Dave Hoh's Home Comfort & Energy Experts Case Studies: Proper Amount of Attic Insulation in Spring Lake, NJ

Challenge

We are at a job site in Spring Lake, NJ in a homeowner’s Cape Cod attic. Our team inspected the owner’s attic and found old fiberglass insulation less than 3 inches or approximately an R-value of R-9. The problem with fiberglass insulation is that unless installed in an enclosed cavity (like a wall) it allows air movement through the product. This can reduce the R-values by up to 40-50% pending temperatures and air moving through the product.

Solution

The U.S. Dept. of Energy requires any new home built in NJ to be air sealed and have a minimum R-value of R-49. As per Department of Energy and NJ Clean Energy Program standards we insulate R-49 minimum to R-60 optimum in climate zone 4. Any pre-existing home has no requirement. We consider this home basically un-insulated by today’s standards. That is clearly not enough insulation to properly insulate the house. If NJ requires all new homes to be air sealed and insulated at an R-value of R-49, why would we expect the old fiberglass insulation to insulate properly especially when it’s not at the proper R-value?

Our TrueSoft cellulose insulation is 100% recycled materials, fire retardant, pest resistant, and has a higher R-value per inch than fiberglass. By air sealing the attic with our orange ZypFoam sealant and blowing in our TruSoft cellulose insulation our customers can achieve a more comfortable and energy efficient home.

Project Summary

Products Used: TruSoft Cellulose Insulation & ZypFoam Sealant