My house was built in the early 1970's. Thinking of adding some blown in attic insulation. Has anyone had experience with this. What type of improvement would I see in comfort and efficiency. Attic has minimal insulation now probably only a couple of inches. Hopefully our gas company has some rebates to offset the cost. Any idea what I should expect in cost house is approximately 2200sf split colonial
Attic insulation
- Thread starter raaizin
- Start date
so we had pink batt to the top of joists !
in summer you could fell heat from the ceiling and cold spots in winter had 18 inches blown in and it made a difference in heating and cooling house was definitely more comfortable.
My house was also built in 1970.
Proper ventilation is also key make sure you have it.
in summer you could fell heat from the ceiling and cold spots in winter had 18 inches blown in and it made a difference in heating and cooling house was definitely more comfortable.
My house was also built in 1970.
Proper ventilation is also key make sure you have it.
Best investment you can make for energy efficiency 'cause it works year round. Check the energy star r values for your location. Something like R 49 to start. Hope this helps.
4wd
$50 site donor 2026
Same age and R30 - the glass is decked over and double layer radiant barrier is stapled to rafters …
Works well year round …
Before I added insulation, I would get some spray foam and air seal the penetrations from the attic to the house. With just a couple inches of insulation in place it wouldn't be too difficult to move it and seal up holes where pipes, wiring, etc. penetrate to the attic. Seal any boxes for light fixtures. Where sheetrock is fastened to a 2x6 on top of a wall, seal both sides of the 2x6 where it meets the sheetrock. Older homes can have 8-12 air changes per hour. That's air that you are heating and cooling, so this will make the home more comfortable and less expensive to heat and cool. I know it's a dirty job, you may need a chiropractor when you finish, but it will be a lot of bang for the buck. Then add extra insulation. Your wallet will thank you.
Yes. My brother and I rented the blowing machine from the lumber yard and blew in about a foot of insulation into our attics. Its a two man job for sure. One is on the ground opening and pouring bales of insulation into the hopper and minding the machine, while the other is on the hose end moving around in the attic. Its work for sure, but almost anyone can do it. We saved a ton of money by DIY. The return on investment is important!
Also check local utility company on their website or call. They may do a "free" energy audit and then possible rebates to do the upgrades. NJ may also have other programs if you search. My friend is in FL and I think got like 70% in rebates for roof and other upgrades.
My old house my dad and I put some of the rafter/soffit channels to keep air flow and then we added R-30 roll out batts perpendicular to the original batts/rafters. It mad e a big difference. We also added a ridge vent across about 90% of the roof to let the heat escape easier.
My den on this house was cold and drafty. We converted it to a bedroom/bathroom for my father-in-law. This was what we found when we pulled ceiling. The way it was pushed up made a clear path for cold air from soffit. It also ended 1/2 way because that is outside wall upstairs in my daughters room. Her floor was ice cold. I ran new insulation cut to correct size width, stapled at whatever max depth was. Her floor is warm now, his room after redoing that and walls (and air sealed) is warm in winter and stays cool easily in summer. I know rest of my house has issues.
The previous owner did roll out R30 across the whole attic so at least it's there. The only thing with blown in insulation is it is very messy if you have to get there for anything.
Places by me that I saw doing things.
My old house my dad and I put some of the rafter/soffit channels to keep air flow and then we added R-30 roll out batts perpendicular to the original batts/rafters. It mad e a big difference. We also added a ridge vent across about 90% of the roof to let the heat escape easier.
My den on this house was cold and drafty. We converted it to a bedroom/bathroom for my father-in-law. This was what we found when we pulled ceiling. The way it was pushed up made a clear path for cold air from soffit. It also ended 1/2 way because that is outside wall upstairs in my daughters room. Her floor was ice cold. I ran new insulation cut to correct size width, stapled at whatever max depth was. Her floor is warm now, his room after redoing that and walls (and air sealed) is warm in winter and stays cool easily in summer. I know rest of my house has issues.
The previous owner did roll out R30 across the whole attic so at least it's there. The only thing with blown in insulation is it is very messy if you have to get there for anything.
Places by me that I saw doing things.
I remember buying this house about a decade ago it had original insulation from 1951 in a ranch attic. Was in the attic I can hear my wife and niece having a clear conversation in the living room below me. I touched the insulation it just collapsed flat. I rented machine from Lowe's got 10 bags of insulation and blew it in the attic. House much warmer. This past winter I insulated the basement joist and along the sill and re caulked everything..Looked for all air intrusions and sealed throughout the house. Really noticed a big difference in comfort and furnace running less often
I'd estimate somewhere around $100-125 savings per year. Building code requires R-49, local jurisdictions may require more. Insulation has diminishing returns so I don't recommend adding more then R-49.
In order, the largest energy losses in a house are: anything uninsulated, air infiltration, windows, insulated ceiling, walls, and floor.
Air infiltration - seal up air leaks. Ductwork in attics and crawlspaces notoriously leak.
Windows - upgrading 70's double pane aluminum windows to current code will have similar energy savings as upgrading ceiling insulation.
In order, the largest energy losses in a house are: anything uninsulated, air infiltration, windows, insulated ceiling, walls, and floor.
Air infiltration - seal up air leaks. Ductwork in attics and crawlspaces notoriously leak.
Windows - upgrading 70's double pane aluminum windows to current code will have similar energy savings as upgrading ceiling insulation.
Air seal before you add anymore insulation. It makes a huge difference!
