Insulating An Attic Used For Storage

Ventilation is critical to the health of your home so make sure your storage plans won t affect the existing ventilation system.

Insulating an attic used for storage.

This type of insulation. Foam board insulation in the attic can cut down on energy costs and simultaneously promote a more environmentally sound way of daily living. It s available in fiberglass mineral wool plastic fibers and natural fibers. Some manufacturers are using between 30 and 70 recycled material.

You can use rigid foam panels or do as tom silva does with nearly all houses these days. Hire a pro to install spray foam insulation. Most commonly used and probably the cheapest insulation material. Adding insulation to the walls and ceiling won t keep an unheated attic substantially warmer in cold weather or vice versa in summer and it can create problems with attic ventilation if not done properly.

If you re considering turning your attic into conditioned storage or living space it s worth changing tactics to insulate between the rafters and wall joists instead of the floor. For example don t block any vents to protect your stored items from cold air. Batts are made to fit between 2 4 or 2 6 studs at 16 or 24 inch centers. Blanket insulation is available as batts or rolls and is the easiest diy insulation material.

Florida the gulf coast and california are in zones 4 or higher with attic specifications of r 38 and walls of. A loosely spun plastic material reinforced with tiny fibers of glass. If the finished attic is simply a storage area without the need for climate control you can leave the attic floor insulation in place but must forgo adding anything between the rafters. At the perimeter of the attic where the rafters meet the attic floor joists it s hard to improve on spray polyurethane foam to address air leaks and to provide r value in a tight space.