Recommended R Value For Attic In Florida

When determining how much insulation you need don t guesstimate calculate.

Recommended r value for attic in florida.

Climate zone 1 consists of the following south florida counties. Typically current best home building practices indicate an r 30 to r 38 for attic insulation. An r value is also calculated per inch of width. R value measures how well certain building insulation materials can resist heat.

Therefore a three inch thick board has an r value of 3. You can see on home depot s website how many inches translates to a certain r value. Broward collier hendry lee miami dade monroe and palm beach and require a minimum r 30 attic insulation. Existing 3 4 inches of insulation.

Walls are entered by the type of assembly and the r value of insulation. Homes should have between r 22 and r 49 insulation in the attic. Insulation requirements in florida residential requirements for insulation are divided by the location in the home. The r value your home s attic needs depends on where you live.

Let s start at a base point. Energystar recommends an r value of r 38 for most homes. That translates to about 12 inches of insulation. Solid wood has an r value of 1.

The higher the r value the greater the insulation performance. Add insulation to attic. See the department of energy s doe ranges for recommended levels of insulation below. Framed wall insulation must meet or exceed r 13.

Know exactly how much you need with our project calculators. All r values are insulation only tested labeled per ftc rule16 cfr 460. The florida building code identifies two distinct climate zones. This zone has a recommended r value of 30 to 60 for an uninsulated attic r25 to r38 for an attic with existing insulation and r13 to r19 for the floor.

Blown fiberglass installed in the attic has an r value of 2 2 per inch so 12 inches of it would give you an r value of 26 4 in your attic installation project. Energy star s map of recommended home insulation shows that the majority of florida is within zone 2. Now that you have an idea of the depth you need you need to measure the width and length of your attic. Most computer programs allow the user to calculate gross wall areas and subtract window and door areas.

If your attic has enough insulation and your home still feels drafty and cold in the winter or too warm in the summer chances are you need to add insulation to the exterior walls as well. Recommended insulation levels for retrofitting existing wood framed buildings.