Attic Insulation In Old Houses

It doesn t matter the climate just start with the safest place that provides the biggest bang for your buck and that is alwaysthe attic.

Attic insulation in old houses.

Measure the size of the roof rafters. Find your zone on the map and then use the chart to determine the level of insulation you need to properly insulate your attic walls floors and crawlspaces. Loose fill or batt the common term for blanket insulation. I ll say that one more time.

For diy attic insulation you ve got two choices. If you have an unfinished and unconditioned attic like many old houses my first recommendation would be to add batt insulation on the underside of the roof. This old house general contractor tom silva shows affordable ways to create an energy efficient attic how to know what insulation is behind your walls if you live in an older home understanding what pads your walls is essential to keeping your family safe. In older homes specifically asbestos may be found in many different materials from pipe insulation to flooring adhesive to roof shingles.

Insulating the attic and roof roughly a quarter of the average home s heat is lost through the roof. If you live in an older house you ll have to inspect the insulation. Vermiculite and perlite are older granulated insulations with relatively low r values which describes the product s thermal resistance. Are they 2 6 2 8 or bigger.

Install attic insulation the answer to making an old house inhabitable is insulation. But just because your insulation is old doesn t mean it is dangerous. Achieving greater r values in attics the higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation. The bigger they are the thicker the insulation you can fit.

Inspecting and evaluating your insulation check the attic walls and floors adjacent to an unheated space like a garage or basement. Even if you bought the house with insulation already installed into it it s best to double check. Shredded newspaper or loose fill cellulose was another common insulation in the past. The insulation materials used in older houses are not as effective in keeping heat in as the new ones.

Once you ve decided which type is best for you examine the material options and prices to home in on the right product. One of the most common materials containing asbestos fibers is attic and wall insulation. Rather than insulating the whole home and potentially causing problems like excess humidity you can properly seal the attic of an old house. Sometimes wood products such as sawdust or balsa wood were used at insulation in old homes but these are very ineffective.

This is a safe first step to retaining heat and saving energy.