Do You Need Attic Insulation

Inspecting your attic insulation.

Do you need attic insulation.

The easiest place to get a gauge on your home s current insulation condition is in the attic. The attic is the easiest place to add insulation to improve your comfort and the energy efficiency of your home. Once you ve decided which type is best for you examine the material options and prices to home in on the right product. You need up to 19 inches or r 49 for efficiency.

All of these components are important to maintaining a safe and effective infrastructure and thus the increasing need for proper and safe attic ventilation. For diy attic insulation you ve got two choices. Do i have enough. This is more expensive and usually requires a contractor but it may be worth the cost especially if you live in a very cold climate.

Insulation level are specified by r value. R value is a measure of insulation s ability to resist heat traveling through it. Although you can get better performance from any insulation simply by installing a greater thickness of it the department of energy recommends you have more than an r 30 rating on your attic insulation. No matter what kind of insulation you currently have in your attic one quick way to determine if you need more is to look across the span of your attic.

To be able to answer this question correctly for your home there are a few factors you need to consider before any major attic insulation project. When it comes to the various types of attic insulation used throughout building structures one of the most popular to use is spray foam insulation. If you are planning to have an attic insulation project for your home you may be wondering whether it is important to have a vapor barrier installed as well. Loose fill or batt the common term for blanket insulation.

If your attic has enough insulation and proper air sealing and your home still feels drafty and cold in the winter or too warm in the summer chances are you need to add insulation to the exterior walls. Achieving greater r values in attics the higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation. Those in very cold climates may need even higher r values. The higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation.

If you don t have enough it may be an indication that your home is under insulated and may not be properly sealed. 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. Both can be added to uninsulated attics or layered over existing material.