Attic Insulation For Older Home

Once you ve decided which type is best for you examine the material options and prices to home in on the right product.

Attic insulation for older home.

One of the most common materials containing asbestos fibers is attic and wall insulation. Apply a house wrap vapor barrier to exterior walls. But just because your insulation is old doesn t mean it is dangerous. Replace old windows with energy efficient units.

Attach 1 inch foam board insulation. People fall in love with the character rich architecture of these homes but they don t want the crazy heating and cooling bills that come along with that character. R value is a measure of insulation s ability to resist heat traveling through it. Both can be added to uninsulated attics or layered over existing material.

Loose fill or batt the common term for blanket insulation. These older homes were largely built without insulation and just open cavities in the walls where the house could breathe. When preparing for renovations of older homes you will likely encounter old insulation. In general an attic s r value should be between r 30 and r 49.

Learn how to identify old ceiling insulation. Many older homes have less insulation than homes built today but even adding insulation to a newer home can pay for itself within a few years. The higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation. I get asked a lot about insulating old houses especially in the wintertime.

Your home s r value score will guide you toward the type of insulation you need. For diy attic insulation you ve got two choices. Insulation level are specified by r value. In particularly cold climates you might go up to r 60.

One way to insulate walls of an old house is to focus on the home s exterior. Unless your home was specially constructed for energy efficiency you can probably reduce your energy bills by adding more insulation. Recommended home insulation r values. Chances are good that if your house was built before the 1960 s there is little to no insulation.

In older homes specifically asbestos may be found in many different materials from pipe insulation to flooring adhesive to roof shingles. Install siding over the insulation. Achieving greater r values in attics the higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation. Builder s knew that water was the 1 enemy of any house and the way they built may have allowed water to get into the walls in minute amounts but due to the extraordinary looseness in the building envelope the house.