Difference Between Faced And Unfaced Attic Insulation

A space s r rating varies depending on the climate zone in which it is located.

Difference between faced and unfaced attic insulation.

There are many types of insulation that are unfaced such as spray foam and loose fill fiberglass. 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. Air migrates from warmer spaces toward colder spaces and insulation is designed to help prevent or at least slow that migration. What is the right insulation for an attic.

Now here s a situation where a homeowner what looks like many years ago added insulation they added a three inch layer but it has facing on it and that could create a. Unfaced insulation should be used when you re adding insulation to your attic that already has insulation so that you don t have to worry about the moisture trap. Faced insulation has a vapor barrier or a vapor retarder the facing that helps prevent moisture from moving from one space to another. 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.

Unfaced batts are laid perpendicularly atop existing batts to improve heat retention. The facing also helps protect the surface hold. For example an attic should have insulation quality and volume that is rated between r 49 and r 60 in zone 7 regions like buffalo new york where it gets downright icy in the winter.