Old House Attic Insulation

Here are just a few of the highlights.

Old house attic insulation.

Adding insulation where it was never designed to go mainly the walls of an old house causes a host of problems all due to the moisture issues it creates. Vermiculite and perlite are older granulated insulations with relatively low r values which describes the product s thermal resistance. The answer to making an old house inhabitable is insulation. The insulation must meet doe standards.

This old house general contractor tom silva shows affordable ways to create an energy efficient attic how to know what insulation is behind your walls if you live in an older home understanding what pads your walls is essential to keeping your family safe. Type and material of your insulation. Sometimes wood products such as sawdust or balsa wood were used at insulation in old homes but these are very ineffective. Like other batt type insulation fiberglass has a predictable r value if not compressed but is difficult to fit around obstacles without leaving gaps.

Contractor or insulation installer s fee. Rather than insulating the whole home and potentially causing problems like excess humidity you can properly seal the attic of an old house. The main factors that impact the cost are. 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. The insulation materials used in older houses are not as effective in keeping heat in as the new ones. Fiberglass batts the insulation found in most houses in the u s are inexpensive and quick to install. In most climates it needs a vapor barrier.

Even if you bought the house with insulation already installed into it it s best to double check. Shredded newspaper or loose fill cellulose was another common insulation in the past. Insulating the attic and roof roughly a quarter of the average home s heat is lost through the roof. In most cases the best type of attic insulation will be blown fiberglass or blown cellulose insulation.

This is a safe first step to retaining heat and saving energy.