Putting Insulation In Attic Ceiling

Insulating attic floors unfinished or uninsulated attics need a layer of protection against air migration.

Putting insulation in attic ceiling.

Rigid foam board insulation can be used in the ceiling as well. One for attic prep and the second to actually blow the insulation. If you re insulating framed walls make sure the insulation is the correct thickness for your wall studs. Install batting between the attic s floor joists.

In the attic install a card that indicates insulation levels in the house to meet code requirements. Work from the perimeter of the attic toward the door or hatch so that you don t trample all over the insulation you just put in. The batting material must be faced and. Always cover the tops of the ceiling joists to make sure the insulation is deep enough to reach your target r value and to prevent thermal bridging the heat loss that occurs through the wood framing.

The paper facing on insulation has an asphalt layer which acts as a vapor barrier. To make insulating an attic easier grab a helper and set aside two days. You only want one vapor barrier in your attic and it should be as close to the ceiling as possible to prevent warm moist air from coming up from the heated house and condensing when it hits the cold air in the attic. Set up a stepladder tall enough to work comfortably from.

The chart included below shows you the approximate thickness of each type of insulation you should ideally have in the attic. The installation of loose fill insulation often renders the attic as unusable for storage purposes due to the loose fill on the floor. Measure between joists if insulating a floor or attic or studs if insulating unfinished walls to find the correct width for the insulation. How to install attic insulation over existing insulation.

Purchase rolls or packages of insulation that will fit in the spaces between the ceiling joists. As a result some homeowners may find it more desirable to place rigid board insulation on the floor and cover it up with plywood. Use our roll insulation calculator to estimate how much roll or batt insulation you ll need. When installing multiple layers of insulation for optimal thermal performance install the first layer bottom layer parallel to attic framing members and flush with both bottom and top.

When you do the measuring make sure you have plenty of light to work by and work on a cool day. By the end of the weekend you re going to be sore and tired. And be careful not to step through the ceiling. Achieving greater r values in attics the higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation.

Blowing attic insulation isn t hard but it s dusty sweaty work. But saving 1 000 or more with blown in ceiling insulation will make up for your aching back.