Attic InsulationAttic Insulation

Attic Insulation Techniques

    Attic Insulation

Proper attic insulation can significantly reduce your energy bills. Attics can often turn out to one of the easiest places in the entire house to insulate.

Before insulating attic or installing attic door insulation make sure you familiarize yourself with some of the tips and ideas discussed below.

If you have vermiculite insulation in your attic,  it could contain asbestos. Don’t touch it. You need to get certified  insulation contractors to handle and remove asbestos from vermiculite insulation.

Attic Insulation Techniques

-Loose-fill or batt insulation is the most common type of attic insulation. Although attic installation costs may vary, loose-fill insulation is often less expensive than batt insulation. Loose-fill insulation also will usually provide better coverage when installed properly .

-Before installing any type of attic insulation, follow these simple steps of an attic insulation guide:

-Seal all attic-to-home air leaks,since most insulation will not stop airflow.

-Cover any openings that there are, such as dropped ceilings, bulkheads and soffits with plywood and seal them to the attic side of the ceiling.

-Use a tightly constructed box in order to cover all fan housing on the attic side. Seal around all the ducts.

-Seal all around the chimney and frame it with caulk or furnace cement.

-Use long-life caulk to seal the smaller holes at the top of interior walls. Use expanding or rigid foam board attic insulation for the larger holes.

-Install blocking, or metal flashing in order to maintain fire-safety  requirements which are usually 3 inches for all heat-producing equipment that is found in an attic, such as chimneys, flues, exhaust fans, and light fixtures unless the fixtures are IC  rated. IC(insulation contact)rated lights and fixtures are airtight and therefore can be covered with attic insulation.

-Make sure any attic insulation doesn’t block existing soffit vents and allows for attic ventilation.

-Check all attic ceiling for wet stains or marks. They may indicate  leaks or possible lack of ventilation. Make necessary repairs before you insulate the attic.

Follow these detailed and simple steps of attic insulation guide to successfully complete you attic insulation process!

Attic Insulation

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Types of Attic Insulation

Types of Attic Insulation

There is a number of different types of attic insulation, below is the overview of the three most common attic insulation types.

Batts-One of the Most Common Types of Attic Insulation

Insulation batts are made of long, interweaving fibers with adhesive binders. The two kinds of batts or rolls that are most likely to be used are fiberglass and cotton. In terms of their insulating quality, they are close to being the same. Cotton batts, are really ‘cool’ , though because they’re actually made of recycled blue jeans.

The batts, however, may not work as well because they won’t fill up the space properly. Batts may not therefore, be considered the best types of attic insulation, since for the best performance, there has to be no gaps, voids or compression in the insulating material.

Blown Attic Insulation Types

Blown attic insulation may be a better choice since comes in smaller chunks. The installer, needs to hold a large hose and blow the chunks on insulation into the attic. The two main choices for blown types of attic insulation are fiberglass and cellulose, and there are advantages and disadvantages for both. They both insulate pretty much the same, though, with R-vales in the 3 -4 range per inch. While cellulose comes from recycled newspapers, fiberglass insulation comes from a ‘rapidly renewable’ resource – sand.

Sprayed Types of Attic Insulation

The third of the major attic insulation types is spray foam. There are two types of spray foam on the market – open cell and closed cell. Each one has its pros and cons, but both are pretty effective as far as insulation goes.  The main advantage of spray foam is that it allows for the the building envelope to be moved from the attic floor to the roof line. If you have your HVAC system in the attic, then it can be a very good thing.

Follow our posts to see details on Best Attic Insulation, Plastic Fiber Insulation, Attic Ceiling Insulation, Loose Insulation Attic and more.

Depending on a variety of factors, one of the different types of attic insulation will be the right one for your home!

Types of Attic Insulation

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How to Insulate an Attic

  How to Insulate an Attic

If you want to know how to insulate an attic, we have a few helpful tips for you. Although installing attic insulation  is usually a relatively straightforward process, a variety of pitfalls may be awaiting the unwary. Make sure to pay attention to these tips how to insulate your attic properly to ensure successful completion of the project.

How to Insulate an Attic Tips

Make sure not to push the batt or blanket insulation much past the top of the plate at the end of joist runs. Also, don’t or fold it back and up in between the rafters and try not to pour or fill insulation into such types of  areas. If you will do this, you’ll end up obstructing the flow of air from soft-it vents in the roof. In fact, if your roof’s pitch is actually steep enough to allow access to the eaves, it’s better to install a slanted-board baffle at each  end of  joist run in order to prevent insulation from clogging up in the area.

How to Install Attic Insulation

You should fill in the extra gaps around all openings where pipes, wires and ducts enter the attic floor, by using unfaced fiberglass or caulk. You should caulk any nail or drill holes, as well, that’s how to insulate an attic properly.

