Is it worth $1,600 to upgrade the insulation in my attic?

Question

I have a new home that has an attic rated at an R-Value of 29 to 30, I'm looking at spending $1,600 on upgrading my attic to an R-Value of 49 to 50. Will this be worth $1,600?

The home is in North Texas.

Answer 1

in the long run yes.
i would blow about 4-6 inches of insulation in the attic.
the electric bill will see the difference and so will your pocketbook, especially with texas being so hot.

Answer 2

Kevin , Glad to help. I live in Up State NY and recently decided to upgrade my gas furnace and add an outdoor air conditioning unit ( Trane Products) Thus far each person who gave me estimates said my 36 R attic was completely adequate for our climate. More attic insulation than you already have may keep more heat away from your ceilings. Id check your wall insulation before spending more money in the attic.
My walls are loaded with spray in foam insulation. Ceiling has 6" of loose Zonolite (SP) With 6 more inches of Dow Corning unfaced fiberglss rolled on top.

If your attic is adequately ventillated with gable vents, shingle roof pitch vents and most importantly large capacity soffett vents you should be in good shape. If you want to add a thermostatically electric controlled fan inside a gable vent so much the better. It's definately important to keep air moving in the attic. They wotk even better if you either draw in cool air from the north side of the house or exhaust the south side gable vents. Electric roof vents work well but you'd need to be careful of your shingles when installing. The next time you choose roffing material go with the lightest color possible to reflect the Texas sun during the summer.

Answer 3

R-30 is already at the energy star recommendation. A better place to spend that money (if you haven't already) is to have a radient barrier installed on the roof deck material. This will keep your attic area cooler, saving not only like the insulation would, but also helping with the air condition equipment if installed in the attic and the ductwork.

Answer 4

Honestly, if it was me and I felt that I needed more insulation, I would do it myself, all you do is unroll some more batts of insulation on top of what you already have. But I also think with a R-Value of 30 already, your in good shape. I would spend the money elsewhere to improve the efficiently of my home.

Answer 5

in north texas??? egads NOOOO I live in CT and my R-value is less than yours now and I get several feet of snow every year! and many days below zero