Follow These Tips to Get the Most Out of Your Attic Insulation

Nearly every house can lose heat through the attic—up to 85 percent, in fact. The age of the house is another factor, since older homes tend to have original, weaker fiberglass insulation or blown-in insulation that’s not blown all the way into every cavity in the attic. The best way to handle this situation is to check that your attic has sufficient insulation to retain heat in the winter and cool air in the summer. If needed, upgrade to newer, more efficient insulation material, and make sure you’re using a type of attic insulation that’s ideal for the climate in the area where you live.

Like many other homeowners, you probably want to make your home attic insulation as efficient as possible. Luckily, there are ways to improve an already-insulated attic space. Read on for the most useful attic insulation tips in Fargo, ND:

• Know the R-value: An insulation material’s true ability to insulate is measured by its R-value. The higher the R-value, the more effective the insulation will be. In the case of houses built before the 1970s, their R-value is likely 11 or less, with today’s R-value standards being as high as 38 or greater, depending on the location of the home.
• Ensure sufficient insulation: Hands down, the best way to improve attic efficiency is to ensure that sufficient insulation is installed and all attic gaps are filled. Either test the efficiency yourself by touching the ceiling, feeling for cold spots in the winter and hot areas during summer, or hire an expert for a thorough inspection of your attic insulation.
• Replace or add: It’s not unusual for some residential attics to have gray material between the ceiling joists. This material is probably mineral wool in older homes, or blown-in cellulose in newer properties. Regardless of the material, if it’s in good-enough, shape, it can be left in place and have additional insulation placed over it. However, if your attic insulation is in bad condition, you might consider removing it and putting new material in its place.
• Insulate and seal the attic opening: The size of the entryway into a residential attic can be a small space barely large enough for a person to crawl through or wide enough to accommodate a pull-down ladder and allow large boxes to pass through. Either way, it’s common for attic openings to be under-insulated, poorly sealed and leaking air. Add weather stripping around the door or removable board, and look into installing insulation material or a specialized attic door cover on the inside.
• Insulate attic ductwork: If there’s ductwork in your attic, make sure it’s properly insulated to prevent heat loss or cool air loss. The ductwork’s exterior is exposed to the outside temperature, which means that the heated or conditioned air can leach out of the ducts before it reaches the interior of your house.

These may be some of the best attic insulation tips for homeowners living in Fargo, ND, but you can always reach out to Interstate Insulation for professional services or expert advice. Call us today to learn more.

Categorised in: Attic Insulation

This post was written by Writer