Attic Insulation No Deep Enough

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.

Attic insulation no deep enough.

If it s shallower than 7 deep your home is lacks enough insulation. To see how to add. You can assess existing insulation to find out if you have enough in your attic. In atlanta 16 18 deep is recommended.

Poor insulation is usually the culprit although if you enter the attic on sunny winter day your attic space can be warmed by the sun more than your furnace. Sometimes there is enough insulation in the middle of the attic and very little along the eaves. Having enough insulation in your attic is one of the best ways to save energy on both heating and cooling your home. Adding insulation cuts down on energy required to keep the temperature regulated in your home.

Always cover the tops of the ceiling joists to make sure the insulation is deep enough to reach your target r value and to prevent thermal bridging the heat loss that occurs through the wood framing. The higher the r value the better job the insulation does at preventing the transfer of heat. How well a particular insulation works is expressed by the r value which ranges from 2 0 to 8 0 per inch of insulation. Having the correct amount of attic insulation can help you maintain a comfortable temperature throughout your home and help save money on your energy bills plus prevent major issues like ice dams in the winter.

Additionally if your home is more than 10 years old you ll likely need increased insulation. Your local insulating professional will have a good idea of which type works best in your area. The table below shows what levels of insulation are cost effective for different climates and locations in the home. Not getting insulation out to the edges when you re prepping the attic use a broom handle or stick to push the existing insulation out to the edges.

It is important that the insulation be evenly distributed with no low spots. Insulation level are specified by r value. Unless your roofing system has insulation on the roofing deck and is designed without ventilation your furnace should not be heating your attic. Work from the perimeter of the attic toward the door or hatch so that you don t trample all over the insulation you just put in.

R value is a measure of insulation s ability to resist heat traveling through it. No matter where you live energy efficiency is always a wise home investment. Not sealing attic air leaks first no amount of insulation is going to help if you don t seal your attic properly says olson.