Just bought my new home. We just got a $300+ power bill. I got up into the attic to find an incomplete insulation job. Looks like the previous owner blew in some insulation then rolled R-30 over the top of it. I got a price quote from a local contractor to bring the attic to R-49 (almost $1700). I'm doing this myself even if I have to buy 1 or 2 rolls every time I get paid. I don't have the will to crack into savings for this... So anyway, I've done some Google-ing and watched a few vids online. I'm not really getting a comprehensive feel for the information I've gathered thus far. So I thought I'd try my hand at posting some questions on a forum to see what I get:
1) Is the blown-in material supposed to be under the rolled out material, does orientation matter? My inspection notes say the orientation is incorrect. If I have my way, I'm not going to remove any material because in the end I want to get closest to R-60 as I can, def' want to utilize what exists already.
2) Some of the videos I viewed online suggested adding insulation that is rolled perpendicular to the framing. Thoughts?
3) The majority of my lighting is recessed. I want to look over everything to make sure I've addressed any potential fire hazard(s). What do I look for?
4) The videos also mentioned reflective blanket/quilting for the top portion of the roof truss, what are your thoughts on this, worth while or will bringing the attic area closest to R-60 be sufficient without that?
5) Seeing how I've got a lack of insulation in over half the space I feel its a good opportunity to check for other issues that I may not know about. I've got a feeling there may be a lack of sealant whether its foam or caulk. I'm a home improvement green-horn so I'm not sure what to look for, what's necessary, up to code, etc. :huh:
Anything else you can add or suggest would be appreciated. Thanks.
1) Is the blown-in material supposed to be under the rolled out material, does orientation matter? My inspection notes say the orientation is incorrect. If I have my way, I'm not going to remove any material because in the end I want to get closest to R-60 as I can, def' want to utilize what exists already.
2) Some of the videos I viewed online suggested adding insulation that is rolled perpendicular to the framing. Thoughts?
3) The majority of my lighting is recessed. I want to look over everything to make sure I've addressed any potential fire hazard(s). What do I look for?
4) The videos also mentioned reflective blanket/quilting for the top portion of the roof truss, what are your thoughts on this, worth while or will bringing the attic area closest to R-60 be sufficient without that?
5) Seeing how I've got a lack of insulation in over half the space I feel its a good opportunity to check for other issues that I may not know about. I've got a feeling there may be a lack of sealant whether its foam or caulk. I'm a home improvement green-horn so I'm not sure what to look for, what's necessary, up to code, etc. :huh:
Anything else you can add or suggest would be appreciated. Thanks.