Compressing Insulation In Attic

Determine the type of insulation needed for your attic.

Compressing insulation in attic.

Commonly used for diy projects they work well in open spaces like attic floors. Open insulation packages carefully and only as you need them. When you compress fiber glass batt insulation the r value per inch goes up but the overall r value goes down because you have less inches or thickness of insulation. Compressing r 19 insulation typically 6 thick into a 2x4 stud cavity that is 3 deep.

The north american insulation manufacturers association naima has a little two page document about compressing fiberglass insulation pdf. We used batt insulation for our project. Also bear in mind that if you compress insulation in order to make it fit the product loses much of its r. Compressing the material changes the r value.

Insulation expands once unpackaged so leave it wrapped until you are ready to use it. So it s time to pay close attention to what s happening up there. If you live in an area where frozen pipes are a concern make sure the insulation protects the pipes from cold air. Compressing a thicker fiberglass batt into a standard stud space reduces the insulation s r value.

When you compress fiber glass batt insulation the r value per inch goes up but the overall r value goes down because you have less inches or thickness of insulation. If you know you aren t going to convert the attic in the future that leads you one direction compressing the insulation is fine maybe you don t care so much about head height and can add some more thickness to improve the insulation etc and if you know that an attic conversion is viable and that you are likely to want to pursue that in. Insulation expands quickly once you open the packaging. Here s what they say.

Batt and roll insulation also called blanket insulation are designed to fit between joists and wall stud cavities. Proper attic insulation is the best way to prevent heat loss in the winter and retain cool air in the summer. To help prevent frozen pipes insulate only on the cold side.