Attic Insulation Cellulose Thickness

First things first you need to go up into your attic inspect the condition of the insulation and calculate the current level of insulation.

Attic insulation cellulose thickness.

When blown into attics and wall spaces loose fill fiberglass offers an average r 2 5 thermal value per inch the higher the number the greater the insulating effect. Measure the depth of your current insulation. The table below shows what levels of insulation are cost effective for different climates and locations in the home. If your current insulation is only five inches deep you will need to add seven inches of insulation to achieve the 12 inch r 38 rating.

The higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation. Inspecting your attic insulation. This flexible insulation material is most often packaged in rolls that come in various thicknesses and standard widths usually 16 inches and 24 inches to fit between joists or studs in a house s framing. So what are the advantages and disadvantages of each of these.

Cellulose provides an r value of approximately 3 5 per inch. R value is a measure of insulation s ability to resist heat traveling through it. Cellulose will settle after installation creating a dense continuous layer helping to block air transfer through any holes into your attic. In temperate coastal areas such as zone 3 attic insulation of at least r30 up to a maximum of r60 is recommended.

The cellulose product home comfort insulation uses is treated with 100 borate fire retardant formula. For loose fill cellulose this translates to a total depth ranging from 8 inches. They come with or without a paper or foil facing that acts as a vapor barrier. Loose fill cellulose is relatively inexpensive yet still has an r value of about 3 5 per inch of thickness compared to fiberglass r value between r3 to r4 per inch.

If you hire a pro they use wet spray cellulose which adds a small amount of water to help control the dust and to slightly increase the insulation value per inch. It is pulverized into a fine powder that adheres and remains a part of the insulation. Measure the area needing insulation. R 38 is the industry standard and the minimum thickness for r 38 is 12 inches.

The cellulose insulation method creates lots of dust but it gets the job done. Unless you opt for spray foam then the insulation choices normally come down to cellulose and fibreglass. You d need a thickness of. 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.