On cold winter nights, people start thinking a lot more about proper home insulation levels. Insulation installed in the attic and often inside walls prevents both heat loss from the house during winter and heat gain in the summer. Most homes are insulated by either fiberglass batts or cellulose loose-fill.
How Much Is Enough?
Insulation is rated according to its R-value per inch. The higher the R-value, the more effectively the material inhibits the movement of heat.
In our Oklahoma climate zone, current standards recommend insulating the attic to a level of R38 to R60. For fiberglass batts, this translates to 12 to 18 inches. For cellulose, the depth should be 10 to 16 inches.
Wall cavities should be insulated to at least R13. The material should fill the cavity from top to bottom.
Checking Your Level
As the prime location for heat loss and heat gain, the attic is the most important part of the house to insulate adequately. Here's how to measure the level in the attic:
Wear a long-sleeve shirt and long pants. A face mask to prevent inhalation of insulation fibers or other airborne particulates is a good idea too.
Take a yardstick with you.
Stay safe. Make sure you step only on the center walkway boards. Don’t step on insulation, as the ceiling below may collapse.
To measure fiberglass batts, insert the yardstick down between the edge of the batt and the adjacent attic joist until it stops.
Measure cellulose loose-fill by pushing the yardstick down into the mound of material until you feel it contact the ceiling below. Because cellulose depth may vary across the attic, take several measurements at different spots to arrive at an average.
Wall Insulation
If your home has insulated wall cavities, measuring isn’t a practical option for the do-it-yourselfer. Manual measurements would require opening up walls to access the enclosed insulation. A better alternative is to have a qualified HVAC contractor utilize thermal imaging to verify the amount and type of insulation inside the wall.
For professional advice and service to determine your home-insulation levels, contact the experts at Air Assurance.