Attic insulation costs $1 to $4 per square foot installed, depending on the type, R-value, job size, and complexity. The average cost to insulate an attic is $1,000 to $2,700. Small attic insulation costs start at $500, while insulating large attics costs up to $6,000.
Cost of Loose-fill Attic Insulation
$1,200 – $3,900 average cost of loose-fill insulation for 1,100 to 1,500 sq. ft.
Cost to insulate a house
Insulation costs $1.00 to $4.50 per square foot installed, depending on the type, material, R-value, and area. The average cost to insulate a house is $1,600 to $8,000. Insulation material prices are $0.50 to $2.80 per square foot, plus $0.50 to $1.70 per square foot for installation labor.
Foam boards
Easy to install and relatively inexpensive, foam boards are another insulating option. They are usually made of polyurethane, polystyrene, or polyisocyanurate. Sheets of foam can be cut to fit tightly between wall studs or attic ceiling joints.
SAVINGS AND COMFORT
EPA estimates that homeowners can save an average of 15% on heating and cooling costs (or an average of 11% on total energy costs) by air sealing their homes and adding insulation in attics, floors over crawl spaces and basements.
Best Time of Year to Buy Insulation
In this case, the spring is the best time, because you will also start to see savings in the summer months. The same is true for warmer climates, just different times of year because you'll want the job finished before the heat sets in.
Cons of Blown-In Attic Insulation:
If your attic has a moisture problem or experiences water leaks, the insulation can become damp, leading to mold growth and reduced effectiveness. Requires Professional Installation: While it may seem simple, blown-in insulation must be installed by experienced professionals.
Also, when laying down additional insulation, work from the perimeter toward the attic opening. Never lay insulation over recessed light fixtures or soffit vents. Keep all insulation at least 3 inches away from recessed "can" lights, unless they are rated IC (Insulated Ceiling).
Blown fiberglass insulation scores an R-value of 3.2 to 3.8, making it slightly less likely than rolled fiberglass to prevent the flow of heat into and out of your house. That being said, though, blown fiberglass insulation isn't meant to cover huge areas like rolled fiberglass insulation.
On average, you can save up to 20% on your home's heating and cooling costs or up to 10% on its total energy costs by adding insulation to attics, floors, crawl spaces, and accessible basement rim joists, and by reducing unwanted air leaks all around your house.
Most installers charge between $40 and $80 per hour to install insulation, so the more complex the project, the more it will cost. A few complexities that may increase the cost of labor include: Your installer needs to install insulation in hard-to-reach areas.
DIY Home Insulation Pros
Fiberglass batts and rolls are fairly inexpensive and can be installed in open and accessible areas like attics, crawl spaces, and rim joists by the handyman homeowner. The homeowner can install blown-in cellulose insulation, but a machine must be rented for the installation.
Signs It's Time to Replace Insulation
For most homes, it can last for 20-80 years! That being said, like all things, insulation tends to wear down over time. If you are living in an older home and encountering some of the following problems, it may be time for a replacement.
Attic insulation costs anywhere from $1,680 to $3,125, depending on the size of your attic and the material used. On average, most homeowners shell out around $2,380. These costs include the insulation materials and installation by a professional.
Fiberglass batt is considered to be the best insulation for attics. Compared to other insulation materials, it is the cheapest and easiest to install.
Wall insulation costs $1 to $4 per square foot. Most batting—both mineral wool and fiberglass—costs $1 to $1.50 per square foot to install. Some new construction homes use rigid, reflective, spray foam or a combination of all of them, which might run $3 to $4 per square foot.
Unlike blown-in insulation that can lower your energy bills by 25%, with spray foam insulation in your building you can profit from a 40% decrease on your monthly energy bills. Spray foam has the ability to expand 30-60 times the volume when installed, therefore it can seal all gaps and cracks on your walls.
House insulation: The most effective insulation
So having in mind that spray foam, fiberglass, and cellulose are the three mostly used insulation materials we made a comparison, and here are the results: Spray foam has by far the highest R-value, which is crucial for homes in extremely cold climates.
Insulation board is more durable and stable than insulation roll, meaning it can resist compression, sagging, and deterioration over time. Insulation board is more resistant to moisture, mould, and pests than insulation roll, meaning it can protect the building structure and indoor air quality better.
Do I Have To Remove Old Insulation? Unless your insulation is wet, moldy or infested with pests, you don't need to remove it before adding insulation on top of it. ENERGY STAR® recommends that you inspect your insulation for signs of mold, mildew, moisture and pest infiltration before making this determination.
attic with a mixture of fiberglass batts and blown-in cellulose. This project's low cost is $500 to add fiberglass batts to a partially insulated attic. The high cost is $10,000 to install spray foam insulation on all areas of a 1,500 sq. ft.
It is possible to over-insulate your house so much that it can't breathe. The whole point of home insulation is to tightly seal your home's interior. But if it becomes too tightly sealed with too many layers of insulation, moisture can get trapped inside those layers.
However, due to its construction with natural materials, eventually the product will lose effectiveness. Fiberglass insulation typically needs to be replaced 15-20 years into it's life, as it can easily become dirty, wet, moldy, and ineffective if there's a roof leak or water damage of any kind.
Hot air rises, just like your energy bill will do if your attic is poorly insulated. A poorly insulated attic can result in 25% heat loss in fall and winter—that's 25 percent of your average heating costs going toward energy that won't even heat your home.
However, it is possible to have too much insulation. If there is too much insulation, and it comes in contact with the roof sheeting, it can block air circulation, which can lead to condensation, mould and mildew.