NASHVILLE Blog

New Attic Insulation Codes in Nashville

We here in the greater Nashville area have the good fortune to enjoy all four seasons. Unfortunately this means our homes experience the stress of those seasonal swings. Extremely hot and humid temperatures in the summer cause painfully high attic temperatures to tax our HVAC units and hit us right in the wallet. The freezing temperatures and occasional ice storms do the same in the opposite direction. Chilly, drafty homes are uncomfortable and ice dams and frozen pipes can present us with unwanted and untimely large bills. As the climate and focus on energy efficiency has shifted, so have the building codes.

Up until earlier this year, Davidson County abided by the 2009 International Building Codes. That code calls for a R-38 in the attic. R-Value is the amount of resistance to temperature transfer that the insulation offers, essentially how long it takes for hot or cold air to move into or out of your living space. As of this year, we have adopted the 2018 updated codes. This now calls for R-49 insulation in the attic. That is an average difference of 4 inches of loose fill insulation on your attic floor.

So what if your home was built before the 2006 building codes were adopted? Well if your home was built before, approximately 80% of us, then your attic was insulated to an R-30 when built. Now we are talking about 7 inches of insulation difference assuming no loss or depletion (very unlikely). Chances are your attic has somewhere around 7-8 inches and needs some help. Even if you’re not feeling the pain of the summer or the chill of the wintertime, you’re still losing an extra 20-30% per month in energy costs.

Take a peek at the chart too. 2021 energy code updates put our zone at a suggested R-60 for attics and ceilings. That would be double what most homes in Davidson, Williamson and Rutherford Counties currently have. It's only a matter of time before that new code is adopted. 

Know you are in need or just curious to have someone take a look in your attic for peace of mind? We are happy to offer a FREE attic analysis. Call us at 615-747-2960 or book the free analysis today!