Adding Attic Insulation
Improve Energy Efficiency by Adding Attic Insulation
If your attic and basement are air-sealed, it’s time to assess your attic insulation and make any required upgrades. The attic is a great area to start insulating your house to save money and energy.
Do You Have Enough Attic Insulation?
Even if your attic is well-insulated, a fast method to see if you need more is to look down the length of your roof. More insulation is needed if your existing insulation is slightly above or level with your floor joists (i.e. your joists are clearly visible). Adding extra insulation may not be cost efficient if you can’t see any floor joists due to the thick layer of insulation covering them. Even distribution of insulation is critical. Low spots can occur if too much insulation is placed in the center of the attic and too little around the eaves. If your attic insulation is equally spread and covers your joists, you should be good to go.
Exactly how much Insulation should I put in my attic?
R-Value is a term used to describe the insulation level. In insulation, R-Value refers to the material’s capacity to resist heat flow. Higher R-Value insulation has superior thermal performance. Depending on the kind of insulation, it is advised to insulate most attics to an R-38 rating, which equates to 10 to 14 inches of insulation.
Increase the Effectiveness of Your Insulation
Adding more insulation does not mean using the same sort of insulation that’s already there. Adding loose fill on top of fiberglass batt insulation is an option. If you’re going to put fiberglass over loose fill, ensure sure the fiberglass batt insulation doesn’t have any paper or foil backing. Addition of loose fill may need the use of a blowing machine, which we use often at Spring Insulation, LLC.