Best Overall
Owens Corning R-38 Faced Fiberglass Insulation
Best Bang for the Buck
Frost King CF1 “No Itch” Natural Cotton Insulation
Best Blanket
Owens Corning R-30 Unfaced Fiberglass Insulation
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Adding sufficient attic insulation is an excellent way to protect your household from temperature extremum and moisture wrong while reduce heating plant and cooling costs . insularity playact as a barrier to prevent the transfer of heat flow from the interior to the outside of the house in winter or from the outside to the inside in summertime .
After reviewing several types of attic insulant , including the most look for - after product , our top pickaxe is theOwens Corning R-38 Faced Fiberglass Insulation . Made of stiff fibreglass batts , this insularism is easy to cut and set up and wo n’t slip out of place . It also offers a Kraft paper - faced side to mitigate wet outlet .
We also spoke to a veteran roofer and contractor for an expert ruling on insulation type forattics , gas constant - value , and when to DIY versus when to call in a professional . say on for cardinal tips and a curated list of some of the honorable attic insulation products on the market .
Before You Buy Attic Insulation
In most circumstances , it makes sense to add attic insulation . However , in a few situations , installing insulation can cause serious problems , such as in older homes that were build with large gap between the walls to account for the moisture that naturally leaks into homes . The gaps earmark the wet to dry out without causing damage to the structure , but if these spaces are filled with detachment , it can absorb the moisture and extend to moulding and rot wood .
If you have an honest-to-goodness or wood - shingle ceiling and you attempt to install insulation on the roof of your attic , a exchangeable state of affairs could fall out . These older roofing materials were made to get slopped , breathe , and dry , but with insulation blocking the wood , the moisture will only accumulate .
According to Michael Casolaro , President & Owner ofMCAS Roofing & Contracting , Inc.in Croton - on - Hudson , New York , you should ward off add together insulant to Attic with existing external respiration or wet issues . “ If your Classical Greek has existing moisture problems , mould , miserable ventilation , or expose telegram , homeowners should avoid installing insularism before first fixing these offspring . Adding insulation to an garret in any of these conditions can make your problem worse , ” he says .
Also , avoid using insularism anywhere near node and tube wiring , which is an out-of-date electric system that ’s a major flack fortune and should be supercede as before long as possible .
Attic Insulation Comparison Chart
Our Top Picks
The top - rat production below were choose for their quality , price , and customer gratification to serve you find the best attic insulation to protect your plate from high- and abject - temperature extremes .
Install this insulant from Owens Corning in an uninsulated attic or add it as a second layer to increase the R - value potential of a home and abbreviate warming and cooling cost . It features a Kraft newspaper barrier to help prevent wet issues and is GreenGuard - certified for low chemical emission into indoor air .
Each parcel includes eight bit of fibreglass attic insulating material , and each piece measure 48 inch by 16 inches . Using all eight pieces without cut them covers a 42.67 - solid - foot blank space with 12.5 - column inch thick insulating material . This blanket - style attic insularism is easy to abridge and set up , and the chummy isolate material also assist boil down noise and vibration in your home .
Get the Owens Corning R-38 attic insulation atThe Home DepotorLowes .
low-priced and in effect , this rude cotton wool attic insulation by Frost King is 1 column inch thickheaded and appraise 16 inches by 48 inches . Use one or more firearm on attic walls , floors , and as attic cap insulation , or tailor or rive up small pieces of insularism to fill in break around pipes , canal , windows , and doors .
While this is n’t waterproofed insularism , it ’s made with cotton denim that ’s repellent to mold and mildew . This is an all - raw alternative to woven fiberglass . Moreover , natural cotton denim is safe and leisurely to set up with just your hand and a utility knife .
Photo: The Home Depot
Get the Frost King attic insulation atAmazon , Ace Hardware , The Home Depot , andWalmart .
This blanket insulation from Owens Corning is easy to ignore , place , and establish in almost any outer space . The woven fibreglass insulation is made with 65 pct recycled capacity and feels as soft as cotton wool .
This blanket insulation for a roof with attic space comes in 9 - in - thick insulation roll . It boasts an radius - time value of 30 , keep your menage warm in colder months and cooler in the warm months . It also help in reducing the transmission of noise .
Photo: The Home Depot Photo: homedepot.com
Get the Owens corn R-30 attic insulation atThe Home Depot , Lowes , orAce Hardware .
Best Blown-in
Greenfiber 25 lbs. Cellulose Blown-In Insulation
With versatile software program options and an R - value of R-19 , the Greenfiber Cellulose Blown - In insulant is a viable option for attics , sidewalls , and ceilings . Whether you spray it on or opt for blow - in software program , this insulant is loose to lend oneself over exist insulation or alone and reduces your heating and cooling costs by up to 25 percent .
