Everything About the Attic

When people decide to insulate the attic, they often ask themselves which is the best attic insulation. Is it blown in attic insulation or is it batt attic insulation? Well, they both have their pros and they both can be a great solution. So what differentiates them?

From an economical point of view, the blown-in insulation is better. It is also quick to install. As a matter of fact, it only takes one to two hours and it’s all done. You can basically choose between two types of materials, cellulose or fiberglass, with the latter being more popular nowadays. The installation process usually goes like this: the professional installer will use a hose that comes from a blowing machine. This blowing machine is usually mounted on a truck. Then, the professional installer will go to the far end of your attic and start laying down the layer of loose fill insulation, with his back to the access point of the attic. In this fashion, the entire surface of your attic gets covered with a uniform layer of insulation.

On the other end, batt attic insulation is more expensive, but it has its advantages. You will also hear people call it rolled-in attic insulation or blankets. While the most popular type of batt insulation is fiberglass, there are also additional options available, like cotton fiber. Cotton does not all the nasty properties of fiberglass and it provides with a health advantage.

Batts are installed directly on the attic floor and they are placed between the ceiling joints of your house. Batts are rectangular pieces 4-8 feet in size and are manually placed one by one, until the floor of your attic gets covered completely. Maybe the most important advantage that rolled-in insulation has over blown-in insulation is the fact that it is easy to remove should you decide in the future that additional work must be done in your attic.

The R-factor is slightly better in the case of batts. While the batts have an R-value of 3.1 to 4.2 per inch (in the case of fiberglass), the blown in fiberglass has an R factor of 2.3 to 2.8 per inch. While batts will provide you with a stable, known R-value, the blown-in insulation’s R-value can vary due to the variation in thickness. So what will it be? Only you know, but make sure that you base your decision on the aforementioned factors.

Fiberglass attic insulation is possibly the most popular for modern house owners. It is mainly used in walls and pipes, and it resembles cotton candy in appearance. Fiberglass has some great properties, like the fact that it doesn’t rot and is not flammable, properties which are derived from its chemical stability.

On the downside, it is possible for it to melt provided there is enough heat, and it is not water resistant either. This makes it appropriate for temperate climates, and it should be avoided in arid regions or in wet or damp regions. Fiberglass is also one of the preferred materials of rodents.

There are several forms in which fiberglass insulation is being manufactured, in order to suit all needs. If you want to insulate your walls, your floors or ceilings, the most appropriate form is the fiberglass roll. Very similar to the rolls are the fiberglass batts, the only major difference is the fact that they are precut. Both of them have an incorporated vapor barrier (which protects your attic from moisture).

Fiberglass blankets are another popular form of insulation, and they share one attribute with the batts, the fact that they come in precut lengths. However, what’s different from the batts is the fact that the blankets do not have a vapor barrier. The best use for the blanket is to install it over an already existing insulation in order to increase the R-value of the attic.

You can pour loose fill fiberglass on the floor of your attic. This is the most popular choice of people who want to do a quick addition of insulation to an old building. Installing a vapor barrier is absolutely essential in the case of fiberglass, because it tends to soak up a lot of water, which in turn creates a dramatic drop in its insulating ability.

Most of the people who have worked with fiberglass at one point or another agree to the fact that it is very irritating and scratchy. If you ever decide to work with fiberglass, it is essential that you avoid skin contact. That’s why you should wear gloves and protective clothing, along with a dust mask and eye goggles. Another issue is the fact that some people believe that fiberglass can create lung problems similar to the ones created by asbestos.

Some of the things that you must absolutely do when installing fiberglass insulation include: making sure that there is good air circulation between the insulation and the roof, making sure that you know the exact recommended R-value in your area, ventilating properly. Also, you need to make sure that you install a vapor barrier and that it faces the inside, not the outside. The vapor barrier should not be punctured unnecessarily. However, in the case that you decide to install 2 layers, you need to make sure that you puncture the vapor barrier of the top batt. Also in the case of batts, make sure that you don’t squeeze or distort them in any way.

Cellulose attic insulation became popular in the 70’s, when people’s awareness towards the preservation of the environment became strong. This is because the cellulose insulation is a product of the paper industry, and it is actually made of recycled newsprint up to 75%. The R-value for this type of insulation is 3.2 per inch.

Also profiting from a shortage of fiberglass, the average Joe started installing cellulose insulation in the attic, and it became an instant hit. The price was also an important factor, as manufacturing cellulose was much cheaper than manufacturing fiberglass, thus making the product cheaper itself (obviously).

This trend slowly but shortly became weaker and in the end it gave back fiberglass its number one spot in the popular preference. There are way fewer companies that sell cellulose insulation nowadays.

