Best Way To Insulate Existing Attic

Loose fill insulation also known as blown in insulation is made of small clumps of recycled materials such as fiberglass cellulose or mineral wool which is made of natural mineral or metal remnants.

Best way to insulate existing attic.

1a attic access door. In unfinished attic spaces insulate between and over the floor joists to seal off living spaces below. Lay the batts across the ceiling joists covering the existing insulation. If the air distribution is in the attic space then consider insulating the rafters to move the distribution into the conditioned space.

Check the attic walls and floors adjacent to an unheated space like a garage or basement. In a perfect world you would be able to unscrew invisible bolts remove drywall panels install insulation and reinstall the panels our less than perfect world of permanently attached wallboard means time consuming hacking away of gypsum individually removing drywall screws or nails installing r 13 or greater fiberglass roll insulation and re installing the drywall. Blowing attic insulation isn t hard but it s dusty sweaty work. Insulating the attic is a surefire way to warm your home this winter.

To make insulating an attic easier grab a helper and set aside two days. When the time comes to sell your home a well insulated attic is a plus. It s usually installed by professionals who use special equipment to spray it onto the attic floor and into attic wall cavities source. The structural elements are usually exposed in these areas which makes it easy to see what type of insulation you have and to measure its depth or thickness inches.

Best of all insulation is relatively easy to install and the average attic can be completed over the course of a weekend. By the end of the weekend you re going to be sore and tired. While wearing dust mask and gloves carry r 38 batts of unfaced fiberglass insulation into the attic. But other home maintenance tasks can also defend your house and all of its inhabitants from chilly weather and blustering winds.

Unless you re using mineral wool insulation or your fixtures are rated safe for contact with any type of insulation don t allow the material to touch or cover recessed cans or lights from the floor below it s a fire hazard. Box out light fixtures. But saving 1 000 or more with blown in ceiling insulation will make up. In this video this old house general contractor tom silva and host kevin o connor explain how to insulate an attic.

Look for water stains on the roof sheathing or damp or moldy spots on attic joists and existing insulation as a clue to where leaks might be.