Attic Insulation In Old Houses

If you have an unfinished and unconditioned attic like many old houses my first recommendation would be to add batt insulation on the underside of the roof.

Attic insulation in old houses. The main factors that impact the cost are. Even if you bought the house with insulation already installed into it it s best to double check. Fiberglass insulation fiberglass batts the insulation found in most houses in the u s are inexpensive and quick to install. If you live in an older house you ll have to inspect the insulation.

Inspecting and evaluating your insulation check the attic walls and floors adjacent to an unheated space like a garage or basement. I ll say that one more time. Type and material of your insulation. The insulation must meet doe standards.

To keep the ventilation space clear above soffit vents special baffles need to be installed before the insulation goes in. Some homeowners also take the time to build walkways and or storage platforms in the attic prior to installing insulation. Contractor or insulation installer s fee. One of the most common materials containing asbestos fibers is attic and wall insulation.

Are they 2 6 2 8 or bigger. Start in the attic the attic should always be the first place you add insulation whether you live in florida or fargo. In most climates it needs a vapor barrier. In older homes specifically asbestos may be found in many different materials from pipe insulation to flooring adhesive to roof shingles.

Square footage of your attic. Sometimes wood products such as sawdust or balsa wood were used at insulation in old homes but these are very ineffective. Vermiculite and perlite are older granulated insulations with relatively low r values which describes the product s thermal resistance. Shredded newspaper or loose fill cellulose was another common insulation in the past.

According to home advisor insulating your attic can cost between 1700 to 2100. It doesn t matter the climate just start with the safest place that provides the biggest bang for your buck and that is alwaysthe attic. The bigger they are the thicker the insulation you can fit. The answer to making an old house inhabitable is insulation.

In most cases the best type of attic insulation will be blown fiberglass or blown cellulose insulation. Measure the size of the roof rafters. The insulation materials used in older houses are not as effective in keeping heat in as the new ones. But just because your insulation is old doesn t mean it is dangerous.