Ceiling insulation batts are one of the three (maybe four) usual choices of methods used in insulating attics. The other three are those that are blown (fiberglass and cellulose), those that are sprayed (also fiberglass and cellulose) and other materials (usually structural insulation panels).
In sealing the house (part by part) for insulation, the most important consideration is the absence of air leakage areas. Failure to do this will saddle you and your house with multiple problems on comfort, indoor air quality, durability and efficiency problems.
Insulating the ceiling
Insulating ceilings is one of the most cost effective energy efficiency measures. Other advantages include the fact that they are the easiest part to insulate because they are accessible. Those homes with cathedral ceilings, however, have unique insulation requirement.
When installing batt insulation on the ceiling, you need to seal the entire attic to home air leaks, especially chases, bypasses, and fur-downs. Most insulation like fiberglass and rock wool does not stop the air flow.
Batts
These are large pieces of insulation that hold together because they are made of long, interwoven fibers with adhesive binders. The most usual batts materials you’ll get is fiberglass and cotton which has almost the same insulating quality.
These are large pieces of insulation that hold together because they’re made of long, interweaving fibers with adhesive binders. The two kinds of batts you’re most likely to encounter are fiberglass and cotton.
In terms of their insulating quality, they’re pretty much equivalent. Cotton batts, though, are ‘cool’ because they’re made of recycled blue jeans.
Blown
Depending on circumstances, the better choice sometimes is insulation that comes in smaller chunks.
With a large hose on hand, installers blows the insulating chunks into the attic. The two main choices here are fiberglass and cellulose with both their advantages and disadvantages.
Both of them insulates about the same and have R-values at about the same range. Cellulose, however, comes from recycled newspapers.
Sprayed-on
The 3rd most common insulation type is the spray foam. There is the open cell and the closed cell. Each of these has its own pros and cons, with its own set of supporters and.
The main advantage of spray foam is it allows you to move – the boundary between conditioned and unconditioned spaces. Spraying foam in the roofline can bring the ducts inside. The big disadvantage with spray foam is cost. Generally, it’s generally 3 to 4 times the amount you’ll pay for cellulose or for fiberglass.
Some action notes
Most of the batts don’t work well because they cannot fill the space well. Ideally, to elicit its best performance, an insulation material needs to fill the whole space with no gaps, no voids, compressing or incompletely filled areas.
When doing batt insulation on ceilings, make sure all your insulation level should meet or even exceed local building codes. Make sure attic access doors are also insulated and sealed properly just like the others. The knee wall areas must adequate insulations and an air sealing barrier.
All in all, ceiling insulation batts is one good choice, which leaves you 3 more good ones, too.
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