How to Increase Attic-Insulation Efficiency

Information may not be reliable

When you have your home inspected, your Brandon home inspector will let you know how the insulation in the attic is. If you need a recommendation of a Brandon home inspector, ASHI Suncoast can help you find one that is reliable and certified in home inspections.

Heat Is Loss through Attics

Houses are going to lose a lot of heat through the attic space. Putting in insulation in the attic of your house will help to keep the heat inside of the house. It is easier then you may think in putting in insulation inside your attic to keep the heat where it belongs.

Statistics have shown that 85% of heat is loss through the attic space of a house. Houses that were built before the energy crunch in the early 1970’s are most likely going to have a small amount of fiberglass insulation in the attic. No matter when the house was built, it is probably wasting energy and money because of the heat loss.

Insulation Measurements

The amount of insulation a material provides is measured by its R-value. The higher the number in the R-value, the more effective the insulation is going to be in the attic. Houses that were built before the 1970’s most likely have an R-value of 11 or less. In today’s building code standards, insulation should have R-values as high as 38 or more. The R-value can also depend upon where the house in located at.

Material between Ceiling Joists

Some houses may have gray material that is between the ceiling joists. If a house is older, that material that is between the joists could be mineral wool. If the house is newer, it is likely to have blown-in cellulose. No matter what type of material you have in place, it can be left in place and insulation can simply be added over it.

When Working with Insulation

When working with insulation, it is very important to wear gloves, eye protection and a good particle mask. If you are working with fiberglass insulation, it is even more important to wear these safety materials. Rigid foam insulation is usually easier to work with but fiberglass is usually easier to get up into the attic.

Fiberglass Batt Insulation

Fiberglass batt insulation may look too thin but it is going to expand to as much as six inches thick.To cut a batt to size, you simply lay it on a piece of plywood and cut it down to size. Once the insulation is compressed, it is easy to cut with a utility knife.If already have six inches of insulation and you want to get to the recommended R-38, you can simply add an attic blanket to the existing insulation which is made of fiberglass but it does not have a paper backing. You just simply add layersof the insulation across the joists until it gets to R-38.If you are looking for the no-itch poly-wrap insulation, it is much easier to work with and is safer but it costs more but many times, is worth the extra price.