NEW ORLEANS Blog

How Much Insulation Do I Need In New Orleans?

January 20, 2023

Do I Need More Insulation?

No one wants to be too cold or too hot when in their home. Some types of insulation last up to 15 years, but external factors such as exposure to moisture, roof leaks, and pest infestation cause damage to insulation.  This takes years out of the life of your insulation.  Installing the proper amount of insulation and maintaining the 12-inch rule is very important. If you have less than 12 inches of insulation in your attic, it is time to give us a call.  The one thing that we can assuredly tell our contacts is that 80-90% of houses on the market are underinsulated.  Builders typically go to code and often underestimate the amount of insulation needed.  Older homes also didn’t account for insulation and home energy the way we are now, so the insulation has typically degraded…and there was never enough to begin with.

Now, in many instances, we can simply blow more insulation into your attic to ensure a climate controlled environment and give you the proper R-Value for our area of the country.

What is R-Value?

Short for Resistance Value, your insulation’s R-Value is calculated by dividing the thickness of the insulation by the thermal conductivity of the insulation. A higher R-Value means that your insulation is doing a great job at keeping your home insulated and keeping your conditioned air steady, whereas a lower value means that your insulation could need some replenishing. It is recommended that southern climate zones maintain an R-Value of R38 in an attic.  Northern values go up to R-60 depending how far up you go.   Just be glad you don’t have to add as much insulation as they need.  The 12-inch rule can quickly become a 16-20-inch rule.

Note: Checking the insulation levels in your attic can be dangerous, so it is important to keep in mind these safety tips: 

1. Use a flashlight to look for boards to walk on in order to avoid falling through the drywall.
2. Wear a hard hat for protection. 
3. If you are worried your attic may contain asbestos, call a local health department to have it tested. 

What is the Best Insulation For My Home?

Deciding what insulation is best for your home can be hard because it depends on the size of your attic. For tighter spaces we recommend blown-in fiberglass or cellulose, however we typically gravitate more towards fiberglass because it degrades less.  To the tune of about 2% over a 10-year period.  We also assess attic air flow for blown-in products to help combat an attic oven effect.  Your attic should exchange air 11x’s per hour at a minimum.  We’ll talk about attic air flow in another blog.  For larger spaces; open-cell spray foam is an excellent choice, especially with new construction. Our team of professionals offer free evaluations, so you can have a better understanding as to what insulation is best for your home. 

Not sure if you have enough insulation? Call Koala Insulation of Greater New Orleans today for any questions that you may have!

(504)930-4093

https://koalainsulation.com/f/Greater-New-Orleans