This insulation can cover 48 substantial feet of attic distance and is suitable for all climates . It also cut noise in your home by 60 per centum , is made with 85 percent recycled stuff , and apply low - energy manufacturing . Finally , it has ample blast electric resistance and is carbon - locked , which makes it long - lasting .
Get the Greenfiber attic insulation atThe Home DepotorLowe ’s .
Photo: The Home Depot
Best Radiant Foil
US Energy Products Double Bubble Foil Insulation
This radiant foil attic detachment by US Energy Products is a solid pick when paired with another insulating textile like foam board or blanket detachment because radiant foil can contemplate up to 97 percent of radiant heat . The secondary nonconductor resists the stream of the residual rut . This detachment is gentle to cut with a utility tongue or scissors and simple to instal with staples , nails , or an adhesive .
The insularism acts as a sandwich , with two layers of meditative metalized atomic number 13 polyester film on the outside and two layer of polythene gentle wind bubbles on the interior . The air bubble thin out the flow of estrus , while the enhancer mull over the effulgent passion . This construction keeps home nerveless in warm climates and warm in frigid weather .
Get the US Energy insulation onAmazon .
Photo: Amazon
Best Foam Board
Owens Corning Pink Insulation FOAMULAR 250 Board
Foam board insulant is strict and lightweight , making it leisurely to carry and install on floors , walls , ceilings , and around windows . utilize a warm utility program tongue to slice through this froth board from Owens Corning with a gamy degree of precision . This method allows user to form the insulation to the precise size requirement or even to cut rounded shapes in the froth board so hotness is n’t lost around pipes or other obstruction .
This insulation has low urine engrossment potential and is ideal for create a vapor barrier in narrow col around windows and doors where meaning amounts of heat can be lose from a home plate in the winter calendar month .
Get the Owens Corning attic insulation onThe Home Depot .
Photo: The Home Depot
How We Chose the Best Attic Insulations
We researched the most search - after attic insulant in their respective categories and discovered that the unspoiled options are determined by their type , roentgen - value , materials , comfort of lotion , and other special features included by select brands .
While assembling our lean of top picks , we made sure to include diverse options , including blanket , spray / reverse - in , radiant transparency , and froth board insulation with gas constant - values place from R-1.3 to R-40 for any required heating system resistance . These insulation options are made with fiberglass , cotton fiber , cellulose , polyester , polyethylene , and polystyrene , all of which are easy to establish and suited for cutting or aline as needed .
Our top picks also offer mold- , mildew- , and fire - resistance and the added benefit of noise diminution . Plus , many of the above selection are made with recycled or pre - consumed materials and are eco - friendly .
Photo: The Home Depot
Types of Attic Insulation
Several differenttypes of attic insulationare uncommitted , include mantle , spray foam , beamy transparency , and foam boards , each with benefit and shortcoming .
According to Casolaro , the three best types of attic insulation include spray foam , fibreglass batts , and blown - in insulation . “ Spray foam does the best Book of Job of insulating your attic , but it ’s the most expensive , ” he says “ fibreglass batts are affordable , but it ’s more likely that melodic line will leak through gaps . Most often , I ’ll recommend blown - in insulation , which balance effectiveness with cost . ”
Read below for a more detailed look at the pros and cons of each type of attic insulation so you could make up one’s mind which is best for your unique fate .
Photo: Amazon
Blanket Insulation
cover insulation is one of the most common type of insulation for walls and attic floors ; however , do n’t employ it in open spaces because the fiberglass particle can affect the strain quality in your dwelling house . slew the thick pieces of insulation to fit tightly between the gap in wooden frames or around pipes , wires , and other obstacles .
While this detachment is also one of the most inexpensive and easiest case to install , it is n’t as effective as spray foam detachment . When put in cover insulating material , wear a ventilation masquerade party and protective glove to head off irritating your lungs and skin .
Spray Foam
Spray foam insulation is the master type of attic insulation . Pair it with mantle insulation to better insulate edge and corner , and employ it to varnish gap in existing walls . Spray foamattic insulation costsmore than other types and can be a hassle to remove . However , it ’s the most effective option for insulate your home against the transmittance of hot and inhuman air .
The spray foam is made of liquid polyurethane , which , when sprayed into the cavity of your wall or attic , expands and hardens into a substantial froth . If you have n’t usedspray foam insulationbefore , consider hire a professional to instal it to assure your home plate is adequately protected .
Blow-In
Blown - in insulating material refers toblowing or spraying insulationproducts into rampart caries , attics , and floors . Methods vary depending on the form of detachment selected . Two of the most common case of blow - in insularity are fiberglass , rock wool , and cellulose , which are enforce in an attic blank with a blowing machine for easy , even dispersion .
handily , most shove along - in option can be applied over existing detachment and fill between exist wall stud and ceiling joist for increased insulation .
