NO insulation in the attic

[Judd Campbell]

My latest acquisition was built in 1961 and has zero insulation in the attic.  I am thinking of using blown insulation and doing an R38 depth in Central KY.  Should I use rolled insulation instead? That foam spray is only for the walls right?  

[Rob Myers]

Some people are choosing to do a combination of both spray foam and blown in for attics.  An inch of spray foam directly on the structure will seal any potential areas of infiltration followed by standard blown in insulation on top to make up the balance of the R value required.  I am still not sold on this approach because blown in insulation will settle and cover most small penetrations into an attic space.  Batt tends to be expensive for large areas and takes longer to install than blown in.

Get a quote on the work before you decide to go the DIY route.  Insulation is one scope of work that doesn't cost much more than DIY to hire it out.  If you do decide to DIY, you should be able to get a free rental on the insulation blower if you buy enough bags of insulation from the building supply store.  Wear pants, long sleeve shirt, hat, safety glasses and respirator - it's messy!