If your attic floors and or walls do not have the proper level of insulation a big chunk of the costly cooled or heated air meant for the inside of your home may be making its way outside.
Compare attic insulation products.
Both can be added to uninsulated attics or layered over existing material.
Loose fill or batt the common term for blanket insulation.
For diy attic insulation you ve got two choices.
Cellulose doesn t use any greenhouse gases as propellants.
Cellulose is very inexpensive when it comes to attic projects in comparison to other materials.
If you don t have hvac and ducts in the attic spray foam on the roofline isn t really necessary.
This makes insulation incredibly important.
However foam insulation has higher r values and forms an air barrier which can eliminate some of the other costs and tasks associated with weatherizing a home such as caulking applying housewrap and vapor barrier and taping joints.
Cellulose has more recycled material than any other commercially available insulation.
Foam insulation products and installation usually cost more than traditional batt insulation.
If you do have insulation find out the type and compare it to industry standards.
They sport insulation values of approximately r 6 5 and r 3 6 per inch respectively.
Choose from two types.
This type of insulation.
Loose fill blown in insulation.
Manufacturers determine the value by the r value or number.
The us department of energy has found that the average american home puts 44 percent of its total energy used towards cooling and heating.
The pros and cons of insulation types.
I d blow insulation on the attic floor after air sealing of course.
Fiberglass batts and blankets.
Once you ve decided which type is best for you examine the material options and prices to home in on the right product.
It s generally 3 to 4 times what you ll pay for blown cellulose or fiberglass.
Closed cell and open cell aka 2 pound and pound respectively.
The big disadvantage with spray foam is cost.
It s available in fiberglass mineral wool plastic fibers and natural fibers.
Spray foam attic insulation spray foam offers the best attic insulation performance available.
Blanket insulation is available as batts or rolls and is the easiest diy insulation material.
Calculate additional insulation needed.
Achieving greater r values in attics the higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation.
It can be a do it yourself attic insulation project.
The higher the r value the better the insulation works.