Determine Need For Attic Insulation

If you notice one or more of these occurring you probably need to take action.

Determine need for attic 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. Common signs of problems with insulation. Choose your insulation type and material 1. According to the u s.

In general an attic s r value should be between r 30 and r 49. However there are a few easy things you can do to see if your attic is properly insulated. 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. R value is a measure of insulation s ability to resist heat flow.

In particularly cold climates you might go up to r 60. Input length and width of area to be insulated. A quick way to see if you need more insulation is to look across your attic floor. Let s say the insulation you ve selected has an r value of three per inch and.

This calculator is to be used as an estimating tool only. The higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the 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. There are four especially common signs of problems with attic insulation.

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 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. Click the button to calculate the amount of insulation in square feet and man hours wall and ceiling fiberglass insulation needed for this job.

To view the next video in this series click here. Inspecting your attic insulation will help you determine your insulation needs. 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. Insulation levels are specified by r value.