How Much Insulation Needed In Walls
How much insulation a basement needs being below the frost line doesn t make much of a difference the ground temperature would be at best 5 or 6 celsius 41 42f since winnipeg isn t known for having balmy winters.
How much insulation needed in walls. Standard residential construction in much of the country is 2 4 framing with fiberglass insulation achieving a paltry r 10 or so in the walls. If the drywall panels are tight against the floor don t replace the baseboard just yet. Where you live different climates require different insulation r values. Use r 19 or r 21 kraft faced fiberglass insulation for two by six 2x6 walls.
The amount of insulation recommended for your home will vary depending on a number of factors. Estimate the amount of insulation needed for a wall. How much insulation do i need in my attic. Or if your walls have loose fill insulation or spray foam insulation you may see traces of this in these gaps.
This calculator has options for 3 different wall heights. The thicker the better. If your attic insulation is only a. As a minimum to satisfy the current building regulations you will need approximately 125mm of a high grade insulation such as wood cellulose or mineral fibre or some kind of equivalent to that if you are getting some of the insulation from insulating blockwork.
Some newer homes may have walls built with 2x6 studs. For example if you have a type of insulation that has an r value of r 5 per inch of thickness you will need a depth of 6 inches of this insulation installed in your attic to reach r 30 if you live in zones 2 or 3. This combination ensures that the insulation is neither too loose nor too tightly packed within the walls. The insulation in your attic should be at least 12 thick.
Note from this chart that the ideal r value differs for each part of your home. Calculation is based on the square footage of the walls that need to be insulated divided by the square footage a bundle of insulation batt s covers. Why too much insulation can be a bad thing. You will need a higher r value of insulation if you live in the northeast than if you live in southern california.
The next step will show you another. In vermont we typically do a lot better. R values range from 2 2 to 3 8 per inch depending on the material. It is not uncommon to see 15 to 20 of insulation in a well insulated attic.