Rvalue For Attic Insluation

The most effective places to add insulation to older homes are exterior walls attics basements and crawl spaces.

Rvalue for attic insluation. R value is a measurement of thermal resistance and measures the ability of heat to transfer from one side of an object to another. In comparison an inch of blown fiberglass insulation has an r value of 3 1 3 4 and an inch of blown cellulose in an attic has an r value of 3 2 3 7. Insulation level are specified by r value. You can achieve better thermal performance in your attic by adding an additional layer of insulation.

Recycled glass or sand that s melted and spun into fibers. Lighter in weight than cellulose or mineral wool but it settles more than those materials so you ve got to put in a thicker layer to get the protection you need. Inspecting your attic insulation. Your attic should have a certain amount of insulation in it and the recommended level of insulation for your attic is dependent on where you live.

The table below shows what levels of insulation are cost effective for different climates and locations in the home. The r value indicates how well insulation resists heat transfer. In particularly cold climates you might go up to r 60. The higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation.

Your home s r value score will guide you toward the type of insulation you need. As a benchmark one inch of solid wood has an r value of 1. The higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation. Most homes are insulated in the attic and any floors located above unfinished basements or crawl spaces.

If your attic insulation covers your joists and is distributed evenly you probably have enough. In general an attic s r value should be between r 30 and r 49. Depending on where you live and the part of your home you re insulating walls crawlspace attic etc you ll need a different r value. To choose the best insulation for your home from the many types of insulation on the market you ll need to know where you want or need to install the insulation and what r value you want the installation to achieve.

The higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation. How much should i add. Typical recommendations for exterior walls are r 13 to r 23 while r 30 r 38 and r 49 are common for ceilings and attic spaces. Insulation levels are specified by r value.

Achieving greater r values in exterior walls. First things first you need to go up into your attic inspect the condition of the insulation and calculate the current level of insulation.