Attic Roof Insulation

Home energy experts agree that attic insulation plays a major role in home comfort and energy efficiency. But the type of insulation used can vary, along with the location where insulation is installed. Since an attic insulation upgrade is a one-time investment designed to improve comfort and energy savings for as long as you own your house, it's important to make the right decision about how your attic is insulated.

In an attic, insulation usually goes in one of two places: on the attic floor or beneath the attic roof. Attic roof insulation, which we'll discuss here, is the option to choose if your attic space will be used as additional living space or for storage space. Here are the different insulation materials that can be used for attic roof insulation:

Fiberglass batt insulation can be installed between the rafters in the attic space. When this is done, an insulation baffle is usually installed against the underside of the roof sheathing in each rafter bay prior to installing the fiberglass batt. The baffle creates an air space, connecting the soffit vent to the ridge vent so that the attic can ventilate properly.

Spray foam insulation is sometimes applied in the space between attic rafters as a means of insulating the attic. This insulation strategy is controversial because it eliminates the ventilation space that allows the roof to "breathe" and because spray foam insulation can trap or retain moisture, which sometimes causes roof sheathing to rot.

Rigid foam insulation can serve as attic roof insulation when it's installed between and/or directly beneath the attic rafters. In both cases, roof ventilation can be maintained. Dr. Energy Saver's exclusive SuperAttic® system utilizes this approach, but also includes a radiant barrier for additional energy savings. SuperAttic® provides the best overall value and performance of all attic roof insulation options.

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