Attic Insulation Tips Diy

Now that you ve air sealed your attic and basement check your attic insulation levels and add more if necessary.

Attic insulation tips diy.

A finished attic should be insulated much like the rest of the house with insulation in the walls and ceiling. Cut slits in the vapor barrier to allow moisture to escape. Both can be added to uninsulated attics or layered over existing material. Check the attic to make sure the insulation is installed properly.

In attics vapor barrier on insulation should face down toward the living space. However most older attics are under insulated so it s a good idea to raise the r value where possible. Cost effective way to save energy with this old house general contractor tom silva. The attic is the easiest place to add insulation to improve your comfort and the energy efficiency of your home.

For most of us installing spray foam insulation in their attic is just not a diy project and it is too costly for your average homeowner. Loose fill or batt the common term for blanket insulation. Either way the house is probably wasting energy and the homeowners money. Statistics show that 85 percent of a house s heat loss is straight up through the attic space.

Cellulose blown in ceiling insulation is a good choice for diyers. If you have the money to pay for spray foam in your attic then you may want to stop reading now and go get that done. If it is installed incorrectly with the vapor barrier facing up then the insulation will trap moisture causing possible water problems. However blowing insulation into an attic can be a diy task.

For diy attic insulation you ve got two choices. It doesn t require any special skills but will require you to crouch under low sloping attic rafters in order to distribute the. Insulation goes between roof and interior space if your attic is already finished it probably is at least partially insulated. Blown in cellulose is an environmentally friendly material made from recycled newspaper so it s easier on your skin and lungs.

Houses built before the energy crunch in the early 70s might just have a little bit of fiberglass insulation in the attic or empty cavities between the joists.