Your attic should have a certain amount of insulation in it and the recommended level of insulation for your attic is dependent on where you live.
Should you insulate your attic roof.
To install insulation.
But if the floor is covered in plywood you can t stuff enough insulation beneath it to do the job sufficiently not even in warm climates.
Do i need to insulate the attic floor or the pitched roof.
If it does not need to be heated it is best to keep it outside of the protected.
If you decide to insulate at the roof level then that is a decision to bring the attic into the conditioned space of the house so you re correct the gables would be sealed up and you keep a clear channel for air between the insulation and the roof deck.
Home ceilings are usually insulated in order to seal off the extreme temperatures in your attic.
If you have cold insulation your attic will remain cold in winter as it is exposed to outside temperatures.
If you re insulating the roof directly to insulate the roof itself you either use spray foam or retrofit with it with rigid foam board.
Does your attic need to be heated.
Batts and blankets insulation often comes with a vapor retardant facing and some varieties.
Plan to pull up the flooring and layer new insulation on top of the old.
You should only install cold insulation if you have an unfinished attic and plan on keeping it that way.
An advantage of spray foam is it s quick whereas foam board needs to be cut and measured which can be a chore.
If your attic is usable space but not lived in then you won t need to insulate the roof rafters as long as the ceiling floor that separates the roof from your living area below is insulated.
Your number one priority should be insulating your ceiling for a number of reasons including.
Installing a vapor barrier.
And you may also qualify for a tax credit on the blown in attic insulation cost check with the irs or at energystar gov.
You could see your energy bills go down by as much as 15 to 25 percent depending on your climate and existing levels of insulation.
Because the simplest and cheapest way to insulate an attic is to add material to the floor.
Do you have any plans for furnishing fitting out your attic in the future.
Place planks 1 by 6 or 1 by 8 or plywood sheaths across floor joists to improve.
If your insulation doesn t measure up and you need more installation can be done as a weekend diy project or you can call a professional installer to handle the job.
How to insulate an unfinished attic preparing an attic for insulation.
The long term payoff of insulating an attic is impressive too.