Finished Attic Insulation R Value
R value measures how well certain building insulation materials can resist heat.
Finished attic insulation r value. Let s say the insulation you ve selected has an r value of three per inch and. Add insulation to attic. Existing 3 4 inches of insulation. Pa302 1 ceilings with attic spaces n1102 2 1 r402 2 1.
Your home s age if your home is more than 10 year old you likely need more insulation. Of combined fiberglass and foam insulation. It forms a much tighter air barrier and you ll get the same r value with fewer inches of the stuff so you ll have extra room overhead. Where you live different climates require different insulation r values.
The homeowner could then check table 1 to find several choices. For homes in the seattle washington area we ve already established that the correct insulation r value climate zone is 4. The 2015 irc requires r 49 insulation for ceilings with attic spaces. Install air chutes before installing insulation why your roof needs air chutes.
Lighter in weight than cellulose or mineral wool but it settles more than those materials so you ve got to put in a thicker layer to get the protection you need. If you look at the chart above you can see that the attic should achieve an r value between r 38 and r 60 depending on the current insulation levels. Rigid foam sheeting has an r value ranging from r 5 to r 10 per inch of thickness. In particularly cold climates you might go up to r 60.
Know exactly how much you need with our project calculators. There are many ways to retrofit a home with fiberglass and. When determining how much insulation you need don t guesstimate calculate. The recommended r value for attic floor insulation for this house is r 38.
It costs two to three times more than fiberglass batt insulation. Recycled glass or sand that s melted and spun into fibers. In general an attic s r value should be between r 30 and r 49. This means you can have a combined r value ranging from r 23 to r 31 with only 5 1 2 in.
R 38 shall be deemed to satisfy the requirement for r 49 wherever the full height of uncompressed r 38 insulation extends over the wall top plate at the eaves. But the roof is a major pathway to heat loss and gain so it s worth shelling out the extra bucks for spray foam. You will need a higher r value of insulation if you live in the northeast than if you live in southern california. Zone the area under a.
The higher the r value the greater the insulation performance. If the existing attic floor insulation has an r 11 insulation value then an additional r 27 would be needed to bring the attic floor insulation up to the level recommended for that house.