How Much Cellulose Attic Insulation Do You Need?

Cellulose attic insulation is a great investment. Once your attic is insulated properly with cellulose, your heating and energy bills will drop in a dramatic way due to your homes new lower energy requirements. Cellulose insulation is one of the more efficient and cost effective varieties of insulation, and is a great choice for anyone trying to insulate an attic. However, when insulating an attic with cellulose it is important to determine how much cellulose to use as accurately as possible.

R Value

When talking about insulation, R value refers to the ability of a material to resist heat per inch of that material. Higher R values mean more powerful insulation, meaning that less insulation of that type is needed. Cellulose has an R value of slightly over 3. Different homes in different climates will require a different total R value of insulation.

Research

To determine how much cellulose insulation you need, do a quick internet search for the recommended R value required in your location. Once you have this and the R value of cellulose — which is 3 — you have everything you need to calculate how much cellulose insulation you need. Simply take the R value required for your home and divide it by 3. The result is the number of inches of cellulose insulation your attic requires.