Putting Insulation In My Attic

Your attic should have a certain amount of insulation in it and the recommended level of insulation for your attic is dependent on where you live.

Putting insulation in my attic.

It needs to be unfaced. Achieving greater r values in attics the higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation. Does your attic insulation measure up. For diy attic insulation you ve got two choices.

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. Loose fill or batt insulation is typically installed in an attic. First things first you need to go up into your attic inspect the condition of the insulation and calculate the current level of insulation. In addition to making the unit hard to get to for service high attic heat can trigger the.

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. 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. Both can be added to uninsulated attics or layered over existing material. Once you ve decided which type is best for you examine the material options and prices to home in on the right product.

In general an attic s r value should be between r 30 and r 49. Let s say the insulation you ve selected has an r value of three per inch and. Loose fill insulation is usually less expensive to install than batt insulation and provides better coverage when installed properly. In particularly cold climates you might go up to r 60.

If your insulation doesn t measure up and you need more installation can be done as a weekend diy project or you can call a professional installer to handle the job. If you use fiberglass over loose fill make sure the fiberglass batt has no paper or foil backing. You can add loose fill on top of fiberglass batts or blankets and vice versa. When adding additional insulation you do not have to use the same type of insulation that currently exists in your attic.

Loose fill or batt the common term for blanket insulation. Earlier this year i got a question about a home that had spray foam insulation in the attic. To find out if you have enough attic insulation measure the thickness of the insulation. 3 have a friend add material to the hopper.

Put it in an attic full of blown insulation and you re forcing it to work harder to vent its heat. The first step is to make sure you ve sealed your attic bypasses. Nothing unusual about that.