How Much Is Enough Attic Insulation

If your attic insulation covers your joists and is distributed evenly you probably have enough.

How much is enough attic insulation.

Use our roll insulation calculator to estimate the amount of wall insulation crawlspace insulation or attic insulation you need for your project. Check the chart below as a down and dirty guide of your existing r value. First off you should know that insulating your attic isn t cheap. Having enough insulation in your attic is one of the best ways to save energy on both heating and cooling your home.

If it is less than r 30 which is to say 11 inches of fiber glass rock wool or 8 inches of cellulose then you may want to add more. How well a particular insulation works is expressed by the r value which ranges from 2 0 to 8 0 per inch of insulation. For example if you install r 19 fiberglass batts in 2x6 frame walls with the studs 16 inches on center double top plates and other elements of standard framing the actual r value of the whole wall with the r 19 insulation will be about r 15. These recommendations are for true r values not the nominal values listed on insulation packaging.

R value is a measure of insulation s ability to resist heat flow. If your insulation doesn t measure up and you need more installation can be done as a weekend diy project or you can call a professional installer to handle the job. Energy information administration predicts that this. Estimates suggest that it ll cost around 1 340.

It can cost anywhere from 1 700 to 2 100 or between 1 50 and 3 50 per foot to insulate an attic depending on what insulation material you choose. To find out if you have enough insulation in your attic measure the thickness of the insulation from top to bottom using a ruler. Insulation levels are specified by r value. The higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation.

Add the right kind of insulation. The higher the r value the better job the insulation does at preventing the transfer of heat. The recommended level for most attics is to insulate to r 38 or about 10 to 14 inches depending on insulation type. How much should i add.