Insulation in Attic How Much Should I Have?

Q. I have R19 cellulose in my 3 year old home I recently purchased. Is it worthwhile to pay the extra amount for R49 upgrade using Owens Corning fiberglass. Home Depot and Owens Corning each quote about $2250 for the R49 but the R38 estimates vary from $1700 to $2200. Attic square footage is about 1650 ft in a two story home.

A. If your attic space is only R-19, I do recommend you increase the insulation to a MINIMUM of R-38. Also, be mindful of ventilation. The ventilation of the attic can be compromised if not done properly, which can affect the life of the roof and weaken the performance of your insulation investment.

I am concerned about a new home having only R-19 insulation, because it suggests that other things need to be taken into consideration before adding insulation to an attic.

The tightness and the level of quality of insulation in the rest of the home should be considered. If the walls are poorly insulated, adding to the attic may not give you as good of a return in investment. If your windows are in poor condition poorly installed or leak air, then the benefits of added insulation will – literally – go right out the window.

In this case, more insulation is better, but we look at the whole picture and figure out the best return on investment. An energy audit can help make the right choices to improve the performance of you home. Please check here to learn more about our energy audit services.

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