Attic Insulation

• Why Attic Insulation is Tops
• Choose the Right Insulation for Your Job
• Easy as 1-2-3
• Avoiding a Very Big Pitfall

Why Attic Insulation is Tops

High-quality insulation is one of the best investments you’ll make for your home. The price of better insulation is quickly paid back by the money you'll save on your utility bills.

Attics, crawlspaces, basement ceilings and exterior walls are the most critical locations for improving your insulation. Once installed properly, insulation can save you 20 to 50 percent on your monthly heating and cooling bills

The attic is often the best place to stop air leaks because these leakage paths are driven by the tendency for warm air to rise and cool air to fall. These air leaks between the living space and other parts of the house are often much larger than the leaks around windows and doors.

In other words, tackling attic insulation is usually the best way to lower your energy costs right away.

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Choose the Right Insulation for Your Job

The first important factor to consider when you’re purchasing insulation is the R-value. The R-factor is the insulation's ability to keep heat in during the winter, and heat out during the summer. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation is.

The second critical thing is to stop air leaks before installing attic insulation. The attic insulation may hide them and make them less accessible. The U.S. Department of Energy estimates that 40 percent of heating and cooling costs are wasted through uncontrolled air leakage within the building envelope.

Depending upon what insulation you choose, attic insulation itself may not stop these leaks. That means you won't save as much as you expect because of the air flowing through or around the insulation.

There are 4 types of insulation typically considered for attic projects.

At first glance, most people find fiberglass attractive because it appears to be a lower cost, more familiar alternative. We intuitively know how to lay down fiberglass batting, but blowing or spraying insulation seems more intense and more intimidating.

The truth is surprising. Closed Cell Spray foam insulation is very quick to learn, and easier to get right the first time. Because it expands to fill gaps and seals out air, DIY spray foam kits give a better return on investment from the start. They do cost more to purchase, but they also pay for themselves quicker. That means more savings on energy costs.

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Easy as 1-2-3

Placing insulation in the attic floor is usually easy, requiring only laying the material between the parallel joists of the frame.

• Step 1: Make sure you wear a mask, long sleeves, pants and gloves. Most people have fiberglass in their attic and that's not good to inhale or touch. Even if you have cellulose, it's still very important to have a mask on to make sure you aren't inhaling any tiny particles or dust. If you have vermiculite, STOP and call in a professional to assess if you have also have asbestos (most pre-1990 installs do).
  *Be careful about where you step in the attic. Walk only on the joists so that you won't fall through the drywall ceiling. You may need to place walking boards across the tops of the joists to make the job easier.

• Step 2: Carefully peek around and assess what you have for insulation. Lift up the insulation on the attic floor and check for droppings, wet insulation and dirt/mold. Do NOT mess with any moldy insulation. Immediately contact a professional to get that cleaned out. Go beyond the large gaps which need to be repaired and look carefully to find the air leaks where the insulation can be improved.

• Step 3: Plan on how to fix any problems you find.
• In Southern states, consider using a closed cell spray foam insulation on the attic roof. This will keep the attic cool for your home cooling system to work properly. Closed cell foam also provides a vapor retarder that keeps out humidity and increases your comfort dramatically.
• In Northern states, make sure you have a tight air seal on the attic floor. Heat rises and during the cold winter months, unless you have livable space in your attic, you’ll want to keep the heated air inside the home’s living space.

Wherever you are, closed cell polyurethane spray foam insulation provides the following benefits:

• The highest R-Value insulation per inch
• An airtight seal, vapor retarder and structural support.
• Mold proof and Pest resistant

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Avoiding A Very Big Pitfall

If you don’t seal out air and moisture, you won’t save as much money as you should. You could try putting 30 inches of fiberglass batting into your attic for R-100 and still not save as much as getting R-30 with far fewer leaks. Stopping air infiltration is the single most important thing you can do in any insulating project you undertake.

Most houses built today use fiberglass, cellulose, mineral wool, perlite, and cotton insulation. These insulations perform poorly because they allow warm or cold air to transfer though the insulation material.

Air can penetrate the insulation directly and carry the cold or heat right through. Air gaps around the vapor retarder allow the outside air to penetrate through to the drywall or plaster. Once there, it seeks out the outlets and switch boxes where it can permeate through to the living space of your home.

Here are the problems that stem from air leaks:

• A poorly ventilated attic can cause ice damming and extensive structure damage. This can lead to rotting, leaking, and water penetration onto current attic insulation. An air barrier and insulating material can prevent the drafting effect and condensation problems.
• Moisture and condensation lead to mold and mildew growth within your walls. Just a slight amount can create a dark moist or wet environment which will promote mold and mildew to grow and cause poor indoor air quality.

Make sure you seal air leaks in your building envelope. Use caulk or expanding polyurethane foam to seal these leaks. Making certain these leaks are closed will give you a great return on your insulation investment.

See Also:
Choosing the Right Insulation
Features & Benefits of Closed Cell Foam

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