Attic Insulation Requirements

Continuous insulation and attic insulation.

Attic insulation requirements.

According to the u s. Insulate your attic to the recommended level including the attic door or hatch cover. The main factors that impact the cost are. R 38 shall be deemed to satisfy the requirement for r 49 wherever the full height of uncompressed r 38 insulation extends over the wall top plate at the eaves.

However there is an exception. Use unfaced insulation when adding more insulation to an attic that already has some insulation laying the rolls or batts at right angles to the floor joists. The attic is the easiest place to add insulation to improve your comfort and the energy efficiency of your home. While federal and in some cases state guidelines for insulation levels are merely recommendations the local building code is the true authority over insulation requirements.

Your attic should have a certain amount of insulation in it and the recommended level of insulation for your attic is dependent on where you live. Achieving greater r values in attics the higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation. Pa302 1 ceilings with attic spaces n1102 2 1 r402 2 1. Department of energy it s recommended that attics have an r 38 to r 49 or about 12 to 15 of fiberglass or cellulose insulation.

Square footage of your attic. R value is a measure of insulation s ability to resist heat traveling through it. 2 insulation priorities it is most important to. With precision there has been a change in the insulation requirements.

Inspecting your attic insulation. 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. The 2015 irc requires r 49 insulation for ceilings with attic spaces. First things first you need to go up into your attic inspect the condition of the insulation and calculate the current level of insulation.

Contractor or insulation installer s fee. Insulation level are specified by r value. Type and material of your insulation. The table below shows what levels of insulation are cost effective for different climates and locations in the home.

Provide the recommended level of insulation under floors above unheated spaces around walls in a heated basement or unventilated crawl space and on the edges of slabs on grade. The higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation.