Florida Attic Insulation Code

Achieving greater r values in attics the higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation.

Florida attic insulation code. Typically current best home building practices indicate an r 30 to r 38 for attic insulation. Must be inside conditioned space tested to q n 0 03 by a class 1 bers rater or class a b or mechanical contractor hvac controls. Existing 3 4 inches of insulation. Maximum 20 of conditioned floor area.

Recommended insulation levels for retrofitting existing wood framed buildings. Adding insulation to the attic is relatively easy and very cost effective. Find your zone on the map and then use the chart to determine the level of insulation you need to properly insulate your attic walls floors and crawlspaces. Residential requirements for insulation are divided by the location in the home.

To find out if you have enough attic insulation measure the thickness of the insulation. If it is less than r 22 7 inches of fiber glass or rock wool or 6 inches of cellulose you could probably benefit by adding more. There are different insulation requirements and recommendations for different parts of your home. Climate zone 1 consists of the following south florida counties.

Framed wall insulation must meet or exceed r 13. Today we ll go over insulation for your attic and why it s essential to your florida home. The florida building code identifies two distinct climate zones. Insulation in your walls floors and ceilings helps to keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter.

Contributes to but does not supersede thermal resistance requirements for attic and roof assemblies in section c402 2 1 of the florida building code energy conservation. Let s say you measured your attic and you realize your attic has about 9 inches r 30 of insulation and your attic is about 40 sq feet you d need at least 3 inches of extra insulation that covers 40 sq ft to get an r value of r 38. Interior insulation r 7 8 exterior insulation r 6 ceilings. What r value is best for my home.

Here s what you need to know about insulation requirements in florida. For block walls interior insulation must meet or exceed r 7 8 and exterior insulation must be r 6. Homes should have between r 22 and r 49 insulation in the attic. Blown fiberglass installed in the attic has an r value of 2 2 per inch so 12 inches of it would give you an r value of 26 4 in your attic installation project.

Raised r 13 sog r 0 windows. But the story doesn t end there. Add insulation to attic. Yes generally a higher r value means a more effective insulator but the highest r value possible may not be necessarily right for your project.