Posted: May 15, 2015
Posted: May 15, 2015
Posted by: Gerald Kuller, Home Comfort Manager
You may not think about your attic when it comes to keeping your home clean and healthy, but paying attention to your attic can save you money on your energy bills. A poorly insulated attic allows winter heat to escape and summer heat to come in, making your heating and cooling systems work harder to keep you comfortable.
That’s because most attics don’t have enough insulation on their flooring area. But there’s more to it than that. Homeowners and contractors sometimes lay out more and more insulation in their attics, but that doesn’t solve the issues. When we look at attics, we often see insulation that was once pink or white now turning brown, and that’s because air leakage from a bypass or wire hole has minimized its effectiveness, and even rendered it useless.
Most homeowners think it’s windows and doors that cause major air leakage in their homes, but attic flooring is typically the leakiest area in the home, and insulation laid over holes doesn’t stop the air leakage.
What we do when we retrofit your attic is block air flow paths in the first place. A third to half of all air leakage is due to these air paths, so the strategy before applying more insulation to your attic is to seal the attic floor with foam or caulk, then add the insulation. This keeps your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter.
We use an infrared camera to scan and find the areas that need attention, and other high-tech tools, such as a blower door test, to find air leaks.
A poorly sealed attic can also cause your home to be dusty and can allow mold and pollen spores to enter as well. If someone in your family has allergies, an unsealed attic with old and contaminated insulation can make them worse.
That’s why we take out all your old insulation, seal your leaks, and retrofit your attic with new, clean insulation. Not only will your family be healthier and more comfortable, this work actually helps pays for itself in lower energy bills.
Learn the proper way to insulate your attic. Save money and energy, be more comfortable and improve your health. Watch this video to learn more.
Contact us or call us at 888-607-2621 if you have any questions.