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Attic Insulation: Here’s What You Need to Know Before You Go Full Steam Ahead

Proper levels of attic insulation at the right efficiency (or R-value) can change the way you cool and heat your Roswell home. However, if you don’t also consider two other important systems that can make or break the health of your attic and your home, your insulation won’t do its job. If you’re upgrading your attic insulation, you also need to address ventilation and air leaks. Otherwise, you could make matters worse or negate the savings you’re expecting from reducing heat movement through the structure.

How Insulation Works

Insulation helps your home’s HVAC system keep energy consumption at bay. Without any insulation at all, your home’s structure would allow heat to move through it easily. In the winter, any heat your furnace generates would simply move through the walls and out of the home. In summer, any cooling your air conditioner creates would be swallowed up by outside heat moving into the home.

The purpose of insulation, then, is to act as a barrier that resists heat movement. Upgrading attic insulation is one of the most cost-effective improvement projects homeowners can undertake. Heat buildup in the attic greatly affects home comfort, and the space itself is generally very easy to access when compared to installing more insulation in walls or floors, for example.

The ENERGY STAR program recommends insulation R-values for homeowners across the country, depending on the climate zone in which they live. Buying insulation with the right R-value will go a long way toward ensuring your future comfort.

Ventilation and Air Leaks

Before you take the plunge and invest money in new insulation, you need to know that disrupting the balance of systems at work in the attic could lead to problems.

  • Air leaks: If you don’t first seal leaky spots in the attic, the insulation you install won’t cover up the leaks. As a result, air will move through the cracks and counteract the energy savings the insulation should provide.
  • Moisture: Probably the largest contributor to problems in the attic, moisture easily damages insulation, the wood structure of the home and shingles. It can also lead to mold problems and indoor air quality issues inside the home. Most often, ventilation is the solution to moisture problems. A ventilation system in the form of ridge vents at the peak and soffit vents at the roof’s edges keep a continuous flow of air moving into and out of the attic, which helps usher moisture out.

It may seem counterintuitive to let air into the space. However, in the attic, a controlled ventilation system — as opposed to the uncontrolled ventilation of air leaks — helps keep the temperature down in the summer, prevent ice dams in winter and manage moisture all year.

For answers to questions about attic insulation, heating and cooling systems or ventilation, get in touch with Reliable Heating & Air today. We are happy to help our Roswell neighbors with all of their HVAC needs, and we offer free consultations about our insulation services, installation procedures and material’s selection process. Just give us a call today to find out how to get started.

Image source: Flickr