Insulating An Attic Used For Storage

Hire a pro to install spray foam insulation.

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. 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. 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.

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. You can use rigid foam panels or do as tom silva does with nearly all houses these days. Foam board insulation in the attic can cut down on energy costs and simultaneously promote a more environmentally sound way of daily living. This type of air sealing work is routinely performed by weatherization contractors.

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. Most of the country is zone 3 requiring attic insulation of r 49 and walls of r 18. It s available in fiberglass mineral wool plastic fibers and natural fibers. What you ll need installing foam insulation boards in the attic is no that hard and can save you money compared with professional installation.

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. Some manufacturers are using between 30 and 70 recycled material. A loosely spun plastic material reinforced with tiny fibers of glass. This type of insulation.