Best R Value Insulation For Attic

To choose the best insulation for your home from the many types of insulation on the market you ll need to know where you want or need to install the insulation and what r value you want the installation to achieve.

Best r value insulation for attic.

Your home s r value score will guide you toward the type of insulation you need. Before you ever get insulation anywhere near the attic though make sure that you get the air leakage sites sealed up. You will need a higher r value of insulation if you live in the northeast than if you live in southern california. There are many ways to retrofit a home with fiberglass and.

Typical recommendations for exterior walls are r 13 to r 23 while r 30 r 38 and r 49 are common for ceilings and attic spaces. Insulation level are specified by r value. Where you live different climates require different insulation r values. Other considerations may include indoor air quality impacts life cycle costs recycled content embodied energy and ease of installation especially if you plan to do the.

In general an attic s r value should be between r 30 and r 49. Recommended home insulation r values. R value is a measure of insulation s ability to resist heat traveling through it. Your home s age if your home is more than 10 year old you likely need more insulation.

The higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation. Though r value is a the higher the better measurement the insulation material with the highest r value isn t necessarily the best choice for your house. Different insulation materials have unique strengths and weaknesses and some attics will be more suited for certain material than others. If you put an air permeable insulation material over a hole in your ceiling you may have comfort indoor air quality durability and efficiency problems.

The other option is purchasing a pre insulated garage door that may have a higher r value. Most garage door insulation has an r value of between r 8 and r 12 because it is so thin to fit the space. For example if you have a type of insulation that has an r value of r 5 per inch of thickness you will need a depth of 6 inches of this insulation installed in your attic to reach r 30 if you live in zones 2 or 3. Lighter in weight than cellulose or mineral wool but it settles more than those materials so you ve got to put in a thicker layer to get the protection you need.

In particularly cold climates you might go up to r 60. Depending on where you live and the part of your home you re insulating walls crawlspace attic etc you ll need a different r value. The table below shows what levels of insulation are cost effective for different climates and. These r values are a sum meaning this should be the total r value once you add up the entire depth of insulation.