Your attic should have a certain amount of insulation in it and the recommended level of insulation for your attic is dependent on where you live.
Insulation on attic roof.
It creates a breeding ground for mold and mildew and ruins the air trapping pockets that block heat flow.
The table below shows what levels of insulation are cost effective for different climates and locations in the home.
Insulation level are specified by r value.
With a finished attic insulation must help keep the attic areas comfortable.
The ideal attic insulation r value is different than the ideal wall insulation r value.
How to insulate a finished attic.
Make sure your home is properly insulated in all these locations.
First things first you need to go up into your attic inspect the condition of the insulation and calculate the current level of insulation.
Attic insulation plays a critical role any home s overall comfort and energy efficiency.
Inspecting your attic insulation.
That means insulating the attic floor only not the walls and having vents in the roof.
The higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation.
It is important to note when insulation is on the floor of the attic the space between the insulation and the roof deck must be vented to the exterior.
A quarter of heat is lost through the roof in an uninsulated home.
Additionally insulation serves as a way to enhance sound proofing on the uppermost envelop of your house.
A finished attic should be insulated much like the rest of the house with insulation in the walls and ceiling.
Loft insulation is effective for at least 40 years and it should pay for itself many times over.
You can mix the type and material of insulation too.
Water is insulation s enemy.
This insulation strategy has not changed in recent code iterations and is not discussed in this article.
New rules and practical interpretation.
Insulating in and around your roof attic space also prevents long term damage from moisture build up or ice damming which results from the warm air trying to escape through the apex of the roof but instead heating up the snow.
Insulating your loft attic or flat roof is a simple and effective way to reduce heat loss and reduce your heating bills.
R value is a measure of insulation s ability to resist heat traveling through it.
Achieving greater r values in attics.
It can be installed in one of two places.
Insulation ratings can be improved by adding more layers of insulation.
Whether or not there is an inner roof lining and the total thickness of the roof structure.
Insulation on the floor of the attic figure 1.
On the attic floor or beneath the attic roof.
If your attic is often used or perhaps you plan to convert it in the future you will need to insulate the inner surfaces of the roof.
The technically correct approach depends on a number of factors.
