Compressed Attic Insulation

The chart below indicates the compressed r value of standard building insulation products when installed in framing cavities with a depth that is less than the labeled thickness of the insulation.

Compressed attic insulation.

Batt and roll insulation and loose fill sometimes known as blown in insulation. Subtract the cavity depth from the thickness of the batt in inches. Loose fill blown in insulation is best for tight spaces or if your attic already has a layer of insulation. This lowers the insulation s r value.

When compressed to less than its labeled thickness glass fi ber insulation will experience a reduction in r value. Insulation loses its effectiveness when it is constantly being compressed by being walked on or having boxes stored on it loses its insulation ability. When it s time to re roof adding 2 of roofing polyiso or a 2 5 polyiso nailbase panel would be sufficient to beat code minimum performance on a u factor basis due to the r11 thermal break over the rafters. The floor insulation can simply be left in place if you re now heating the attic.

See install batt and roll insulation for details. You can mix the type and material of insulation too. I believe it is r 19. To make a niche i want to compress the insulation quite a bit down to only 1 5 or 1 75 inches.

Insulation ratings can be improved by adding more layers of insulation. Batt and roll insulation works well between joist and stud spaces or if you have a wide open space or a crawlspace. R value simply means resistance to heat flow. Over the years fiberglass batt insulation gradually collapses and deteriorates.

Pull up and dispose of any material that s compressed water stained or moldy it s useless. What is attic insulation. These thermal defects undermine the r value of your attic insulation. Let s look at an r 19 batt in a 2x6 cavity step 1.

Achieving greater r values in attics. Grab a tape measure and a flashlight to see what kind of insulation you already have in the attic and how deep it is. There was no plywood up there plus it looks like the insulation is not uniformly compressed. You can compress fiberglass insulation as much as you want i am trying to make a shower niche on a 2x6 exterior wall in which fiberglass insulation already exists.

For every x the insulation material is compressed the r value decreases by approximately one half of that percentage or x compressed. There are two main types of insulation. The ideal attic insulation r value is different than the ideal wall insulation r value. 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.

Make sure your home is properly insulated in all these locations. Yes the compressed r value can be estimated using the following method.