Attic Insulation

fitnessluvr

Cathlete
What kind do you have. I am looking into foam insulation that is supose to be much better than anything else on the market, but it is also 3x the cost of anything else on the market. Does anyone have this and is it worth the extra cost??????
 
I think I have fiberglass. I did just put all new windows in, and that has made a HUGE difference! Anything you use will be better than nothing.
 
This is one of my future projects (my house has a HUGE attic which I want to turn into a master suite someday, but right now it has torn up insulation & terrible flooring). I wouldn't get the foam. I haven't done much research, but I don't think it's worth the cost when you get similar results from fiberglass.

But I have new windows & they do make a tremendous difference.
 
What is your climate? What is the age of your home? How long do you plan to stay in your home? Those questions will determine how much you want to invest. Usually the most bang for your buck will be blown-in type insulation (loose fill not foam). The foam cost can be difficult to recoup.
 
We have fiberglass R-49, because we DIY'd it.

Have you checked out cellulose? It's better than fiberglass, since it's denser and can pack more easily around things, and cheaper than foam, though it has a lower R-value per inch than foam.

I believe it's usually made from recycled materials.
 
We have fiberglass R-49, because we DIY'd it.

Have you checked out cellulose? It's better than fiberglass, since it's denser and can pack more easily around things, and cheaper than foam, though it has a lower R-value per inch than foam.

I believe it's usually made from recycled materials.

The cellulose Gayle mentioned is the blown-in insulation I was referring to...probably your best bet. This is what we almost always use in the homes we build (and we have cold winters). We have R-50 cellulose in the personal house we just finished. She's right about its properties....but even though it has a lower R-value per inch, the foam can have its issues, too (expansion, shrinkage, etc).

If you or someone you know is handy, you can even look into doing the blown-in cellulose yourself and renting a machine from Home Depot. It's not a pleasant job, though! And you would want some instruction or someone who is familiar with it.
 
Thank goodness my DH is VERY handy, so he can blow in and save us a lot of $$$$! This year our tax money is going to insulation AND new windows (my husband is going to try and put those in). We live in AL, the winters aren't too bad, but summers are a different story. It seems like every 3 months we get a notice telling us that our electric rates are going up. I would rather invest money into my house then pay it to the electric company.
 
I have a 3rd floor walk-up. When I moved in there was no insulation at all so I had cellulose insulation blown into all the outside walls and across the attic floor. It's a decent cost-efficient compromise. However, had I been able to afford it I would have LOVED to have foam insulation EVERYWHERE. It dries hard and is like having a styrofoam blanket over your house. Talk about energy efficiency. I wonder what a pain it would be to have the cellulose removed and replaced with the foam if I could ever afford it... The foam is the bomb! It's what I wish I had.
 
We live in Alabama also. We are about to install Louisana Pacific's Tech Shield Foil in our attic. It is very reasonable and looks like a great investment! Keeps the heat out (crucial in AL and helps to reflect the heat trying to escape back in). Might be worth looking into and doing when you insulate. My husband is a contractor, so if he does it to our house, it must be a good product!
 

Our Newsletter

Get awesome content delivered straight to your inbox.

Top