Do Ceilings Of Attic Need Insulation

The table below shows what levels of insulation are cost effective for different climates and locations in the home.

Do ceilings of attic need insulation.

If it is and you plan to provide heating and cooling to the finished attic space you need to remove. You need up to 19 inches or r 49 for efficiency. The attic floor which is the ceiling of the living space below often already is insulated. Plan to pull up the flooring and layer new insulation on top of the old.

Attic moisture problems are often the result of heated air from the living space rising up into the attic which is not heated. The higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation. 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. R value is a measure of insulation s ability to resist heat traveling through it.

In addition to walls and attics insulation should be installed in ceilings with unheated spaces basement walls floors above vented crawl spaces cathedral ceilings floors over unheated garages or porches knee walls and in between interior walls especially bathrooms as well as ceilings and floors. This is more expensive and usually requires a contractor but it may be worth the cost especially if you live in a very cold climate. Find your zone on the map and then use the chart to determine the level of insulation you need to properly insulate your attic walls floors and crawlspaces. Because the simplest and cheapest way to insulate an attic is to add material to the floor.

The primary reason to insulate any part of the home is to provide a thermal barrier between conditioned heated or cooled interior space and the outdoors or unheated spaces such as an unfinished. In order to avoid damage to the roof deck you should insulate ceilings to create an air barrier between the living space and an unfinished attic or airspace underneath the roof deck. If your attic has enough insulation and proper air sealing and your home still feels drafty and cold in the winter or too warm in the summer chances are you need to add insulation to the exterior walls. Achieving greater r values in attics the higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation.

Where to insulate the easiest place to get a gauge on your home s current insulation condition is in the attic. If you don t have enough it may be an indication that your home is under insulated and may not be properly sealed.