The R-values of cellulose and fiberglass are the same when talking about normal temperatures. However, in colder climates, cellulose is more effective because it has better insulating properties. Another advantage of cellulose over fiberglass is the fact that it is less vulnerable to air movement and it is not that much affected by packing. It is a better option for insulating cavities, walls and ceilings.

The cellulose is basically a loose fill product. This means that up until the time when a wet-spraying method was developed, installing it was quite a difficult task. What the spraying equipment must do is to combine a small amount of water with the actual insulation, and this creates a certain stickiness. With the help of pressure spraying, open walls can be filled in this way.

The installation is not very difficult. You need a spray tool that will pump the thick cellulose into different spaces. The walls on which it is being used can usually be closed in as little as 24 hours after the application of the insulation. Spraying this type of insulation will give you, as a home owner, the full R-value needed for your house, because it fills up the wall cavities (as opposed to batts).

Special chemical treatments are also made for the cellulose insulation nowadays, since the material is flammable. The treatment actually makes it very resistant to fire, and it will actually slow down its progress inside a building. Another good aspect of cellulose is the fact that it doesn’t come with all the irritating properties that fiberglass has.

Installing attic insulation is a pretty easy task, one of the easiest when it comes to house renovation. If you want to do it yourself, you need to know your options. And these aren’t too many: you can choose either batt or loose fit, roll and blanket insulation.

So here are the most important tools you’ll need when installing your attic insulation: the insulation (obviously), a measuring tape, a utility mask, and all the protective equipment you must wear (filter mask, gloves, goggles, a long sleeved shirt and long pants and finally knee pads, which are optional).

The basic steps needed in order to properly install attic insulation are easy to do, but this doesn’t necessarily meant that they shouldn’t be done cautiously. In a very brief fashion, these steps are:
1.Unroll the blanket or the batt;
2.Put it into place by pressing it;
3.Unfold the edges of the facing and if needed, staple it into place.

However, if you want the job to be done in a perfect manner, you need to follow a few basic guidelines. This will prevent you from ever having to deal with insulation problems. Maybe the most important piece of advice of them all is: install the vapor barrier so that it faces the living space! This is a must.

Also, only one side of the insulation should have a vapor barrier. You need to make sure of this in the eventuality that some moisture will eventually be present. In this case, the last thing you need is for this moisture to be trapped inside the insulation. It must be able to escape into the attic.

In order to be able to completely preserve the full R-value needed in your area, you must avoid to compress your existing insulation. The natural state of the insulation is what gives it its default R-value and that’s why you need to keep it in its natural state. Things that are bound to happen in the future are also taken into consideration when the R-value is calculated. Fiberglass batts, after a batt is unrolled, will surely expand. Blown cellulose will settle. All these factors are taken into consideration when doing the R-value calculations, so that’s why you should not temper with that in any way.

There are several important and popular attic insulation materials. They differ in R-values, cost of installation, etc. It is your own responsibility to choose one type over the other depending on the climate of the zone you are living in, the cost, or any other factor that you want to consider.

Fiberglass

Fiberglass is maybe the most widely used material in attic insulation. It has an R-value of 3.2 per inch, and it is fluffy looking (it somewhat resembles cotton candy). It comes in handy when you need to insulate pipes, air ducts and ceilings. It comes in a few different shapes, like the fiberglass batts, fiberglass blankets or fiberglass rolls. There is also a controversy that surrounds fiberglass, because some people think it can create lung problems that are similar to the ones created by the asbestos.

Cellulose

The cellulose has an R-value of 3.2 per inch. The cellulose insulation is actually a byproduct of the paper industry, and it uses recycled newsprint in a proportion of up to 75%. Although it has been used in insulation for decades, it really grew into popularity in the 1970’s, when people started to be environmentally responsible. Although fiberglass and cellulose have similar R-values, cellulose is best suited for lower temperatures, where it acts better than fiberglass. An extra advantage for the cellulose is the fact that it doesn’t share the irritating properties of the fiberglass.

Mineral Wool

The mineral wool has a slightly lower R-value than the 2 previous materials, 3.1 per inch. It is also known as rock wool and is manufactured from steel slag. The most important advantages of mineral wool are the fact that it does not rot, melt or even burn (so it is a permanent deal) and it will not absorb moisture, which means that you won’t have problems with mold either. It acts as a vapor barrier itself, so it doesn’t need an additional one.

By now, you should be aware of the fact that adding attic insulation to your house will dramatically reduce the amount of wasted energy. This basically means that the attic insulation cost is going to be  paid off by reducing the energy bills. Experts actually estimate that the cost of attic insulation is recovered in 5 to 6 years. After that, it’s all profit for you. So how do you determine the actual cost?

