Adding Insulation To Attic Worth It

We offer our review of the three most popular types of attic insulation with a look at each one s pros and cons.

Adding insulation to attic worth it.

Affix rigid foam insulation to the attic side of the hatch or door. The higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation. A home energy company has proposed a solution that involves sealing air leaks in the bedroom ceilings attic floor sealing around the chimney weatherizing the attic hatch insulating a few roof areas that the builders missed and adding cellulose to the rest of the attic to bring it up to r 60. Add weatherstripping around the perimeter and a sweep to the door of a walk up attic.

When adding additional insulation you do not have to use the same type of insulation that currently exists in your. To install fiberglass batts over existing insulation lay the batts perpendicular to the joists so they do not compress the insulation below. You can do it yourself for about 500. Use a zippered insulated tent to keep the enclosure draft free attic tent at 7 attic cover insulator 120.

Whether you live in a warm weather state as i do or in a cooler northern climate it s hard to stay comfortable and keep your energy bills in check if you don t have adequate insulation in the attic. Add the right kind of insulation. Just keep in mind the savings from adding insulation to your attic will vary greatly depending on how well sealed the home is how large the house is how much insulation is there to begin. Attic hatch or door.

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. The pros charge 1 500 to 2 000 to do a 1 200 sq ft. 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. Your options for attic insulation range from radiant barriers to sheets of mineral wool but most homeowners stick with products made from cellulose or fiberglass.

Blown in insulation overview. Blown in spray foam batts and blankets. To determine whether you should add insulation. The blue line in all the graphs below shows the heat flow through the wall and the red columns show either the stepwise or cumulative reduction in heat flow compared to what it was with an r 2 r 11 or r 16 wall.

Pull down stair or ladder. The recommended level for most attics is to insulate to r 38 or about 10 to 14 inches depending on insulation type. Check the attic walls and floors adjacent to an unheated space like a garage or basement. If you need to add insulation in your attic save big by blowing in cellulose insulation yourself.

As you keep adding more and more insulation you keep reducing the heat flow through the wall more and more.