Attic insulation keeps your home at a comfortable temperature, which reduces the amount of energy you’ll have to spend on heating and cooling. So, if you’ve recently noticed higher utility bills, fluctuating temperatures or drafts, your attic, and wall insulation may be insufficient. We always advise having a home energy loss audit completed to determine exactly where your home is losing energy so you don’t invest in energy upgrades that are not needed.
Why is attic insulation important?
Proper Insulation Saves You Money – If the heat in your home escapes through the attic, you’re spending more than you ought to on your utility bill expense. If your home isn’t properly warmed or cooled due to poorly insulated and ventilated attic, it will force you to increase the heat or cooling, especially during the height of the hot and cold seasons. This increases your electric bill, and you won’t receive the air temperature you’d want.
Less HVAC Escape – An attic with the correct insulation R value adds resistance to cold and hot air trying to escape your home. Inadequate insulation allows more cold and hot air to escape the living area of your home, it also makes it difficult to maintain the desired temperature because interior air constantly escapes through the attic.
Given that heat can escape from anywhere, you can easily lose heat through the crawl space cracks or gaps when your home isn’t properly insulated.
How much home insulation is enough?
Many homeowners often question whether they’ve got enough insulation in their homes. Take note that how much insulation you need is dictated by different variables including how well your home is ventilated and your local climate.
Well-ventilated homes that allow for great air movement need less insulation than those that are poorly ventilated. To improve the energy efficiency of your home, you should consider sealing cracks, filling in gaps in the insulation, and check for air movement around doors and windows. These are areas that allow warm or cold air to leak in your home. You will also benefit if you install a radiant barrier in the attic to deflect the summer heat, and a solar attic ventilation fan to increase air circulation.
Before the hot summer months get the best of you, consider checking your attic insulation. If you’ve got less than ten inches there’s room for more.
What necessitates attic insulation?
If you’re living in an older home, chances are high it lacks sufficient insulation, the rooms of the house will be hot in the summer and cold in the winter. This is a clear sign you may not have enough or the right type of insulation in your home.
Heat build-up in the attic during the summer – The summer heat can become unbearable without the correct attic ventilation. Once you have insulation on the attic floor you can easily prevent heat from coming to the main part of the house which you’re trying to cool by keeping the air conditioning running or having the windows open to increase air movement.
Heat loss through the attic in winter months – Your attic will be cold in winter when the insulation you’ve got on the attic floor doesn’t allow heat to penetrate through the ceiling and escape through the attic space. This means that you’ll keep your utility bills within your budget as you’re not losing heat that’s wasted through the attic.
Final Thoughts
A well-insulated and ventilated attic ensures that you get the most value for your money. It ensures that whatever temperature is on your thermostat is exactly what’s in your home. Instead of hot or cold air escaping through the attic, it’ll be effectively distributed in your home. It is recommended you speak with a professional insulation company to determine if your home has adequate insulation.
