Making sure your home has proper attic insulation is one of the best ways to reduce energy use, lower energy bills, and increase comfort in your home. Luckily, attics are one of the easiest areas of a house to insulate. An effective insulation system can protect your home from heat gain in the summer and heat loss in the winter. If your home feels cold in the winter and hot in the summer, or if your HVAC system has to work too hard to maintain a comfortable temperature indoors, contact a certified attic insulation contractor today.
There are several types of attic insulation, including radiant barriers, attic reflective insulation, spray foam insulation, and blown insulation. A radiant barrier and attic reflective insulation are extremely beneficial during blazing summer months. A radiant barrier and attic reflective insulation works by reflecting the sun's radiant heat, reducing heat gain in the attic and throughout the home.
Spray foam insulation and blown in insulation can be installed by a certified attic insulation contractor into the hard-to-reach areas of your attic. If your home currently has a rigid insulation system in place, there may be areas in your attic that the rigid insulation cannot fully reach or protect. To seal all gaps, crevices, and corners, install spray foam insulation or blown insulation to ensure full protection during the winter and summer.
If you live in a region with a warm climate, such as the South or Southwest, a home's attic can reach temperatures up to 140 °F during the summer. You can prevent this trapping of heat by installing an attic fan. An attic fan will help to cool hot attics by drawing in cooler outdoor air and pushing out the hot attic air.
Poor Attic Insulation Results in Increased Energy Use
A home with insufficient attic insulation will fail to keep the home at a consistent, comfortable temperature throughout the year. The people living in such a home will be more exposed to the constant changes in outdoor weather. For example, an improperly insulated home can lose nearly half of its air-conditioned air in the summer. The cool air simply seeps outside while hot outdoor air seeps in, resulting in heat gain. And in the winter, because hot air rises, a home without proper attic insulation will lose the interior heat that costs so much money to your attic. This summer heat gain and winter heat loss makes a home's cooling and heating systems work much harder than they'd need to if the home had proper attic insulation.
Nearly 50% of the average American household's energy expenses go towards heating and cooling costs. That's why it's so important to ensure proper attic insulation in your home — to keep the air-conditioned or heated air indoors where it belongs.
Insulation is measured in R-values, or resistance to heat flow. The higher the R-value, the more protected and comfortable your home will be, and the more energy savings you'll experience. Most homes built before 1985 were not constructed with sufficient attic insulation, which results in expensive energy bills. Contact a certified attic insulation contractor to determine your home's attic insulation R-value and to make a plan for future energy savings.
Attic insulation not only decreases energy use and increases energy savings, it also makes your home more comfortable to live in. That's because attic insulation protects you and your family from outdoor elements, such as cold winter nights or hot summer days. If your home is uncomfortable to live in during the winter and summer months, contact a certified attic insulation contractor. He or she can inspect your attic and install the appropriate type of attic insulation and R-value to make your home more comfortable and livable year-round.