material options and prices to home in on the right product. When adding additional insulation you do not have to use the same type of insulation that currently exists in your attic. In particularly cold climates you might go up to r 60. Block all vents in the attic floor with baffles making sure to extend the baffles at least four inches above the planned thickness of your insulation.

3 have a friend add material to the hopper. Achieving greater r values in attics the higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation. For diy attic insulation you ve got two choices. Does your attic insulation measure up.

In general an attic s r value should be between r 30 and r 49. To find out if you have enough attic insulation measure the thickness of the insulation. Earlier this year i got a question about a home that had spray foam insulation in the attic.