All Forum Posts by: Account Closed

As an insulation contractor in a former life, I could write a book on this. First, if you currently have no insulation in your attic, adding insulation will make a dramatic difference in your heating bills. You payback could be as little as one year and usually no more than two years. Not only will your heating bills be lower but your overall comfort will be much greater because the drafts will be cut down. I am not one to recommend skimping on insulation but keep in mind that you get diminishing returns the more insulation you add. The difference you see in your energy cost will be very small if even perceptible between r38 and r49. Proper venting of bathroom exhaust fans is very important. I see many just covered up and not vented. It's important to check to see if ant can lights are IC rated. If they are you can spray the insulation right over them if not you must hold the insulation back two inches. As a better alternative I would just suggest replacing the non IC rated lights with IC rated ones. You can keep your storage space in the attic as long as you can "built up" the floor joists and put the plywood on top . This allows room for insulation underneath. If you aren't sure if your attic joists are strong enough to support the additional weight of the plywood and the things stored there, consult a contractor.