How To Check Insulation In Attic

Inspecting your attic insulation.

How to check insulation in attic. Simply find the attic access panel usually located in a closet or hallway set up a ladder and pop your head into the attic. Courtesy of department of energy. Pull up and dispose of any material that s compressed water stained or moldy it s useless. Check outlets on all.

Attic insulation by contrast is usually fairly easy to check on. Insulation is rated with an r value. You should be able to see if there is insulation in the wall. First things first you need to go up into your attic inspect the condition of the insulation and calculate the current level of insulation.

Inspect the vent openings. How to check attic ventilation calculate net free vent space. Fill every joist space completely and evenly with the insulation leaving attic vents uncovered. However there are a few easy things you can do to see if your attic is properly insulated.

Building codes typically require 1 square foot of venting space for every 150 square feet. If your attic is not sufficiently vented you probably won t have to look very hard to find signs. Pull out a small amount of insulation if needed to help determine the type of insulation. But if you live in an older home with insulation installed before you moved in understanding what pads your walls is essential to keeping your family safe especially if your.

Insulation has come a long way. You will instantly know whether or not you have insulation. Visual check of insulation levels. 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.

Remove the outlet cover and shine a flashlight into the crack around the outlet box. Grab a tape measure and a flashlight to see what kind of insulation you already have in the attic and how deep it is. Level uneven spots with a rake. There are four especially common signs of problems with attic insulation.

Common signs of problems with insulation. Looking across your attic if the insulation is level with or below the attic floor joists you probably need to add more insulation. Without having a professional coming out to take a look at things it can be hard to tell if your attic is properly insulated. Either read the r value printed on the batts of your existing insulation or use a measuring tape ruler to measure the depth of the insulation inches.

Then use the numbers in the chart at right to estimate its r value. With a helper to load the blower with insulation as needed start at the perimeter of the attic and work toward the attic access door. The higher the r number the higher the insulating factor typically is so it s worth checking. Recommended levels of insulation.

These days you can stuff your walls with everything from recycled blue jeans to soy based foam to keep temps comfortable year round.