These r value targets are fairly easy to meet for a new house as long as the designer and builder plan ahead.
Cellususe for tight attic space.
So budget conscious homeowners could opt to select a cheaper alternative for the attic exterior walls and crawl spaces only using rock wool to surround the recessed cans.
The cellulose is allowed to fill the cavities or blanket existing insulation.
Throughout the balance of this digest the terms attic and roof will and can be used interchangeably.
This with a good air sealing package will perform just as well as a foam job and may cost less.
Blown in cellulose has a higher r rating and is less expensive than either blown insulation like fiberglass attic insulation or fiberglass batts.
It is allowed to settle over time.
Make sure the fill s depth is uniform across the attic.
Blown in cellulose insulation is one of the most common insulation types now used in attics and in an existing closed wall.
We covered 1700 square feet of attic.
Yes using spray foam we have added your attic to the conditioned space.
Achieving these r values with cellulose or fiberglass requires at least 11 inches of insulation for r 38 or 14 inches for r 49.
The cellulose is blown into the attic or walls through long flexible tubes that run from the blower to an application nozzle.
There are many experienced weatherization companies that will be able to blow in cellulose even in a tight attic.
The whole process took roughly 5 hours not counting attic space prep time with me handling the hose in the attic and my friend and wife feeding the machine.
If you decide home foam insulation is the way to go.
Walls are patched up and painted over.
For more on new homes see raised heel trusses make better enclosures.
When we seal the attic with spray foam it s as tight as a butter tub.
In cold climates the primary purpose of attic or roof ventilation is to maintain a cold roof temperature to control ice dams created by melting snow and to vent moisture that moves from the conditioned space to the attic ventilation acts to bypass the vapour barrier created by most roof.
To make it easy to eyeball how level the material is as you blow it in screw depth guides to joists throughout the space.
The most flammable insulation materials is cellulose.
Here s the answer to the question posed in my article title.
To get the target r value from the product you chose use the number of bags your calculations showed that you needed to insulate your attic never fewer.
Cellulose blown in ceiling insulation is a good choice for diyers.
No pressure is placed on the cellulose.
Blown in cellulose is an environmentally friendly material made from recycled newspaper so it s easier on your skin and lungs.