Insulation in Attic

Insulation in attic spaces makes the whole house much more comfortable throughout the year. As an added bonus, it decreases the reliance of the home on heating and cooling systems. This not only potentially extends the lifetime for your system, but also saves money by reducing energy usage.

The effects of having such insulation in attic barriers can be measured with the thermostat upstairs. Take the temperature prior to such measures and afterward, on days when the outside temperature is the same. It can be quite surprising what an improvement such changes can make.

The key is to introduce barriers between entry points between the main living spaces and the upstairs, and also the outside to the upstairs. There are various types of insulation barriers, and some that may even be considered specific to the attic space. While most homeowners may believe that the only way to provide a barrier against air exchange for the home is in the walls, there are other manners that go a long way in complementing insulation in the walls.

It is actually a whole weatherizing of the attic that will supply the greatest degree of comfort in this space. This comfort level will impact the rest of your home as well. Insulation in attic, thus, includes more than just blanketing the walls with batting.

Weatherizing the Space

Weatherization will include a type of insulation called an attic cover. If you are going to keep your attic as a rough opening in the upstairs of your home with a pull down ladder, you may want to consider including such a cover. The cover prevents the exchange of uncomfortably hot (or cold) air from the upstairs to the rest of the house.

This kind of insulation cover is a metallic covered blanket that covers the entry point into the attic space. Such entry points may include trap doors, with folding or telescoping wooden, steel, or aluminum ladders. There is a variety of doors as well, which varies the type of cover that you can use. Such entries include pull down, knee and walk up doors.

If you are planning on renovating the space, then you will open up the rest of the house to the attic air. This means you will need to get serious about insulation in attic space. In addition, block entry points into the upstairs, with insulation covers and blankets. For instance, insulation in attic provides a barrier against the exchange of air when you are not going between the upstairs and your main living floors.

You can see for yourself how effective such covers as insulation in attic methods go, based on the R-value (measure of thermal resistance.) Buy covers according to the region of the nation (thus climate) in which you live. This will ensure the greatest energy efficiency for your space. It is important that you include one other rather significant method to help weatherize your upstairs: caulking. There are seldom thought of places in your home where air leaks can reduce energy efficiency.

Preventing Air Leaks

It is important to caulk between the attic and the downstairs, wherever there are cracks where an air exchange can occur. Insulation in attic also includes caulking wherever air can enter from outside the home. This may include where the chimney enters your home, where your fan opening sits inside the gable.

If you have a fan in the gable, you may want to make or purchase a fan box cover to cover the fan and ducts. Also, be sure to caulk the box as well. These methods alone can decrease temperatures near the interior of your roof up to 50 degrees.

Look for a handful of different forms of material that will act as insulation in attic. These include loose fill, blankets, rigid foam, and batts. Loose fill is sprayed into place, while blankets and batts are rolled into place. Rigid foam is most effective, but not always the right material for spaces needing a more flexible barrier.

You can force an increase in effectiveness of the blanket and batt insulation by using a couple layers to increase its thickness. When you have determined that you need to increase energy efficiency, these steps should all help greatly. If you are looking at a way to help make a more comfortable experience once you have renovated the space, use these methods. Caulking, adding covers, and other forms of protection makes a passive way to increase your home's energy efficiency.

Insulation in attic provides the greatest protection from outside elements. This helps to increase noticeably the comfort level of the whole home for the entire family. It will also decrease your reliance on the cooling system, thereby decreasing utility bills. Rely on many methods to make this a reality in your home.