Best Attic Insulation For Old House

The traditional option is fiberglass insulation.

Best attic insulation for old house.

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. Thickness must not be used as the sole factor in determining the r value of loose fill insulation particularly for attic insulation. There are a couple creative yet expensive ways i would consider retroactively insulating the walls of an old house if you are in a far northern climate where it might make financial sense. The majority of heat loss and gain occurs in your attic.

Cotton batting treated with borates is a good choice for an old house retrofit. Inspecting and evaluating your insulation. For diy attic insulation you ve got two choices. It s available in fiberglass mineral wool plastic fibers and natural fibers.

Achieving greater r values in attics the higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation. For anyone living below the mason dixon line it is never worth the expense to retrofit an old house with wall insulation. Some homeowners also take the time to build walkways and or storage platforms in the attic prior to installing insulation. Check the attic walls and floors adjacent to an unheated space like a garage or basement.

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. If you are looking for some organic way to insulate your home cellulose insulation will work best for you. The attic is often the easiest place to add insulation. If you live in an older house you ll have to inspect the insulation.

Once you ve decided which type is best for you examine the material options and prices to home in on the right product. You can add r 30 insulation batting throughout your attic. This type of insulation. When you choose this solution and work at it alone be careful and wear safety gear.

Or you can also use blown in insulation which has environment friendly materials available. To keep the ventilation space clear above soffit vents special baffles need to be installed before the insulation goes in. Loose fill or batt the common term for blanket insulation. Blanket insulation is available as batts or rolls and is the easiest diy insulation material.

In most cases the best type of attic insulation will be blown fiberglass or blown cellulose insulation. The national park service advises using insulation treated with borates in historic structures because it won t corrode piping.