Installed Attic Insulation Today

[teddy1971]

I'm exhausted. I just finish installing 900 SQFT of additional insulation in our attic. I'd like to thank member "slls" for the idea. I heard about the experience he had with pellets with a well insulated attic (I think his is R38). This made me curious about the "R" rating of the insulation in my attic. I was suprised to find out that my "R" rating was on R30 (the minimum rating the local building code required my contractor to install to pass inspection). I then found out for the climate zone that I live in it is recommended that we have R38 to R60 installed in the attic (http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/insulation.html). I decided to go to the extreme and install an addtional layer of R30 (total R60) in the attic. It helped that lowes had a sale on insulation and was selling Batts of R30 for $9.50 (normally $20.00). I also installed the attic stairway insulator. Plus I will get 30% tax credit for the insulation from the Feds. I can't wait to see how much of a difference this makes this season.

 

[velvetfoot]

Well, now I'm going to have to take a gander up in the attic!

 

[slow-al]

Nice find on the batts for $9.50, and I have some not so pleasant memories of crawling around the attic, my sympathies on the exhausted part.

I did mine last year, added 8" to the 6"+ that was there, puts it somewhere in the r35 to r40 range I think. Between that and the new windows you'd think I'd see a reduction in my heat bill, nope. I do have a 50's vintage house and the walls were colder that the windows, and the basement was just frigid. I tried closing off the heat to the basement but that just made the upstairs floor colder. The not so simple fix is adding more insulation in then walls.

 

[teddy1971]

Nice find on the batts for $9.50, and I have some not so pleasant memories of crawling around the attic, my sympathies on the exhausted part.

I did mine last year, added 8" to the 6"+ that was there, puts it somewhere in the r35 to r40 range I think. Between that and the new windows you'd think I'd see a reduction in my heat bill, nope. I do have a 50's vintage house and the walls were colder that the windows, and the basement was just frigid. I tried closing off the heat to the basement but that just made the upstairs floor colder. The not so simple fix is adding more insulation in then walls.

My house is only six years old and the walls are R19.

 

[charles u farley]

Just don't stuff too much insulation in at the eves. There has to be an air gap between the insulation and the roof sheathing at the eaves or you risk having ice dams.

 

[teddy1971]

Just don't stuff too much insulation in at the eves. There has to be an air gap between the insulation and the roof sheathing at the eaves or you risk having ice dams.

Actually, the insulation I've added runs on top of and perpendicular to my current insulation. This in effect makes it impossible to block the eves. Thank you for pointing this out.

 

[slow-al]

My house is only six years old and the walls are R19.

I have insulation envy.

 

[charles u farley]

Actually, the insulation I've added runs on top of and perpendicular to my current insulation.

Good stuff. That's the proper way to do it. I've been in a few attics where someone added a layer on top of the existing and left nice 1-1/2" gaps between batts above each truss. Perpendicular layers or blow-in are the only way to do a decent job.

 

[teddy1971]

OK, I've been burning for a couple of weeks and can now state that installing the additional insulation has made a huge difference in the temp of the house. Last season when it was 25 degrees outside it was 75 downstairs and 67 at the furthest corner upstairs based on the thermostat. And this was with the installation of plastic film on several windows upstatirs. This past week it was @ 25 degrees in the evening for two to three days and it was 75 degrees downstairs and 73 degrees upstairs at the furthest corners and I have not even installed the plastic film on the windows yet. I highly recommend installing additional attic insulation if you can. The proof is in the results and I definitley feel the results.

 

[jf254]

Im Insulating.. slowly!! I've been taking all the scrap pieces off of all the jobsites and throwing them up into the attic (already done half of the attic!).. So It might take a while but its free...