Attic Insulation (Garland, Hurst: rental homes, new home, construction)

[GuestDallas]

I'm looking at putting insulation in the attic of my 50s ranch home (~1800 sq ft of attic space). I have very little insulation in there now (probably about 5" or R10). Would like to add another 15" or ~R30. I'll also need better ventilation, since I only have one wind turbine in there now.

Has anyone recently had insulation put in ? trying to get an idea of what a fair price would be before I get estimates. Any recommendations on good insulation companies in the area with fair pricing would also be great.

[xS☺B☺s]

The only thing I have to suggest is radiant barrier. It is brilliant new technology dirt cheap that uses reflective surface to repel heat. Check it out.

[SouthernBelleInUtah]

R-30 is the minimum recommended attic insulation. See Energy Savers Tips: Insulation (http://www1.eere.energy.gov/consumer/tips/insulation.html - broken link). For better comfort, I would go at least R-45. It made a big difference in my cooling, although I live in Utah and don't get the humidity Dalls has.

[loves2read]

there are some people who would tell you to have your attic venting system checked out before you add any insulation
that insulation because it works on density of matter to retard heat gain actually works to HOLD heat in an attic
personally I think radiant barrier decking should be required for any new home build by every city code
if you can't do that and already have plywood under your roofing shingles then adding the spray (done correctly) or the foil (needs good installation to be max effective since it is more expensive) might be options to consider
we have more days requiring AC than days requiring heat so what you do to block heat intrusion into your home would be best $$$
it really does no good if you ADD insulation without making sure you have top notch ventilation because you MUST move the air through your attic--not just have it stall there--that would be like having a heating blanket on top of your living space...

when we moved into a house in Hurst that had more sq ft and 3 HVAC units I got two people to come out and give estimates and what was most effective way to lower heating/AC costs--this house does not have radiant barrier decking even though it is about 5 yrs old now--has fiberglass vs blown cellulose insulation (much better for reasonable cost)
what both of them told me was the the attic ventilation was really a good job--better than most homes they see--that adding the spray radiant barrier would be more cost effective than the foil because of the rafter/interior roof lines--they would add extra insulation with getting the bid to add the ridiant spray...
my husband decided not to go with either company because he wanted to see what the bills wold be like for a year--
I thought both of them were very professional and knowledgeable about what they were telling me--
they were not the cheapest people around because I did get some over the phone price quotes from people doing radiant spray--
and this was time of year when the market ws really down and economy was panicked--their business had just about stopped pretty much I think--so we might have gotten lower bids than we ould get now...

[Lakewooder]

I just had two small rental homes re-roofed and used radiant barrier decking - it was about $300 more for each house. I also added two turbines to each but the roofing company guy I use said I was wasting my money if I added extras...not sure of his expertise on these matters.

The homes really don't have much if any attic insulation (were built circa 1950). But they do get some shade during different times of the day. Not sure if I should add the insulation at this point.

[Korel]

If I may....
You said you have a 1,800 square foot 1950 ranch. I doubt seriously that your roof pitch is any greater than a 4/12 making it almost impossible to get the equipment up there to apply the spray radiant barrier. If you ever find yourself putting a new roof on after a Texas hail storm and you plan on living there for a while, say ten years or more, then look into removing the existing roof decking and replace it with the foil laminated radiant barrier. The laminated barrier is twice as efficient as the spray.

Required vent area in your case if your home was new construction today is 1:150 or 1,800 square feet / 150 = 12 square feet. More would be better. This needs to be balanced ventilation meaning half that area in soffit vents around perimeter of the roof overhangs. It would be best if you can install a ridge vent otherwise wind turbines work well too. For a home your size I would recommend two. I replaced my roof turbines with solar powered ventilators. When the sun comes up, the fans come on.

Minimum attic insulation is R-30. I had Garland Insulation add 6" of blown rock wool to my 2,000 square foot home to bring it up to R-30 and I paid about $400. (They're friends of mine) We immediately notice a huge difference. Our home also seemed to be quieter. If you do it yourself and installing fiberglass, please wear the proper face and eye protection along with long sleeve clothing. Those floating fiberglass fibers will enter your lungs, they're there to stay and are a carcinogen.

I'm surprised of all the experts we have here on these forums .

[loves2read]

forgot about the attic space--and limited head room--my bad

[GuestDallas]

After meeting with 3 separate companies, here's what I decided to do:

- Bring total Attic Insulation up to R38 ~1400 sq ft of attic space (~15" of Latest Fiberglass Spray-in)
- Add 2 additional wind turbines for a total of 3 for good ventilation
- Add 12 soffit vents around the perimeter of the house for increased air flow. None currently
- Seal all A/C ducts after seal leak test
- Weatherize all doors and windows after Vacuum test
- Add Attic Tent over attic entrance (it's close to a return line so makes sense)

The total for the above work is $1500, a little over half for just the insulation.

This seems to be the best solution for now, and since the house had barely 5" of existing insulation, I expect we will notice a big difference in comfort level, especially since the ventilation should improve considerably.

I think I'll still have the humidity issue I currently feel due to the peer and beam foundation, but I'll have to find a way to circulate the air underneath the house better somehow. That's a problem for a later time...

[Lakewooder]

I see you live in Lakewood Heights, what kind of home do you have? Say hello to Mel and Barb!

[GuestDallas]

Originally Posted by Lakewooder

I see you live in Lakewood Heights, what kind of home do you have? Say hello to Mel and Barb!

I live in a 50s ranch close to Tietze Park. We moved in 5 months ago, so we haven't met Mel and Barb, but I hear the LHNA has an event at Tietze this Saturday, so it may be a good opportunity to meet some of the neighbors.