Department Of Energy Attic Insulation

Department of energy s online insulation fact sheet to determine the r values of insulation previously installed in your home.

Department of energy attic insulation.

The table below shows what levels of insulation are cost effective for different climates and locations in the home. Blown into place using special equipment sometimes poured in. Loose fill or batt insulation is typically installed in an attic. Learn more about where to insulate.

Insulation is literally built into the home s walls creating high thermal resistance. Once you ve determined the type of insulation you have in these areas and its thickness inches see the u s. R value is a measure of insulation s ability to resist heat traveling through it. The department of energy estimates that a properly insulated attic can shave 10 to 50 percent off your heating bill.

Bulky materials resist conductive and to a lesser degree convective heat flow in a building cavity. Rigid foam boards trap air or another gas to resist conductive heat flow. Insulation level are specified by r value. Insulation materials run the gamut from bulky fiber materials such as fiberglass rock and slag wool cellulose and natural fibers to rigid foam boards to sleek foils.

And it works the opposite way for warm climates. In summer it helps stabilize your house s indoor temps to keep cooling needs in check. Loose fill insulation must be applied using an insulation blowing machine in either open blow applications such as attic spaces or closed cavity applications such as those found inside existing walls or covered attic floors. See more on different types of insulation.

At first it may seem odd to add insulation for warmth and then purposely allow cold air to enter the attic through vents but this combination is the key to a durable and energy efficient home. A radiant barrier works best when it is perpendicular to the radiant energy striking it. Types of insulation insulation comes in many different. A radiant barrier reduces the radiant heat transfer from the underside of the roof to the other surfaces in the attic.

Benefits of insulation on average you can save up to 20 on your home s heating and cooling costs or up to 10 on its total energy costs by adding insulation to attics floors crawl spaces and accessible basement rim joists and by reducing unwanted air leaks all around your house. Enclosed existing wall or open new wall cavities. Mineral rock or slag wool. Loose fill insulation is usually less expensive to install than batt insulation and provides better coverage when installed properly.

The higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation. About attic ventilation natural attic ventilation. Most manufacturers use 40 to 60 recycled glass content.