Best Attic Insulation For Old House

Loose fill or batt the common term for blanket insulation.

Best attic insulation for old house. To keep the ventilation space clear above soffit vents special baffles need to be installed before the insulation goes in. Read more about the 3 types of heat here. The traditional option is fiberglass insulation. This type of insulation is mainly made from recycled paper mainly newspapers and sometimes cardboards and other kinds of papers and comes in loose fills.

Or you can also use blown in insulation which has environment friendly materials available. Check the attic walls and floors adjacent to an unheated space like a garage or basement. If you are looking for some organic way to insulate your home cellulose insulation will work best for you. This type of insulation.

Some homeowners also take the time to build walkways and or storage platforms in the attic prior to installing insulation. There are a couple creative yet expensive ways i would consider retroactively insulating the walls of an old house if you are in a far northern climate where it might make financial sense. Thickness must not be used as the sole factor in determining the r value of loose fill insulation particularly for attic insulation. Achieving greater r values in attics the higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation.

The majority of heat loss and gain occurs in your attic. Once you ve decided which type is best for you examine the material options and prices to home in on the right product. If you live in an older house you ll have to inspect the insulation. Both can be added to uninsulated attics or layered over existing material.

It s available in fiberglass mineral wool plastic fibers and natural fibers. Blanket insulation is available as batts or rolls and is the easiest diy insulation material. You can add r 30 insulation batting throughout your attic. When you choose this solution and work at it alone be careful and wear safety gear.

For anyone living below the mason dixon line it is never worth the expense to retrofit an old house with wall insulation. Cotton batting treated with borates is a good choice for an old house retrofit. If you have an unfinished and unconditioned attic like many old houses my first recommendation would be to add batt insulation on the underside of the roof. In most cases the best type of attic insulation will be blown fiberglass or blown cellulose insulation.

For diy attic insulation you ve got two choices. Find your zone on the map and then use the chart to determine the level of insulation you need to properly insulate your attic walls floors and crawlspaces.