Now here s a situation where a homeowner what looks like many years ago added insulation they added a three inch layer but.
Faced vs unfaced batt insulation attic.
Kraft faced insulation should be installed in exterior walls exterior basement walls and attic ceilings by pressing the product into the wall cavity with the paper side.
Attic insulation is accomplished with either fiberglass blankets batt or blown in insulation.
Batt insulation is available at home centers and lumberyards.
Kraft faced insulation includes a paper vapor retarder which helps prevent mold and mildew.
Unfaced means the insulation lacks a vapor retarder paper or plastic facing.
Blown in insulation requires a professional.
I ve always said adding insulation to your attic is some of the best money you can spend to make your house more energy efficient but whether to use faced or unfaced insulation is a great question.
Insulation in rolls called batts comes in two varieties.
Unfaced batt insulation is often used for beefing up the r rating with the r rating being the insulation rating scale that says how much or how effective insulation needs to be in that space.
Any time you use a faced insulation the paper needs to be facing toward the living space.
What is the right insulation for an attic.
The same applies to faced unfaced and other kinds of insulation products.
Air migrates from warmer spaces toward colder spaces and insulation is designed to help prevent or at least slow that migration.
Before choosing blown vs.
Like blanket or batt insulation foam board comes in faced and unfaced varieties.
Always use unfaced batts both when laying product for the first time and to prevent moisture from becoming trapped between new and old layers of insulation.
For many contractors the decision to use one kind of insulation over the other depends solely on preference rather than a by the book decision making process.
Place a new layer of unfaced batts perpendicular to the old layer to cover any gaps in the lower layer.
The key difference between the two is that faced insulation keeps moisture out because it has kraft paper or plastic on one side whereas unfaced only provides insulation.
Insulation being unfaced doesn t mean it s a bad choice.
Batt insulation take time to read this column.
Faced or the type with paper is typically used in first time applications such as in walls ceilings floors and in crawl spaces.
You can buy them unfaced or simply remove the paper or foil backing.