First of all, if you just moved into a new house and you don’t know this, check out if the attic has insulation. Also, determine its r value and compare it to the region’s standard. As you know, every region has a different appropriate R factor, depending on its climate. A colder climate requires a higher r value, because the higher the r value is, the better the insulation works.

If your house doesn’t have insulation at all or it has a lower R value than recommended, calculate the difference. Also, you must measure the length of the space that needs insulation. Bear in mind that batts and blankets come in widths of 16 or 24 inch. The reason behind this is the fact that they must be able to fit the space that exists between the joists of your attic floor.

Now here comes the important question for you: blown in fiberglass insulation or batts?  While the overall cost of insulating using either blown in fiberglass or batts can be a factor for you, it should not be the most important one in making this particular decision. Blankets are at least 40 feet long, while batts are cut by the manufacturers in lengths of 4-8 feet. When you’ve decided what type of insulation to use, you need to divide the total length of the area that needs insulation by the length of the particular product you decide to use.

Now that you have found how many units you need to do the job, you just need to multiply that by the cost of each unit. This will not give you an exact and 100% accurate of the total cost, but it will give you an idea nonetheless. Now you need to look for professional installers and request quotes from them. Another good idea is to use an online calculator that estimates the costs. Newer buildings will usually require less insulation than old ones. This is a factor that is also considered by online calculators, along with the square footage of your attic, the size of the house, etc.

Attic insulation is the most important thing that you can do to your attic in order to make it energy efficient, which in turn creates cost efficiency. There are different attic insulation r values that can be applied, depending on the zone you are living in, mainly its climate.

For example, an R-38 attic insulation value is very well suited to warm climates.  This is the type of insulation that will keep the overall temperature inside your house lower and your air conditioning costs down. On the opposite end, if you live in a colder climate, an R-49 attic insulation value would be appropriate for you. This will prevent the hot air from escaping outside your house. The most important ways in which you can do the attic insulation are: using cellulose, fiberglass batts or loose fiberglass.

So what really is the R factor of your attic insulation? It represents the resistance to heat flow, and it is a measurement of the thermal performance. The important thing to note here is the fact that blown in fiberglass and fiberglass batts offer diff

erent R values, with an advantage for the batts. In the case of batts, one inch of material will offer you an R factor of 3.1 to 4.2, while in the case of fiberglass those two values are 2.3 and 2.8.

Now, the overall r value needed for your house, as already mentioned, will vary depending on the zone you are living in. R-22, R-38 and R-49 are the most important r values for attic insulation. New Midwestern houses usually have an attic insulation value of R-44.

If you know your way around the house, you can install the insulation yourself. If that’s not the case, you need to call a professional. In the eventuality that you decide to do it yourself, make sure that you wear a long sleeve shirt, eye protection, a mask and gloves. Also, you should avoid doing this in the heat of the summer.

Attic insulation is undoubtedly one of the most effective ways to make your house more energy efficient. It has the purpose of regulating temperatures inside your house, making it cooler during summer time and warmer during winter time. It is also comfortable and not very expensive. Here is a selection of great articles about attic insulation that will answer any questions you might have about either installing or adding attic insulation, what are the most important types and materials, etc.

Attic Insulation R-Values: What are the R-values of attic insulation and what do they represent? Read all about them and make sure that your house’s attic insulation has the proper R-value.

Attic Insulation Materials: What are the most important materials used in attic insulation? You need to make your own decision, based on all the factors presented in this article.

Types of Attic Insulation: There are two types of attic insulation which are popular nowadays: blown-in and batts. Find out what are the differences between the two.

Fiberglass Attic Insulation: Probably the most popular material used in attic insulation, fiberglass has its disadvantages also.

Cellulose Attic Insulation: Cellulose is not as popular as it was back in the 70s as an attic insulation material. Why was it so popular then and why is fiberglass number 1 now?

Best Attic Insulation: This is an important decision that everyone needs to make before starting an attic insulation project. What shall it be? Blown-in or batts?

Attic Insulation Installation: Installing attic insulation is quite easy, and you can actually do it yourself. Find out exactly how you can accomplish that.

Attic Insulation Cost: Installing attic insulation is one of the cheapest ways to increase the energy efficiency of your house and it will not cost you an arm and a leg.

Attic Door Insulation: If you think this type of insulation is not important, think again. Find out everything you need to know about how to insulate your attic’s door.

Spray Foam Insulation: A great alternative to fiberglass, this type of insulation is becoming more and more popular. Find out why.