Too much of anything is bad, even too much insulation in an attic. Any professional will tell you that it is counterproductive to completely isolate the attic without ventilating the space. But can you over-insulate your attic? Could your current isolation be too much? While overinsulated attics aren't as common as underinsulated attics, it's possible to place so much insulation in the attic that it will have a negative impact. As an expert in home insulation, I can tell you that over-insulating your attic can have serious consequences for your home.
Not only can it reduce air circulation in your home, but it can also lead to mold growth and other issues due to trapped moisture. To avoid these problems, it's important to understand how attics are supposed to work and what R-value is best for your area. The R-value is a rating used to measure the thermal resistance of an insulating material, or how well that material resists heat transfer, per inch of insulating material. A well-insulated attic will completely cover the chosen insulation and will be clean and dry.
Well-installed attic insulation will eliminate air gaps between insulation and a structural component or between insulating parts. This is the labor-intensive part of an attic insulation job that unscrupulous insulation contractors might not mention. Reaching an R-value of 30 should provide more than enough insulation in the Southern California area, without some of the drawbacks of excessive attic insulation. If you have four feet of insulation stacked all over the attic, this could affect how efficiently the attic can circulate air. The company suggested not adding more blown cellulose insulation, but rather reducing the amount of wood and waste, removing the insulation with a rake, and placing a “multilayer insulation” on top.
If you have well-installed attic insulation with a sufficient R-value and are still not satisfied with the results, you may want to consider installing a radiant barrier. What's much more important than simply adding insulation to the attic is to do the hermetic sealing first. This will ensure that your home is properly sealed and insulated from outside temperatures. If you want to get the best result with the insulation of your new attic, focus your attention on how it is installed. Over-insulating your attic can have serious consequences for your home.
To avoid these problems, make sure that you don't exceed an R-value of 30 when insulating your attic and that you install your insulation correctly.
