Attic Insulation Rating

You ll need about 12 inches of insulation material.

Attic insulation rating.

An r value tells you how well a type of insulation can keep heat from leaving or entering your home. Existing 3 4 inches of insulation. Measure the area needing insulation. 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.

See the department of energy s doe ranges for recommended levels of insulation below. If your insulation doesn t measure up and you need more installation can be done as a weekend diy project or you can call a professional installer to handle the job. Typically a higher insulation r rating means better climate control and better energy efficiency for your home. Your attic should have a certain amount of insulation in it and the recommended level of insulation for your attic is dependent on where you live.

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 ratings are measured in r values per inch of thickness. If your current insulation is only 5 inches deep you ll need to add seven inches of insulation to achieve the 12 inch r 38 rating. Insulation r values vary based on the type thickness and density of the insulation material.

Recommended insulation levels for retrofitting existing wood framed buildings. Multiply the length times the width to determine the square footage of the space.