Insulating A House Without An Attic

Install siding over the insulation.

Insulating a house without an attic.

One way to insulate walls of an old house is to focus on the home s exterior. Recycled newsprint makes up cellulose. 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. Caulk window trim and use weatherstripping to reduce air leaks.

But this will require either cross battening and a metal roof on battens or else a new layer of decking. Lay a two by four on top temporarily compressing the insulation to a manageable thickness. 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. Apply a house wrap vapor barrier to exterior walls.

A portable air conditioner is the easiest solution for cooling your attic. It s a standalone unit that s about two feet tall and 18 inches wide and has wheels for mobility. If you think you need more insulation consult a reputable expert. Mini split ductless air conditioner.

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. The r value is greater than fiberglass and it is fire retardant. 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.

Over insulating an attic or crawl space won t save you enough money on power bills to make the expense worthwhile. 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. Replace old windows with energy efficient units. Attach 1 inch foam board insulation.

In most parts of the united states insulating the exterior edge of a slab can reduce heating bills by 10 to 20. For a greener insulation project cellulose blown in insulation is available. Portable air conditioners do need to be vented to pump the hot air outside.