Recessed lighting fixtures that become covered with insulation can become extremely heated and can present a serious fire hazard. Therefore it is essential to maintain a minimum clearance of 3 inches between the  recessed fixtures and any type of insulation. You need to be particularly careful while using poured or blown-in cellulose, since over time it can drift into the  recessed fixtures. Although open spaces do allow some of the  heat to enter the attic, but the wasted heat cost  is nothing compared to that of a real fire hazard. Altrnatively, you can replace the recessed fixtures with flush-mounted lighting.

How To Install Insulation in Attic Correctly

Make sure to install foil or paper-faced insulation in the way that the facing side is down. If the facing is up, then moisture can become trapped in the insulation and then it will turn into an ineffective mess.

Keep in mind all these helpful tips and you will know how to insulate an attic do- it -yourself style without any problems!

How to Insulate an Attic

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Attic Insulation Cost

         Attic Insulation Cost

When you are ready to make your final decision about insulating your attic, you should first do an attic insulation cost  analysis. You may actually be pleasantly surprised. For example, the actual total cost of upgrading a 1,500 square foot attic from R-19 attic insulation type to the new thermal standard of R-49 in a given climate zone, for the fiberglass blown-in done by professionals is only $0.40 per square foot or $600 total. If you call the local retail outlet to find out the price of batt insulation, you may be quoted a price of around $0.45 per square foot just for the material! Clearly it can actually be better and makes more sense to have the insulation  job done by professionals.

 Average Attic Insulation Cost

How much does it cost to insulate an attic depend on a number of factors, but a rough estimate for a professional insulation of an open attic according to the modern standards is around $0.50 -$2.25 per square foot, also depending on the local climate and the particular R-value of the materials. That’s around $400 -$1,800 for an 800 square foot attic space, with a typical attic insulation cost averaging around  $750 -$1,100. Do-it-yourself materials for roll-out batting insulation in an open attic run between $100 -$500.

A rough estimate for hiring a professional to blow insulation into a flat roof is around $2 -$3.50 per square foot, or $1,000 -$3,500 for filling a 1,000 square feet of  wall or roof space.

A complete attic insulation job on a typical family home can run $2,000 -$10,000 or more, but  $2,500 -$5,500 is the average cost to insulate attic, depending on materials, climate and the local economy factors.

If you can actually find fiberglass batts greatly discounted, you may possibly  tackle the job on your own and save some money. Make sure to wear a respirator to minimize the throat irritation from the  airborne glass particles.

Don’t cover any recessed light fixtures with fiberglass, and if you decide to use blown-in insulation, make sure to install scrap lumber depth gauges in your attic.

Attic insulation cost varies significantly depending on a number of factors and in some cases it is cheaper to hire a professional that to do it yourself.


Attic Insulation Cost

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Batt Insulation

     Batt Insulation

Blanket, or batt insulation is one of the most common and widely available types of attic insulation. Batt insulation comes in the form of insulation batts or rolls. It usually consists of flexible fibers, usually fiberglass. You can also  find insulation batts and rolls made from mineral, wool, plastic and natural fibers, such as  wool or cotton.

Batt insulation  rolls are usually available in widths that are suited to standard spacing of attic wall studs, or floor joists. Continuous  fiberglass batt insulation rolls can be hand-cut or trimmed to fit. Insulation batts are usually available with or without facings. Manufacturers often attach a facing  to the batts insulation rolls, such as kraft paper or vinyl to act as a vapor  and/or air barrier. Batt Insulation with a special flame-resistant facing are also available in a variety of widths for attic or basement walls where the insulation batts will be left exposed. A facing  can also help facilitate fastening during the  installation.  If you’re re-insulating over existing insulation, however, it’s usually recommended to use unfaced insulation batts.

Batt Insulation R-Value

Standard fiberglass batt insulation typically has a thermal resistance (or R-values) between R-2.9 and R-3.8 per every inch of thickness. High-performance fiberglass batts usually have R-values between R-3.7 and R-4.3 per every inch of thickness.

Installing Batt Insulation

The maximum R-value, or thermal performance of  batt insulation greatly depends on proper installation. Therefore, it’s usually best to have a qualified installer to do it. If you decide to have it installed professionally, you should make sure to do the following:

- Obtain written insulation butts price estimates from a few contractors for the particular R-value you need. Don’t be surprised to find out that quoted prices for any given R-value insulation vary quite significantly.

- In addition, ask the contractors about the air-sealing services and prices as well, in case it’s needed.

If you want to install the batt insulation yourself, make sure to carefully follow all the installation instructions and the  safety precautions. The insulation’s manufacturers often offer instructions. You also need to check your local building and fire safety codes.

Batt Insulation can be very effective in  cutting down the energy bills and keep your house warm and cosy, no matter what the weather outside.


Batt Insulation

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