Adding insulation to your attic is one of the easiest methods to increase the comfort of living in your house and decrease your energy bills. Many people decide to seal their attic because it increases the home temperature during the cold months and prevents cold air from the air conditioner from slipping out in the hot summer. Sealing an attic is also one of the best methods to prevent mice from getting inside the house.
Isolating an attic can seem like a simple task. While the process of applying foam is indeed straightforward, the problems start when it comes to deciding on the amount of insulation that should be added. It is possible to over-insulate the attic. However, even more common are the situations when buildings are under-insulated.
Level your insulation
If you already added some insulation to your attic, a quick look at the attic span should tell you a lot regarding the amount of applied insulation. In case you notice that insulation is on the level with your floor joints or even below them, you should definitely add more insulation. If you don’t see any floor joists because the insulation covers them, most probably you have enough or even too much of it. Adding more might not be cost-effective and cause over-insulation that can lead to humidity and mold problems.
It is crucial to spread the insulation evenly. There should not be any low spots. Commonly, there is enough insulation in the middle of the space, but in the eaves, the level is too low because people skip these points. Thus, the isolation might not play the role it should in keeping energy inside the house.
R-value specifies the levels of insulation. It is a measurement that shows the ability of insulation to resist heat. Usually, the higher is this value, the better is the isolation. Most attics should be insulated on the level of R-38. That means you should add between 10 to 14 inches, depending on the type of insulation.
If your attic requires additional insulation, you shouldn’t use the same material that was applied previously. For example, if your insulation was created with fiberglass batts, you can add loose fill on top of it, and vice-versa. While using fiberglass on loose-fill, you should verify that the fiberglass batt does not have a paper or foil backing.
Size of insulation
The inches of insulation that should be added to your attic can vary depending on the size of the attic, joints, and so on. Looking at the joints of your attic’s floor should give you a vague idea about the amount of insulation that should be used in the process of isolating your house. However, remember that over-insulating and under-insulating can lead to big problems in your house, including increased electrical bills, humidity, uneven temperatures in the rooms, etc.
While adding loose fill to your attic, you may need to use a special blowing machine. You can rent one from some home improvement stores, but hiring a professional could save you time.
If you are installing your first insulation and are unsure of the number of layers you need to add, it would be best to consult an expert. If you have already added insulation to your attic, but you noticed some house problems such as increased energy usage, high humidity, mold, increased temperature in the top part of your house, you should consult an expert.
Putting the right amount of insulation layer in your attic is crucial for fulfilling the required role. Instead of trying DYI, trust professionals who know how to take care of your place and provide you with the best solutions for your attic insulation.
