How Much Insulation Do I Need?
Insulating your home adequately enhances heat flow resistance and lowers your cooling and heating expenses. Proper insulation also makes your home more comfortable. Many homeowners ask us, “How much insulation do I need?’. Here is more detailed information on this topic.
Important Aspects When Considering Insulation
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When hiring a contractor for an insulation project, the level of insulation that they’ll recommend should be based on several factors. Some of these include:
- Mainly the areas you intend to insulate
- The kind of insulation you choose for your house
- Your location
Some people consider adding insulation to a home a DIY project. However, this is far from the truth. There are many risks involved, including working with dangerous materials, lacking the proper tools, choosing the incorrect materials, and more. Also, a DIY insulation project ends up costing more than hiring a professional insulation contractor in the first place.
Before any insulation project, it is vital to inspect your property to assess the current condition of your insulation. More importantly, should also talk to a professional insulation contractor. Reputable insulation companies, such as Ascend Construction, have a better understanding of the kind of insulation that’s effective in various conditions.
Tips On Insulating Your Property Properly
Call A Contractor To Determine The Areas In Your Home That Need Insulation
How much insulation you’ll need will depend in part on the area you intend to install it. The common areas in a home that need to be insulated include floors, walls, and attics. The attic, in particular, should be sufficiently insulated to prevent the updraft from drawing in cooler air. Therefore, you’ll likely need more insulation in your attic than you would for your floor. If your goal is to add wall insulation on top of existing batting or add blown-in insulation material to the walls of an older house, you’ll normally need more insulation compared to what you’ll need under your flooring, but less than what you’ll need for attic insulation.
In case cold air is filtering through slits in your floorboards, you should add insulation to your floor to ensure moisture doesn’t get in and encourage mold growth or warp the wood. A contractor can fill the tiny gaps using spray foam, or they can fasten or glue foam sheets to floor joists underneath your floor. Once again, you should get a professional to do the insulation.
Choose Insulation Material With The Right R-Value
Insulation material’s capability to resist the flow of conductive heat is rated or measured in terms of R-value or thermal resistance. The higher the material’s R-value, the greater the insulation effectiveness. The R-value of insulating material is determined by the material’s density and thickness. Some of the external factors that determine the R-value include moisture accumulation, aging, and temperature. To find the R-value of multilayered insulation, simply add up the individual R-values of the constituent layers.
While homeowners need to have an understanding of what insulation is about as well as what R-value means, you’ll be better off consulting a certified insulation contractor, preferably one that understands the R-value requirements in your area. This is because R-values tend to vary from region to region. For instance, when it comes to attic insulation, the ideal R-values for the Southern states and Northern states are R-30 and R-38, respectively. Therefore, be sure to work with a professional for your insulation project. They will make the best R-value recommendations for your region and home.
The Size Of Your Walls
The amount of material your contractor will need to insulate a space depends on the size of the area. For example, if it’s a wall, they will calculate the size by multiplying the wall’s width and height. If there are windows and doors, they will calculate their surface area and then subtract it from the area of the wall. This is because they won’t be insulated. If you don’t have any batt insulation on your wall, they will recommend filling nooks with loose-fill insulation to enhance your home’s ventilation. If you have an older house, you’ll likely need more insulation compared to if it’s a new build. This is because, over time, insulation settles in walls. In such situations, your contractor can optimize your home’s comfort by filling holes in the walls with blown-in insulation.
The Size Of The Floor
To find out the amount of insulation you need for your flooring, the contractor will first calculate the area of the floor that needs to be insulated, by multiplying width and length. This will inform them of the amount of insulation they will need to prevent moisture and cold air from seeping into holes and cracks. Air leakage can lead to mold growth and ventilation issues. The amount of insulation you’ll need for your floor will likely be not as much what you’ll need for your attics and interior walls. If you reside in the Southern region, your insulation expert will likely recommend R-13 for your floor insulation. Conversely, if you live in the Northern part of the country, they’ll likely recommend R-30. Remember that by working with a professional, they’ll understand the necessary calculations to determine the ideal R-value for your area and home.
The Existing Insulation
The level of insulation your home requires also hinges on the existing insulation as well as the kind of insulation material you choose. If your property already has some level of insulation, the amount of insulation you’ll need will be lower compared to someone starting from scratch. Besides, even if your insulation meets the Department of Energy’s guidelines, you may still need to beef it up if your home is cold during winter and hot during summer. Depending on where you need to install extra insulation, you may need spray or blown-in insulation in some areas.
Final Word
In a nutshell, to find the amount of insulation you need for your house, you should consult a professional who has expertise on the insulation requirements and needs in your area.
How Much Insulation Do I Need Fort Collins Co?
As you can see, when adding insulation to your home, consulting with a professional is best. There are a lot of factors to consider such as existing insulation, R-value, your home’s location, and more. Ascend Construction specializes in energy conservation, energy audits, insulation, whole house fan installations, and more in Fort Collins, Colorado and neighboring areas.
Contact Ascend Construction for a free consultation today. We can provide you with practical solutions to address the problem areas in your Fort Collins home. All of our services are affordable and our work is guaranteed. Click here to contact us or click the button below to give Ascend Construction a call. We offer free, no-obligation, in-home consultations.