Batt or rolled insulation or blown loose fill insulation fiberglass or cellulose can be installed on top of old insulation.
Attic insulation batts vs blown.
When blown into attics and wall spaces loose fill fiberglass offers an average r 2 5 thermal value per inch the higher the number the greater the insulating effect.
We use both blown in and batt insulation depending on the situation at hand.
Often times a combination of the two is ideal.
You also don t see any gaps that allow you to see all the way down to the ceiling drywall.
Batt insulation take time to read this column.
When insulating an attic space many homeowners ask us which is better blown in or batt insulation.
Compared to blown in insulation batts can reach a resistance rating r factor of over 3 1.
That s because blown insulation is great at filling the gaps and giving you a good complete layer of insulation.
Blown in insulation is much easier on installers.
The maximum rating of batt insulation is around 4 2.
With this method the insulation is simply blown onto the attic floor and no matter what type of joists studs or wiring that may be in play the blown insulation will naturally form itself tight around any of these creating a layer of strong insulation.
Fiberglass insulation is available in blown in form and so is cellulose which is referred to as loose fill cellulose.
Batts you must also examine the r values.
Blown in varieties however typically reach a peak of around a 2 8 r factor.
The biggest disadvantage of batt insulation is that it does not fit well in non standard spaces.
The photo above shows an attic insulated with blown cellulose.
Blown in insulation requires a professional.
Depending on the material of the insulation the installation method may vary slightly.
The answer is it depends.
Instead of cutting and stapling rolled up layers into place they get to spray the insulation where it needs to go.
Batt insulation is available at home centers and lumberyards.
In short there is less chance of error with blown insulation as compared to batts.
Current energy standards recommend the installation of a first layer of craft faced moisture barrier fiberglass batt.
Insulation should be rolled out perpendicular to the joists and unfaced rolls should be used.
Notice how you don t see any of the ceiling framing down at the ceiling level.
Any existing batt or roll insulation in the attic should have the facing against the attic drywall floor or no facing at all.
Disadvantages of batt insulation.
That makes it fast to install but costlier than batt insulation.
Both blown in and batt roll insulation can be installed in different areas of a home including the attic and the walls.
While the manufacturer will state the actual r value of the insulation that you use according to the department of energy you can expect an r value range between 2 9 and 3 8 per inch of thickness for standard fiberglass batts and between 3 7 and 4 3 for high performance fiberglass batts.
I don t know about that but it s a common insulation material that works much better in the blown form than in batts.
Before choosing blown vs.
