How Much Attic Insulation Do You Need

The higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation.
How much attic insulation do you need. Most of ga al ar sc ok etc to a high of 49 for zones 6 8 i e. If you think you re among the 90 of us homes that are under insulated 1 performing a simple insulation inspection will help you determine your insulation needs. We ve rounded up all the most important know how about attic insulation costs products prep work and installation right here. Deciding how much insulation your attic needs is a matter of knowing the r value of your insulation material and the total r value you need your attic to meet then purchasing enough material to make the equation work.
The thicker the better. If your insulation is just level with or below your floor joists i e you can easily see your joists you should add more. According to home advisor insulating your attic can cost between 1700 to. The higher the r value the better job the insulation does at preventing the transfer of heat.
The table below shows what levels of insulation are cost effective for different climates and locations in the home. Insulation level are specified by r value. How well a particular insulation works is expressed by the r value which ranges from 2 0 to 8 0 per inch of insulation. Having enough insulation in your attic is one of the best ways to save energy on both heating and cooling your home.
If you want a customized reading the united states department of energy provides this how much insulation do i need calculator additionally all of the specific residential prescriptive requirements for your county and state can be found on the government s energy codes website. Wy mt nh me wi etc. But if you can t afford to shell out a few hundred bucks for this service never fear. If your attic insulation is only a few inches thick or if you can see the ceiling joists you re wasting money on your heating and cooling bills.
The zone you live in will determine how much insulation you need in your attic. R value is a measure of insulation s ability to resist heat traveling through it. This range varies from a low of 30 for homes with heat pumps or natural gas furnaces in zone 3 i e. It is not uncommon to see 15 to 20 of insulation in a well insulated attic.
The insulation in your attic should be at least 12 thick. No matter what kind of insulation you currently have in your attic one quick way to determine if you need more is to look across the span of your attic. How much insulation do i need in my attic. How much insulation in attic for zones 1 4.