Attic Repairs & Maintenace
Proper Insulation - Shadows & Light
Insulate the Attic and Save Money!
Did you know that increasing your home’s attic insulation from three to twelve inches can save you up to 20% in your heating bills?
A properly insulated attic should have at least 9.5 to 12 inches, R-30/R-38 respectively, of attic insulation in it. If you need to replace your attic insulation, make sure you install a vapor barrier first. Polyethylene plastic, four to six mil thick is ideal. The vapor barrier should go under the first layer of attic insulation and towards the warm side. If a vapor barrier is not used condensation will form and create mold and mildew damage in the attic and ceilings.
If you plan to use faced insulation, then the polyethylene sheets are not required. Just lay the faced insulation paper side down so that it is in contact with the sheetrocked ceiling material.
When you are adding rolled insulation to what already exists in your attic, lay it out perpendicular to the insulation you already have. This makes it much harder for heat to escape and creates a tighter seal. Do not cover lighting fixtures, soffit vents and fan exhaust vents. On shallow roof pitches use Attic Rafter vents to insure the rolled insulation does not block the soffit vents.
Note: Insulation should be kept 3-4 inches away from recessed lighting fixtures to prevent fire, unless the lighting fixture is marked “I.C.”, Insulated Ceiling.
Use fire retardant foam insulation and/or caulk around bathroom ceiling fans to ensure a tight seal. Apply the caulk from below to create a good seal around the seams.
Note: Insulation should be kept 3-4 inches away from recessed lighting fixtures to prevent fire, unless the lighting fixture is marked “I.C.”, Insulated Ceiling.If you have an attic door, apply weather stripping around the seams and insulate the backside of the door.