How Much Insulation Do I Need In My Home?
Two common question that homeowners generally ask insulation contractors are how much is insulation and how much insulation do I need to add to certain parts of their home to keep it as energy efficient as possible year round. The cost of a job usually varies depending on how much work needs to be done and the size of the job. In an ideal world we would like to say that a homeowner needs as much as insulation as possible, but certain areas of the home like your attic, the spacing between the studs in your walls and crawlspace will only allow you to fit so much insulation into those specific areas.
According to the U.S. Depart of Energyy, if you live within the Mid-Atlantic region the recommended R-values vary and can range anywhere between an R-38 and R-60 for your attic areas and, R-25 to R-33 for your floor space. Keep in mind though that these are the suggested R-values, and there are other contributing factor such climate, and cost of energy in the area which you reside that need to be considered.
Attic Insulation
The insulation in your attic should be at least 12’ thick. If the insulation in your attic space is older than five years of age, and you can see the floor joists you may want to add additional insulation to provide a thicker coating. After all an undercoated attic can cost you additional heating and cooling costs plus additional stress on your homes HVAC system.
There are several available options like blown-in, faced, unfaced, and high performance insulation that are available to you when considering adding insulation to your homes attic area. Regardless the type of attic insulation you select, it’s important to keep some types of insulation like loose fill insulation from the edge of the attic where the roof slopes down to meet it. Fresh air in the attic is essential for allowing moisture to escape, and to keep the temperature of roof surfaces low enough in winter that they don’t cause snow to melt and form ice dams causing moisture to seep into the attic area.
Wall Insulation
Wither you live in California, Maryland, or Texas the wall areas of your home should have as much insulation as possible. You homes wall should be completely filled as tightly as possible from the floor to the ceiling without being exposed to gaps that allow air to filter in. Leaving a gap defeats the purpose of adding the additional insulation and prevents the home from warming or cooling depending on the time of you year. In addition, exposed gaps leave open the possibilities of insulation being exposed to harmful things like pests, mold and mildew.
The wall areas of your home our also susceptible to energy loss and contribute to the deformation of your homes insulation causing it to break down, erode, and fall away from interior areas of the walls structure overtime allowing moisture from the outside or from the structure within to happen.
There are several choices available to the customer such as Mineral Wool and Sprayfoam that will help minimize sound and prevent gap exposure. Mineral wool is a fiber insulation made of natural materials such as fibers and natural stone. Mineral wool will not burn and acts as a fire barrier, slowing down house fire and maintains its insulation qualities even when wet. Sprayfoam is a applied plastic that can form a continues insulation and air sealing barrier. It provides coverage within the walls, around joints, and between the floor areas. Sprayfoam helps to reduce noise, reduces air and moisture infiltration, and reduces the likelihood of mold.
To find discuss how much additional insulation your home may need in order for it to be a comfortable and efficient home. Contact us at Cameron Home Insulation, we’re here to ease the process — give us a call TODAY at (443) 290-5182 or schedule a FREE home insulation quote!
