Existing 3 4 inches of insulation.
Attic insulation rating.
Measure the area needing insulation.
Depending on where you live and the part of your home you re insulating walls crawlspace attic etc you ll need a different r value.
Measure the length and width of the area you need to insulate.
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.
Typically a higher insulation r rating means better climate control and better energy efficiency for your home.
Insulation r values vary based on the type thickness and density of the insulation material.
You ll need about 12 inches of insulation material.
Multiply the length times the width to determine the square footage of the space.
An r value tells you how well a type of insulation can keep heat from leaving or entering your home.
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.
Let s say the insulation you ve selected has an r value of three per inch and you d like to achieve an overall value of r 36.
Recommended insulation levels for retrofitting existing wood framed buildings.
See the department of energy s doe ranges for recommended levels of insulation below.
Typical recommendations for exterior walls are r 13 to r 23 while r 30 r 38 and r 49 are common for ceilings and attic spaces.