Faced Vs Unfaced Insulation In Attic

Unfaced means the insulation lacks a vapor retarder paper or plastic facing.

Faced vs unfaced insulation in attic.

Insulation being unfaced doesn t mean it s a bad choice. The facing on faced insulation acts as a vapor retarder. Place a new layer of unfaced batts perpendicular to the old layer to cover any gaps in the lower layer. Any time you use a faced insulation the paper needs to be facing toward the living space.

If you live in a humid and wet climate there may be local building codes that require faced insulation over unfaced. For many contractors the decision to use one kind of insulation over the other depends solely on preference rather than a by the book decision making process. If you need a vapor barrier and your insulation is unfaced you must cover it with a polyethylene film. Unfaced insulation should be used when you re adding insulation to your attic that already has insulation.

Unfaced batt insulation is often used for beefing up the r rating with the r rating being the insulation rating scale that says how much or how effective insulation needs to be in that space. The same applies to faced unfaced and other kinds of insulation products. You can buy them unfaced or simply remove the paper or foil backing. Kraft faced insulation should be installed in exterior walls exterior basement walls and attic ceilings by pressing the product into the wall cavity with the paper side.

Faced insulation can be used in several areas of a house such as. Now here s a situation where a homeowner what looks like many years ago added insulation they added a three inch layer but. What is the right insulation for an attic. In a nutshell.

You need up to 19 inches or r 49 for efficiency. When local building codes require a vapor retardant faced insulation is one of the best options. Faced or the type with paper is typically used in first time applications such as in walls ceilings floors and in crawl spaces. Kraft faced insulation includes a paper vapor retarder which helps prevent mold and mildew.

I ve always said adding insulation to your attic is some of the best money you can spend to make your house more energy efficient but whether to use faced or unfaced insulation is a great question. It means ensuring that it s the right product for your space. The easiest place to get a gauge on your home s current insulation condition is in the attic. Basement finished exterior walls.

Insulation in rolls called batts comes in two varieties. Air migrates from warmer spaces toward colder spaces and insulation is designed to help prevent or at least slow that migration.