RESIDENTIAL ATTIC INSULATION

Switching to insulation helps bring down your heating and cooling costs. But before installing insulation, there are a number of factors to contemplate prior to getting ahead with the procedure. Going over a simple insulation inspection will help you figure out your insulation needs. Proper insulation helps maintain a comfortable temperature throughout your house and in cutting down your bills.

Before you prepare for fitting in the insulation make sure you have covered up every air leakage site. Sealing the holes in your ceiling ensures comfort, quality air indoor, durability, and efficiency.
Measure up the existing level of insulation in your attic to determine if more of it is required or not. It depends on where you are living, and the insulation should meet the required level.

Types of Insulation

Although there are many other insulation materials, three of them are more recurrent, and you will find many of the professionals use them.

BATT INSULATION: Batt is made of long, interweaving and intertwined fibers that are joined by adhesive binders. They are large insulation pieces. Fiberglass and cotton are the two common kinds you will encounter most of the time. Their insulation efficiency is similar though.

However, if we give it a deeper look, you won’t find them as much effective as they hardly cover the space properly. It is a sina qua non for the insulation material to cover up the entire space, leaving behind no void. Also, they can’t put up with other house appliances such as wires, framing, exhausts, etc. Batts, therefore, is clearly not a suitable choice for the attic.

BLOWN IN INSULATION: As the saying goes, “Good things in life come in small packages.” Blown is a perfect example of it. It comes in smaller chunks, and the installer uses a large hose to blow the chinks into the attic. A giant machine is placed outside that churns up the chunks before using air to blow it up the hose.
Fiberglass and cellulose are the two options here, with the same level of efficiency. Cellulose is obtained by recycling newspapers and fiberglass comes from major fiberglass manufacturer called ‘rapidly renewable’ resource- sand. Blown-in insulation is widely preferred above all other types.

SPRAY FOAM INSULATION: Then comes the spray foam which too has two types- open cell and closed cell. Both come with their own baggage of pros and cons. However, the benefit of spray is that it leaves a margin for you to move the ceiling, the boundary between the conditioned and unconditioned space- starting from the attic floor to the roofline.

How much insulation should you be installing?

The amount of insulation depends on the:

1. R-value of the place where you live?
2. How old or new your house is?

The R-value depends on the density and insulation of the material. The greater the R-value, the more insulating capacity a material has.

The Preferred Insulation Material for Attics

Blown-in insulation is preferred above all as it provides seamless cover over your attic, giving no space for the heat to escape. Made of recycled material, it is easy to install and adds to the longevity of your roof!

Call All Florida Insulation 407-410-3626 with any questions you might have about your attic insulation.

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