Old House Attic Insulation

Some homeowners also take the time to build walkways and or storage platforms in the attic prior to installing insulation.

Old house attic insulation.

Insulating the attic and roof roughly a quarter of the average home s heat is lost through the roof. Even if you bought the house with insulation already installed into it it s best to double check. Square footage of your attic. Adding insulation where it was never designed to go mainly the walls of an old house causes a host of problems all due to the moisture issues it creates.

Fiberglass batts the insulation found in most houses in the u s are inexpensive and quick to install. This old house general contractor tom silva shows affordable ways to create an energy efficient attic how to know what insulation is behind your walls if you live in an older home understanding what pads your walls is essential to keeping your family safe. In most climates it needs a vapor barrier. The main factors that impact the cost are.

Contractor or insulation installer s fee. Type and material of your insulation. The insulation materials used in older houses are not as effective in keeping heat in as the new ones. Shredded newspaper or loose fill cellulose was another common insulation in the past.

Vermiculite and perlite are older granulated insulations with relatively low r values which describes the product s thermal resistance. This is a safe first step to retaining heat and saving energy. The insulation must meet doe standards. Like other batt type insulation fiberglass has a predictable r value if not compressed but is difficult to fit around obstacles without leaving gaps.

Here are just a few of the highlights. According to home advisor insulating your attic can cost between 1700 to 2100. The answer to making an old house inhabitable is insulation. Rather than insulating the whole home and potentially causing problems like excess humidity you can properly seal the attic of an old house.

Sometimes wood products such as sawdust or balsa wood were used at insulation in old homes but these are very ineffective.