Attic Insulation Levels

Where we re lacking a bit is in the attic.

Attic insulation levels.

Looking across your attic if the insulation is level with or below the attic floor joists you probably need to add more insulation. Inspecting your attic insulation first things first you need to go up into your attic inspect the condition of the insulation and calculate the current level of insulation. Our attic has between 12 inches and 16 inches of cellulose insulation. Add insulation to attic.

Add the right kind of insulation. Insulation levels are specified by r value. The higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation. Achieving greater r values in attics the higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation.

R value is a measure of insulation s ability to resist heat flow. 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. For batts or rolls calculate the number based on the width and length of the product you re using. Existing 3 4 inches of insulation.

The recommended level for most attics is to insulate to r 38 or about 10 to 14 inches depending on insulation type. Existing 3 4 inches of insulation. Add the following insulation levels to your attic floor. In most cases the best type of attic insulation will be blown fiberglass or blown cellulose insulation.

Measure your attic s square footage. Each bag lists the required depths for a range of r values and the number of bags needed to cover 1 000 square feet at those depths. Add insulation to attic. For uninsulated attics for attics with existing 3 4 inches of insulation for uninsulated basements or crawlspaces.

When adding additional insulation you do not have to use the same type of insulation that currently exists in your attic. You will want to record your measurement so you can determine how much more insulation you need to achieve the recommended levels. So we have between r36 and r56 in the attic. Recommended insulation levels for retrofitting existing wood framed buildings.

The depth varies quite a bit because we have attic trusses and a floor in the attic. 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. The levels of attic insulation recommended today by energy star are substantially higher than those used earlier so it s worth checking out what s recommended in your geographic area.