Radiant Foil
Because it ’s designed primarily to reflect heat off from your home , radiant foil insulation is more mutual in warmer climates . It influence through its pensive foil barrier , which is attached to kraft composition or polyethylene bubbles . The bubbles help prevent the transfer of heat energy through the barrier because they provide a pouch of air , which reduces the rate at which heating plant can move through the substance .
While standard insulation deoxidize the stream of heat , effulgent hydrofoil reflects it . Because of this difference , refulgent transparency can not be assess using the same broker attributed to blanket , spray , or froth board insularity . Radiant foil usually is the most affordable type of insulation .
Foam Boards
Low in cost and easy to install , froth board insulation is generally made of polyurethane , polystyrene , or polyisocyanurate . Sheets of foam circuit board can be thin out to fit tightly between paries studs or attic ceiling joist . Because they are not as in effect at insulate , froth boards are not as popular as cover insulation .
However , foam boards do n’t cause wet accumulation and cast growing as can blanket insulation , because the strong foam does n’t absorb much wet . Instead , it dries in a comparatively fast time frame .
What to Consider When Choosing the Best Attic Insulation
find the proper insulant for your home is n’t hard once you ’ve determine which type of insulation to purchase . If you ’re wondering what is insulation made of or how to find the right R - value for your geographic emplacement , here ’s what you involve to know .
R-Value
Attic insulation ranges in effectiveness , so manufacturers and industry master typically reference insulation ’s R - time value to help people find the ripe attic insularism for their homes . R - value is a mensuration of the insulating material ’s ohmic resistance to the flow of heating . The high the roentgen - value rating of a product , the more effective it is at boil down energy costs .
R - values for insulating material are ordinarily heel in the product verbal description or on the ware promotional material . However , refulgent foil insulation is n’t measured by R - value because it ’s designed to reflect heat instead of deoxidize the transmission of heat . The optimal roentgen - value for the insulating material in your household also depend on your geographic locating . Review thisEnergy Star R - value chartto learn the calculate universal gas constant - economic value for your region .
Material
insularism for attic quad can be constructed from a full scope of materials , including cellulose , fiberglass , mineral wool , liquid polyurethane , and polystyrene .
Tips for Installing Attic Insulation
Keep in mind that insulation can not be installed just anywhere in your base . For case , if blanket insulation is placed over melodic line intake vents , the harmful particles can circulate through your home . to boot , placing insulant near exposed electrical connections or over the top of heat vents could cause a fire .
Based on the character and style of the home , also view how and where to place the insulation . Older homes and homes with wooden shingles may be built with a design that appropriate the natural evaporation of excess wet . Insulation install in these areas dissemble as a sponge , soak up the moisture alternatively of allowing it to dissipate . As wet builds up , mould can grow and eventually rot out the Natalie Wood .
With blanket detachment , reduce spaces in the insularism to set aside it to agree around obstruction like drainage pipes , large water pipes , attic fans , and HVAC ducts . When blanket insulation becomes tight , it ’s less effective at insulating your home , such as when you forcibly set up a piece of detachment around a pipework rather of cut a spread to allow for it to fit comfortably .
Photo: The Home Depot
While laying insulation in attic spaces can be DIY - friendly , some position require a professionalinsulation contractor . “ If you ’re a DIYer , you might be able to install your own insulation . However , there are a few office where you should forge with a pro , ” propose Casolaro . “ If you take spray foam insulant , it ’s sly to install right without experience . Also , if your home is older , there ’s a keen peril of display wire , wet , and unlawful ventilation . A professional is more likely to recognize these issues . ”
FAQs
Before investing in new attic insulation , take a look at these oftentimes involve questions regardinghow to insulate an attic .
The best gas constant - economic value depends on the typical temperature fluctuations in your city or United States Department of State , but median universal gas constant - note value recommendations for attic spaces range between R-30 to R-49 .
Spray foam insulation is the most effective eccentric , with a maximum R - value of 6.5 per inch .
Yes , you’re able to . If this occurs , wet can become trapped inside the place , causing stamp and strain character problems .
you’re able to take out the old attic insulant before add together Modern insulation , but it is n’t necessary unless the onetime insulating material is cockeyed , made with hazardous stuff ( like asbestos ) , or simply degrading too quickly to serve any remaining purpose .
The rate at which attic insulation needs to be replaced depends on the case and whether or not you ’ve experience roof damage or pest infestation . fibreglass and cellulose insulation can begin degrading 15 to 20 age after installation , while mineral wool , spray foam , and foam plug-in can last for decades .
If your attic was antecedently poorly isolate , new insularity can greatly improve your family ’s comforter level and Energy Department bills . TheU.S. Department of Energyestimates that sealing airwave leak and add insulant can aid family lower their heating and chill costs by 20 pct .
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