The attic can be one of the most likely places in your house for valuable heat or cool air to be lost. In the summer, if your attic isn’t properly insulated, heat from outside will seep inside and make the cost of running your air conditioner and cooling your house increase. Likewise, in the winter, heat can be sucked out of the house through a poorly insulated attic. With the high price of energy, you can get the most out of the money you spend on heating and cooling your house by making sure that your attic is properly insulated. Insulating your attic can help reduce energy bills by as much as 20 percent. Who wouldn’t want that financial incentive?
The first thing you’ll want to do is climb up into the attic to see how much insulation is there. Take a ruler to measure the thickness of the insulation, and then multiply that number by the R-value per inch of the type of insulation used, which can easily be found on the web. This will give you your R-value. The higher the number, the better. Next, do a search for the recommended amount of insulation for the region in which you live (the Department of Energy is a good place to start looking), and subtract the amount you do have from that number, which will tell you just how much more insulation you need to install. Make sure you also know the measurements of the area you are covering before heading out to buy your supplies.
There are many different types of insulation, such as fiberglass, cellulose, and polystyrene board, just to name a few. With these types of insulation, some come in loose-fill, while others might be in rolls. You can add the same type of insulation that you already have, or you can choose another type. Either way is still effective. Your local hardware or home improvement store should have the materials needed for insulation, including blowers that can be rented for the loose-fill type. When installing, make sure you do not block air flow in the eaves or cover up recessed lighting. Be sure to read any instructions that come with the insulation, as well. If you are not the do-it-yourself type of homeowner, there are also many companies that can do it for you. Regardless of which route you take, the time and money spent now on insulating your attic will come back to you in the form of savings on your gas and electric bills.
If you have an older home, you might need to check that you don’t have asbestos attic insulation. You will need to carefully remove it because of it’s negative health effects.
Not only is insulating your attic good for your budget and your wallet, it also is good for the environment. Saving energy and using your heating and air conditioning systems less reduces carbon offsets. The less carbon that is released into the atmosphere, the better. So, please, take the time to ensure that your attic is well-insulated and is helping to keep hot air in the house in the winter and cold air in the house in the summer. Your wallet and the environment will thank you.
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attic insulation, r-value
November 4th, 2008 at 1:05 pm
In addition to saving money on your bills, some utility companies are offering rebates or financing to homeowners who improve their attic insulation. I work for a company in the Sacramento area that helps homeowners find approved contractors for projects like this. The benefits of working with an approved contractor are knowing that they are licensed, insured, and have great reputations. It is also a key element if you are trying to finance the project through the local utility company, SMUD. Their financing right now is awesome; “100 percent unsecured financing payable over three years for attic and wall insulation” so long as it is purchased & installed through one of their approved contractors. Any Northern California homeowner interested in these kind of improvement should visit http://www.HomeImprovementBids.com to see how they can get connected to the best contractors and find out more about energy efficient upgrades.
August 30th, 2009 at 10:34 am
Can a person put batts over cellulose insulation? Thanks, Sandra
December 16th, 2009 at 1:07 am
This is very true, having poor insulation in your attic can be a type of silent killer. Your energy bills will be high and you won’t know why. Proper attic insulation is essential during these colder winter months.
January 5th, 2010 at 8:29 am
Sandra – You can put batts over cellulose insulation if you want, but I don’t see why you wouldn’t just add more cellulose insulation if you desire a thicker bed of protection.