Compressed Attic Insulation Fix

This guide from the department of energy will help you determine what type of insulation you have in your home.

Compressed attic insulation fix.

Let s look at an r 19 batt in a 2x6 cavity step 1. Fiberglass insulation should never be compressed. Water is insulation s enemy. I suspect the context of the naima calculation is that it pertains to common and customary building practices so i wouldn t attempt to extrapolate their findings to.

Missing insulation at repaired areas in attic it seems pretty obvious that insulation should be put back in place after being pulled back for a repair in the attic but that doesn t always happen. Look for water stains on the roof sheathing or damp or moldy spots on attic joists and existing insulation as a clue to where leaks might be. For most things we install the tighter the fit the better the item works. Insulation loses its effectiveness when it is constantly being compressed by being walked on or having boxes stored on it loses its insulation ability.

That means you ll have to seal up all of those gaps cracks and holes that are in your attic and walls before you blow the insulation into place. Insulation is often moved during a repair and is never put back into place. R value simply means resistance to heat flow. Attic insulation problems are common but fortunately the solutions are simple.

Simple thermal analysis reveals that if you have 5 missing insulation in an attic bare sheetrock you ll have a slightly more than a 54 drop in r value. It creates a breeding ground for mold and mildew and ruins the air trapping pockets that block heat flow. Imo insulation is designed to entrap air so the more it s compressed the less air it contains and you end up relying on the conductivity of the material fiberglass itself. The most common forms of insulation today are cellulose fiberglass and spray foam.

How to replace the blown attic insulation with closed cell foam. For every x the insulation material is compressed the r value decreases by approximately one half of that percentage or x compressed. Yes the compressed r value can be estimated using the following method. These thermal defects undermine the r value of your attic insulation.

Subtract the cavity depth from the thickness of the batt in inches. Blown in insulation is satisfactory for many unfinished attics as long as it doesn t get wet or compressed. Not so with blown in fiberglass insulation.