Stampede4ever

I'm trying to make my house more energy efficient, when money and time is avaliable, which I'm having a hard time at it. There is a layer of rolled insulation already up there, it's to the top of the rafters. But I'm still getting alot heat coming down from the attic. I have an attic fan to install, when fall comes. My question is, should I add a layer Rolled R-19, or should I use the rolled R-30, which more then twice as much. I was thinking I should use the R19, see how that helps, if that's not sufficient enough, I'll add an other layer R19 later down the road. I'll working of replacing the window now. I live central Ohio, in all brick house, right now it's hot as hell in the summer months, and cold as hell the winter.

Thanks.

RandomHero

iTrader: (24)

use the blow in insulation. It's made of cellulose material. I don't know if your home depot is the same as ours but down here if you buy 20 bags of the cellulose, you get to rent the blower machine free.

RedHot04

iTrader: (1)

If the first layer is paper backed I think you need to use the non-backed type to put over it. And run it all the way to the soffit, in the winter ice dams can form under the eaves if you don't run it out far enough... I'd go w/ R-30 and +1 on the fan.

quicksilverado

iTrader: (8)

Install the fan now. Do it early in the morning when its not hot. It will make a huge difference in the summer. I put one in about 5 years ago. Temps upstairs where about 8-10 degrees warmer than downstairs.before. Now its about 1-2 degrees difference.

bluecajun5.3

iTrader: (31)

PappyDan

iTrader: (4)

i watched this tv show on home improvment.
this company comes in and sprays this foam stuff all over the under side
of the roof, as they spray the stuff expands.
they showed a thermomater in the attic before they started, it was at 160 degrees
and climbing in the morning.
the more the guy sprayed this stuff the lower the temps droped.
when he was done they went in a blow a layer over the cealing and went back with this 4x8 sheets of pink striofoam and nalied them down over the blowen layer of
insulation compacting it.
when they were done the temps in the attic was in the 90s and it was mid 80s out side.
the bottem looked like a pink floor and the top was a tan foam.
at the end of the show the guy whos house was done said it knocked his electic bill way down every month and said in about 12 to 14 months it will pay for it self.
wish i could remember what home improvement show it was.

TexCrew

thats what i was goign to suggest..blowing it. i build houses. we use r-30 and then we blow . so i say blow it and that should help. but i dont think layering three times is a god idea.

00SS!

iTrader: (7)

A fan will help alot! I did the same thing on my first house. Fan first then every week would buy 1 or 2 rolls of insulation to put up. At the same time I re-sealed all the ac/heat ducting junctions-I was amazed at how much air was leaking! By the end of the summer I was able to knock about $35 off of my usual $120 monthly electric bill! AC wasn't running all the time either...my .02

dewmanshu

iTrader: (4)

Just remember if you put a fan in, it needs to pull air from some where. Just make sure the soffet let's air in or make another hole somewhere the opposite side of the fan(furtherest point from the fan). The fan will make biggest difference right away. If you don't make a vent for the fan, however you get into the attic will turn into the "intake" for your fan. Then you be sucking A/C'ed air into your attic.

As far as insulating goes, blow in is the cheapest and most efficient as far as price is concerned. That way that PappyDan is talking about is the ****. Next time you are in a shop, look up at the rafters, any smart owner has done the spray already. It will floor you at how efficient that stuff is.

nightrunner

iTrader: (4)

im an construction electrician but im around this stuff all the time. blow in is the ONLY thing my contractor uses in the attic, but uses the rolled in the walls and inaccessible ceilings.

get a few fans put in, depending on attic space at least 2-3, and you will need the air to come in somewhere, like a breathable soffit or likeewise.

get insulation blown in, makes a hella difference with fans and insulation both