How Much Insulation Do I Need in My Attic?

November 11, 2020

Have ever walked up into the attic and taken a hard look at your insulation? Not many homeowners have here in Westchester, Lower Putnam, and Fairfield Counties, and if they do it isn’t that often! But if you have been considering home improvement upgrades that can increase the comfort and efficiency of your home, you may be taking a second look at the insulation not just in your attic, but throughout your home.

There are many benefits in a home that is properly insulated, but with the hot and humid summers and bitterly cold winters here in New York, how can you know how much insulation you will need?

The Basics of Insulation Levels

The fundamentals of home insulation are as follows:

Insulation prevents heat from escaping or infiltrating your home through the materials that make up the construction of your home
Insulation material is rated in R-value, which indicates the material’s resistance to heat transfer (the higher the R-value, the more resistance)
Recommended home insulation values vary based on climate zone

In order to know how much insulation is recommended for your home, we need to know the climate zone of Westchester County—which is between climate zone 4 and climate zone 5. Airing on the side of caution (and comfort), we consider the areas we serve to be climate 5.

Recommended insulation levels for climate zone 5: R49 to R60

Though this is the ENERGY STAR recommended insulation level, it really only provides us a starting point to finding the insulation levels that will provide your home with the maximum boost in home health, home comfort, and energy bill reduction. The most accurate way to do this is with a home energy audit that we call a Healthy Home Evaluation.

Better Insulation Starts with an Evaluation

Upgrading the insulation in your attic is much more than just buying a few rolls of fiberglass batt insulation and tossing it on top of the old insulation material. With a Healthy Home Evaluation, we assess all of the factors within your home that contribute to your insulation needs. This includes finding any other holes or air gaps throughout your home and the state of your heating and cooling equipment, as well as the air filtration in your home.

Once we have the results of your evaluation, we will create a solution that includes the best material type and r-value to properly insulate your home. Your results will also include a proposed list of other home upgrades that can increase the health, comfort, and efficiency of your house!

Types of Attic Insulation

The best type of insulation for your Westchester County area home will depend on the results of your Healthy Home Evaluation, but Healthy Home Energy and Consulting installs the following insulation materials:

The Power of Air Sealing & Insulating

The right insulation will keep your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, reduce your energy costs, and slow down the wear and tear on your heating and cooling equipment. But when it is combined with air sealing (the process of locating and sealing up all the tiny holes and gaps in your home), the effectiveness of insulation is greatly amplified!

Insulating and air sealing are all a part of keeping a home healthy. If you have been thinking about how you can stay healthy in your home this year, you have come to the right place. Start your home improvement project with a Healthy Home Evaluation from the experts at Healthy Home Energy & Consulting.