How Often To Add Insulation To Attic

How often do i need to replace insulation in my attic.

How often to add insulation to attic.

But if you ve got an unfinished attic giving it proper insulation is one of the simplest ways to keep a lid on your heating bill this season. If you have an older home chances are the attic insulation is the same insulation that was installed when the house was built. Insulation begins to degrade in quality and effectiveness at around the 15 year mark. Insulation levels are specified by r value.

The higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation. How often should attic insulation be replaced. R value is a measure of insulation s ability to resist heat flow. The answer depends on where you live.

You ll know it needs to be replaced if there are insulation leaks or if it is peeling from the walls. While some insulation is built to last years there are times when you need to replace your insulation or add on more insulation to it. These insulation levels will keep heated air from migrating out in winter. The recommended level for most attics is to insulate to r 38 or about 10 to 14 inches depending on insulation type.

Insulation should also be replaced in some cases sooner than 15 years if it is no longer doing its job properly. Typically houses in warm weather states should have an r 38 insulation in the attic whereas houses in cold climates should have r 49. Standard insulation starts to degrade and start peeling from walls after about 15 years. In older homes there s a chance your attic insulation has never been replaced and could be badly degraded.

But many homeowners i talk with don t know how much is enough.