An attic is an important space in any home. Aside from a convenient space to store unwanted stuff it is also a protective barrier against cold, humidity and heat. To do this effectively, however, it must be insulated properly. If your attic insulation is poor or non-existent it can compromise energy efficiency when cooling or heating your home. Attic insulation also provides the following benefits:
• Savings on Energy Costs
Heating and cooling a home comprise between 50% and 75% of the energy requirements for a standard home. If your attic is not insulated it means that you are spending extra money on energy that you don’t need to. According to the EPA the average homeowner can save an average of 15% on energy bills by insulating a home properly – and that includes attics, between floor spaces and in crawl spaces. Insulating your attic is one of the easiest ways you can save on energy costs.
• Safer Structure
Insulating an attic also provides other benefits such as preventing damage caused by the effects of heat and moisture over a long period. It acts as a barrier to prevent water vapour from seeping into the house structure and ultimately eroding the walls. It also slows the buildup of heat in an attic which prevents shingles on the roof from swelling and cracking due to changes in temperature.
• Better Air Quality
Outdoor pollutants, such as dust, pollen, mold and mildew, can enter a home through spaces in an attic that are not insulated from the outside environment. Insulating your attic will prevent these pollutants from entering and spreading throughout your home.
• Better Comfort
In a home, heat flows from warmer to cooler areas. Even homes that have central air conditioning cannot prevent temperature fluctuations in different living areas when they are not insulated properly; this is because heat escapes in areas that do not have proper insulation, such as the attic, and cause rooms in different areas to lose heat at different rates. Ensuring that a house is full insulated helps to avoid this problem and attic areas are often overlooked.
• Less HVAC Maintenance
It has been shown that poor insulation can cause air conditioning systems to use more energy to maintain a constant temperature because of heat losses in parts of a home; this can be even more severe when ductwork is installed in an attic which is not insulated and causes more stress on HVAC systems.
