Attic Insulation Not Deep Enough

Hot air fills the attic and raises the temperature.

Attic insulation not deep enough.

Work from the perimeter of the attic toward the door or hatch so that you don t trample all over the insulation you just put in. Warm spaces have less condensation risk than colder space so when you add insulation to the attic floor you re intentionally blocking some of that heat from keeping the attic warm. Mark the desired level on different roof trusses around the attic before you start photo 4. Once you know total depth you can estimate the r value if the insulation.

For instance in some places like las vegas the sun tends to set on the roof causing the attic to be warm. 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. When you re blowing insulation it can get dusty and hard to see whether you ve got it deep enough around the entire attic. This allows a lot of heat up to the attic.

Always cover the tops of the ceiling joists to make sure the insulation is deep enough to reach your target r value and to prevent thermal bridging the heat loss that occurs through the wood framing. Many homes are leaky and have insufficient insulation in the attic. If you can t see the joists because the insulation is above them then you should measure the insulation depth with a ruler to see if you have enough. Generally heat rises and cool air falls.

According to the u s. Department of energy it s recommended that attics have an r 38 to r 49 or about 12 to 15 of fiberglass or cellulose insulation. For fiberglass and cellulose insulation you can estimate about r 3 per inch. Add the right kind of insulation when adding additional insulation you do not have to use the same type of insulation that currently exists in your attic.

For houses with 2 6 rafters it s necessary to increase rafter depth to make room for enough insulation to meet code minimums. From flat to cathedral in fhb 192. Pick up the blower and insulation cellulose blown in ceiling insulation is a good choice for diyers. Inspecting your attic insulation first things first you need to go up into your attic inspect the condition of the insulation and calculate the current level of insulation.

If the rafters are deep enough it may be possible to use rigid foam as the ventilation baffles sealing along the perimeter of each piece to create an air barrier then filling the rest of the cavity with batts or blown insulation see ceiling remodel.