Best Attic Insulation For Old House

For anyone living below the mason dixon line it is never worth the expense to retrofit an old house with wall insulation.

Best attic insulation for old house.

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. The majority of heat loss and gain occurs in your attic. Or you can also use blown in insulation which has environment friendly materials available. Both can be added to uninsulated attics or layered over existing material.

Thickness must not be used as the sole factor in determining the r value of loose fill insulation particularly for attic insulation. You can add r 30 insulation batting throughout your attic. For diy attic insulation you ve got two choices. 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.

This type of insulation. Loose fill or batt the common term for blanket insulation. 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. Cotton batting treated with borates is a good choice for an old house retrofit.

Some homeowners also take the time to build walkways and or storage platforms in the attic prior to installing insulation. If you live in an older house you ll have to inspect the insulation. Read more about the 3 types of heat here. 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.

In most cases the best type of attic insulation will be blown fiberglass or blown cellulose insulation. To keep the ventilation space clear above soffit vents special baffles need to be installed before the insulation goes in. The attic is often the easiest place to add insulation. It s available in fiberglass mineral wool plastic fibers and natural fibers.

Inspecting and evaluating your insulation. If you are looking for some organic way to insulate your home cellulose insulation will work best for you. When you choose this solution and work at it alone be careful and wear safety gear. The traditional option is fiberglass insulation.

Check the attic walls and floors adjacent to an unheated space like a garage or basement. Blanket insulation is available as batts or rolls and is the easiest diy insulation material.