Recommended R Value For Attic In Florida

Typically current best home building practices indicate an r 30 to r 38 for attic insulation.

Recommended r value for attic in florida.

Framed wall insulation must meet or exceed r 13. 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. An r value is also calculated per inch of width. For block walls interior insulation must meet or exceed r 7 8 and exterior insulation must be r 6.

Walls are entered by the type of assembly and the r value of insulation. Most computer programs allow the user to calculate gross wall areas and subtract window and door areas. When determining how much insulation you need don t guesstimate calculate. Let s start at a base point.

The higher the r value the greater the insulation performance. Recommended insulation levels for retrofitting existing wood framed buildings. Solid wood has an r value of 1. The r value your home s attic needs depends on where you live.

R value measures how well certain building insulation materials can resist heat. Now that you have an idea of the depth you need you need to measure the width and length of your attic. Energy star s map of recommended home insulation shows that the majority of florida is within zone 2. Homes should have between r 22 and r 49 insulation in the attic.

Broward collier hendry lee miami dade monroe and palm beach and require a minimum r 30 attic insulation. R values of framing members concrete blocks gypsum board etc. Typical recommendations for exterior walls are r 13 to r 23 while r 30 r 38 and r 49 are common for ceilings and attic spaces. 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.

You can see on home depot s website how many inches translates to a certain r value. Energystar recommends an r value of r 38 for most homes. See the department of energy s doe ranges for recommended levels of insulation below. That translates to about 12 inches of insulation.

Existing 3 4 inches of insulation. Therefore a three inch thick board has an r value of 3. Climate zone 1 consists of the following south florida counties. Add insulation to attic.

The florida building code identifies two distinct climate zones. All r values are insulation only tested labeled per ftc rule16 cfr 460.