What, Where, and How? A Guide on Home Insulation

Energy-efficient homes often possess more insulation than other new homes or older homes.

In short, adding home insulation can reduce energy costs in most homes. That advice doesn’t always satisfy homeowners. They think about the expense of hiring contractors and reason they can’t afford it.

If that sounds like you, keep reading for a quick guide on how to install insulation in attic spaces.

Get Informed

Before you even think about adding insulation, you need information about how much and what kind of insulation you already have in the attic. Some people get this information through a professional energy audit. Professional audits provide a lot of information, but they can run you several hundred dollars or more.

You can also go up into your attic and examine the insulation yourself. You need to know the R-value of the insulation and its thickness.

Picking Your Insulation

The proper depth of insulation for your attic depends on your location. A basic rule of thumb is that southern homes need about 13" at R-38 and northern homes need about 16" at R-49.

You get three main options for insulation:

• rolled fiberglass or mineral wool
• Mineral wool blocks
• Blown cellulose

All can provide sufficient insulation, so the choice depends on your DIY spirit and the time investment.

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      some energy savings ideas to consider      

How to Install Insulation in Attic Spaces

Most of the insulation will go between the joists. This makes installing insulation rolls fairly simply. You unroll it into the spaces between the joints and unroll the next layer right on top of the first layer.

For mineral wool blocks, you must often trim the blocks into pieces that fit between the joists.

You’ll need an insulation blower for blown cellulose. You can rent these at most home improvement stores. You load insulation fill into the machine and run a hose up into the attic.

Then you fill the attic until you reach the right depth.

Is It Working?

After adding the right thickness and R-value attic insulation, you should see an immediate drop in your home heating or cooling costs. Let’s say it’s summer and you don’t see a meaningful drop in your cooling costs.

At that point, you can assume your AC unit has a problem. You should consult an HVAC company, such as Air & Energy of NWFL. 

Staying Smart Installing Attic Insulation

Knowing how to install insulation in attic spaces is a good start, but you should approach it the smart way.

other valuable tips:

Comparing How 4 Kinds of Insulation Impact Your Energy Bill

How to Tell if Your Home Needs More Insulation (And What Kind)

For example, if you don’t like dealing with machinery, opt for rolled fiberglass or mineral wool blocks. If you dislike the idea of doing lots of cutting, stick with the fiberglass rolls

All insulation has the potential for irritating eyes, respiratory tracts, and skin. Always wear protective clothing during an insulation installation.

Thinking about doing some other renovations on your home? Check out some of our articles for renovation tips and tricks.

Image credit: guide on home insulation by twenty20.com

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