Insulating A House Without An Attic

For a greener insulation project cellulose blown in insulation is available.

Insulating a house without an attic.

The best way to insulate attic doors is to make a pillow made of insulation batting. Apply a house wrap vapor barrier to exterior walls. Replace old windows with energy efficient units. Insulating a slab in an existing home can be expensive and disruptive but if the slab in your home is cold it is possible to dig around the perimeter of the house and install insulation usually foam board.

But this will require either cross battening and a metal roof on battens or else a new layer of decking. Adding some insulation to it would also be helpful. There is also a product available called thermadeck made in the metroplex which used in conjunction with construction like this provides an airspace and insulation. Depending on your climate you ll need r 30 to r 49 to meet code which is 5 to 8 1 2 inches of polyiso rigid foam which is r 6 per inch.

It s a standalone unit that s about two feet tall and 18 inches wide and has wheels for mobility. In most parts of the united states insulating the exterior edge of a slab can reduce heating bills by 10 to 20. It s a diy project you can tackle in a weekend and the savings you ll get add up every year says toh general contractor tom silva. If you think you need more insulation consult a reputable expert.

But if you ve got an unfinished attic giving it proper insulation is one of the simplest ways to keep a lid on your heating bill this season. A portable air conditioner is the easiest solution for cooling your attic. Mini split ductless air conditioner. Over insulating an attic or crawl space won t save you enough money on power bills to make the expense worthwhile.

Caulk window trim and use weatherstripping to reduce air leaks. Lay a two by four on top temporarily compressing the insulation to a manageable thickness. Attach 1 inch foam board insulation. The r value is greater than fiberglass and it is fire retardant.

I would lean toward adding rigid foam either on top of the roof or on the inside under the joists if reducing headroom isn t a problem. Portable air conditioners do need to be vented to pump the hot air outside. Install siding over the insulation.