Determine Need For Attic Insulation

Input length and width of area to be insulated.

Determine need for attic insulation. If your insulation level is at or below the top of the floor joists you probably need to add more insulation but remember to seal the air leaks before you insulate. To view the next video in this series click here. This calculator is to be used as an estimating tool only. If you think you re among the 90 of us homes that are under insulated 1 performing a simple insulation inspection will help you determine your insulation needs.

The recommended level for most attics is to insulate to r 38 or about 10 to 14 inches depending on insulation type. If you can t see the joists because the insulation is above them then you should measure the insulation depth with a ruler to see if you have enough. If you notice one or more of these occurring you probably need to take action. The correct amount can help maintain a comfortable temperature and save money.

Common signs of problems with insulation. Use unfaced insulation when adding more insulation to an attic that already has some insulation laying the rolls or batts at right angles to the floor joists. Choose your insulation type and material 1. There are four especially common signs of problems with attic insulation.

In particularly cold climates you might go up to r 60. The higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation. Let s say the insulation you ve selected has an r value of three per inch and. A quick way to see if you need more insulation is to look across your attic floor.

Loose fill insulation fibers are packaged in bags and blown in place to the desired depth and density using special. Department of energy it s recommended that attics have an r 38 to r 49 or about 12 to 15 of fiberglass or cellulose insulation. R value is a measure of insulation s ability to resist heat flow. According to the u s.

Achieving greater r values in attics the higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation. However there are a few easy things you can do to see if your attic is properly insulated. Inspecting your attic insulation will help you determine your insulation needs. In general an attic s r value should be between r 30 and r 49.