Is Insulating Attic with High Ceilings Worth It?

Question

Hi There

I'm considering insulating my attic floor to save energy etc. However my house has 2 floors with 3.8m (about 13feet) high ceilings on each floor, so my question is, will attic insulation make any real difference or is it just going to keep the top of the room (which is too high to feel anyway) warm? Would appreciate the help of either an expert or someone who has similar sized ceilings who has tried it....

thanks

Answer 1

It will make a difference!  Secondly I would consider using a fan in the ceiling to move the warm air that will rise and cost you money as well.

Answer 2

Worth doing .

A well insulated high attic will make the place warmer & cooler.

Theory is that even w/ insulated attic floor there is a large mass of cold air sitting right on top of it.

In summer it helps heat from radiating into the space.

Something you would have to do if the attic becomes living space.

Answer 3

it will save energy

Answer 4

blown in insulation is your best option. You can also drill through your rim joist on the exterior and blow in between you first and second floor(depending what you have for exterior siding).  More insulation the better. have your house tested to see where you are losing the most energy.

Answer 5

We insulated our roof and I was astounded by the difference it made! Really.  The cost of this plus draught proofing and cavity insulation cut our heating bills by a third in the middle of winter, but it was the roof insulation first that made a hhuge difference. I followed that with a condensing boiler as opposed the leaking boiler we had previously and our total bill was cut to about half of what it had been originally. Do it.

Answer 6

You will be keeping the heat in during colder months and the cool air in during the hotter months - so yes it will help. To really make a difference you need to redistribute the air at the top of the room-mainly in the colder months.

This heat cushion at the ceiling needs used at people level so either install some ceiling fans or have your heating contractor put in a cold air return in the ceiling. Either way you will be using that heat cushion to mix in with the air at people level which is much cooler, as much as 10-15 degrees.

You don't have to run the ceiling fans on high to get that air down.

Also make sure your attic has enough ventilation to get the hot air out, that will help also.

Answer 7

If done correctly, it will save energy.  More heat is lost through the roof than through any other part of the house.  Remember that heat rises, so if you can trap heat in the house, the house will be warmer with less energy expended.