One of the main priorities on many modern homeowners’ minds is the matter of energy efficiency. These days, there are more smart appliances, electric-powered products, and high-efficiency home elements in every sector to send anyone’s head spinning. Although the rest of your house might be equipped to reduce energy consumption, one spot where you might not think to consider energy loss is in your home’s attic.
Inadequate attic insulation can be a leading cause for you losing money and energy throughout each month. Let’s take a look at some of the top ways to save money while simultaneously improving your home’s energy efficiency with high-quality attic insulation.
1. Start at the Attic Entrance
When attempting to improve your home’s energy efficiency, the first course of action is to start with the attic’s entrances or exits. Typically, an attic entryway is a door, hatch, or scuttle hole giving access to the house’s topmost level. Inspect the seal and insulation surrounding your attic’s entry for any areas where air can easily escape.
There are two main methods to fix this problem and help improve home energy efficiency. Fill in any noticeable gaps around the attic entrance with foam sealant or weatherstripping to minimize the air and energy loss in this area. Your chosen contractor can recommend the correct seals and products perfect for your home’s specific needs.
2. Inspect the Insulation
The next step is absolutely essential, so pay close attention. It’s imperative to thoroughly inspect the rest of your attic insulation for any problem spots that need supplementing. More than 40% of your home’s heat and cool air escapes through the attic, so it’s crucial to have high-quality insulation in place to reduce energy loss. There are a few different types of attic insulation to choose from that can help lower energy costs and consumption, including:
- Fiberglass batts
- Blown-in fiberglass insulation
- Blown-in cellulose
- Denim insulation
- Mineral wool
- Spray foam
- Metallic insulation
Exterior construction companies like Advantage Construction often recommend blown-in fiberglass insulation from trusted brand names like Owens Corning. This insulation option is affordable, long-lasting, easy to apply, and damage-resistant. On top of all those advantages, blown-in fiberglass insulation is incredibly effective in increasing your home’s energy efficiency by minimizing the amount of heat and energy lost through your attic.
Look for gaps and weak spots in your existing attic insulation, and indicate such areas so your contractor can supplement them with additional insulation. If you’re looking for a way to cut back on energy costs and consumption, blown-in fiberglass insulation is the best bet.
3. Evaluate Ventilation
Most roofing contractors recommend against installing ventilation systems in an attic, but sometimes this situation is unavoidable. Unfortunately, leaking ductwork is one of the leading ways you lose energy in an attic, so installing attic insulation around vents is vital if you have no other choice but to put air conditioning and additional ventilation systems in your attic.
Just like you did with the entryway, work your way through the attic, inspecting the ventilation system, and supplementing any weak spots with the sealant of your choice. Spray foam insulation is a fast and effective way to close up leaks and gaps in attic ventilation, reducing energy loss.
4. Obtain the Appropriate Air Sealing
You want the heated and cooled air in your home to stay inside. After all, you are paying top dollar to have luxuries like heat and air conditioning throughout the seasons. Using the proper air sealant is crucial to keeping air contained in your home and attic. Several different spots in a residential home’s attic must have the appropriate air sealing to avoid losing energy, including:
- Entrances/exits
- Windows
- Gaps between roofing and the attic
- Recessed lighting systems
- Soffits
Cutting off all of the routes where air can escape is a significant component of saving energy in your home.
5. Improve All Attic Insulation
Insulation is essential for homes in all climates or of any size and age. For the most part, many modern homes already have adequate amounts of high-quality attic insulation in place. However, if your home consists of older construction, there’s a chance you’re losing energy because of inefficient insulation.
Work with a trusted home renovation company to determine your existing attic insulation’s efficacy and decide whether replacing it with more advanced insulation solutions is the right option.
The right kind of attic insulation not only reduces energy costs but keeps the temperature of your home evenly distributed, so you’re never too cold or too hot. Attic insulation can also reduce the likelihood of incurring any damage due to excess precipitation, mold, mildew, or other common roofing and attic-related problems, helping you avoid any costly future repairs.
6. Don’t Forget Fans
If you’ve ever been up in your attic during the summer months, you know it can quickly become a humidity-filled hotbox without high-quality ventilation assisting the airflow. Attic fans are another popular addition that can pull moisture from the air in your attic, making it easier to maintain a constant temperature in that space and the rest of your home below. Temperature maintenance is important, as it helps minimize the extra work your HVAC systems have to do in order to replace any lost energy.
The best attic fans will increase air quality and expel excess moisture from your attic, making it nearly impossible to incur any damage like mold or mildew. Electric-powered attic fans can be costly to run, so solar-powered fans make a more suitable solution for those looking to reduce energy consumption and improve home energy efficiency.
It’s important to understand that attic fans will be of absolutely no use without proper ventilation and insulation in place. These different elements combine to create a high-functioning attic system so that you can save money and energy on every monthly invoice.
Improve Home Energy Efficiency With High-Quality Attic Insulation
There’s nothing worse than opening up your mailbox each month to find a pile of utility bills with ever-increasing price tags. When you notice the number at the bottom of your invoice going up, there’s a high chance you’re losing energy in the form of heat and cool air through faulty attic insulation.
Contact a reliable contractor at Advantage Construction to assess your existing insulation and find suitable solutions to improve your home’s energy efficiency and ultimately save you the most money on your monthly energy bills.
