One of the keys to maintaining a comfortable temperature in your home all year long, is installing sufficient insulation. When your home is properly insulated, it will be more efficient at keeping the warm air in during the winter and the cool air in during the summer. Here’s a guide to making sure your walls and attic are properly insulated for maximum home comfort.

Insulation In a Florida Home

The U.S. Department of Energy developed a chart of values, called R-values, that measures insulation’s effectiveness at resisting heat transfer. The scale ranges from 0 to 100, and the higher the R-value, the longer it takes for heat to pass through your walls and ceilings.

The values needed to properly insulate a home differ depending on the climate. For Florida, the chart recommends an R-value between 30 to 60 for your attic and 13 to 16 for your walls. But what do these values mean in terms of inches of insulation? We’ll explain below.

How Much Insulation Does My Home Need?

The simple answer to this question is, “As much as you can fit.” However, you can keep your home sufficiently insulated without drowning in fiberglass and foam. Different types of insulation have different R-values, so the thickness you need depends on the type of insulation you use. As a guideline, 11 inches of rock wool or fiberglass insulation has an R-value of 30. Here’s how much insulation you’ll need in your walls and attic based on that measurement.

In the walls: Typically, there is not an abundance of space inside your walls, so packing in the insulation isn’t a bad idea. To get an R-value of 13 to 16, you will need four to five inches of insulation. However, if you use a more effective type of insulation, you may be able to get away with less.

In the attic: A good rule of thumb for insulating your attic is to make sure it is at least as tall as your ceiling joists. If you only have a few inches of insulation in your attic, you are likely wasting money on your energy bills. Build it up to at least 12 inches for optimum insulating power.

Improve Your Home’s Comfort With One Hour Air!

Installing sufficient insulation isn’t the only way to aid your HVAC system in keeping your home comfortable. From strategic ventilation options, to preventative maintenance, to duct cleaning and more, One Hour Heating & Air Conditioning® of Clearwater is here to help you get the most out of your heating and cooling system all your long. Give us a call today to learn more about what we can do for you!