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 Attic
insulation, as it has been said, is one of the most basic
forms of insulating your home. Insulation works on an R-Value,
which is simply the resistance to heat flow once the insulation
has already absorbed the heat. So insulation does not stop or
block heat; insulation simply slows down the heat transfer in
the summer so that your A/C unit can try to keep up with the heat
gain. In the winter time insulation slows down the heat loss so
that your heater can try to keep up with the heat loss. Not enough
insulation and the heat transfers through too quickly, but too much
insulation could lead to molding problems later on down the line. Moisture in the attic can play havoc on your insulation. Did you know that the R Value of conventional insulation is reduced by over 35% with only a 1-1/2% moisture content, (i.e.: from R/49 to down to R/32)? The moisture content of insulation materials in homes typically exceeds 1–1/2%! Our radiant barrier is not affected by humidity and moisture. Here at HeatBlockers we think balance between insulation, ventilation, and radiant barrier in the attic is the answer. Since insulation
slows heat transfer down then it would stand to reason that reducing
the amount of heat the insulation had to slow down the better the
insulation would perform. The maximum amount of insulation that
HeatBlockers would recommend to be in a house when a radiant barrier
is going to be installed on top of the insulation would be R/38,
which is about eleven (11) inches of cellulose insulation or fifteen
(15) inches of fiberglass insulation. The minimum amount of insulation
that HeatBlockers would recommend to be in a house when a radiant
barrier is going to be installed on top of the insulation is R/25,
which is about seven (7) inches of cellulose or ten (10) inches
of fiberglass. The Department of Energy recommends R/30 to R/60 in most of the areas that we service. While we understand the importance
of insulation, balance is one of our top priorities. We not only
want you to have a comfortable home that saves you money now, but
we want you to have that same level of comfort 10, 20, 30 years
down the road without the possible worries of molding. HeatBlockers
prefers cellulose insulation because it is made from 85% recycled
materials and it takes less material to do the same job. If you are
just interested in topping off your insulation and getting it above
the ceiling joists we can do that as well.
Cellulose Insulation Pricing
Above the ceiling joist (about one to three inches) .25 cents a foot
R/13 (about three and a half inches) .29 cents per foot
R/19 (about five and a half inches) .49 cents per foot
R/30 (about nine inches) .78 cents per foot
Insulation prices are based on HeatBlockers installing Radiant Barrier as well. |