Living in an uncomfortable home can take a toll on you and your family, especially when you’re cooped up inside it all the time. If this last St. Louis winter had you wishing you were anywhere but home, then the relief you’re feeling this spring as the weather gets warmer could be short-lived: An uncomfortable home can be just as unbearable in the summer as it is during the colder months of the year.
Luckily, SmartHouse’s team of home performance experts have years of training and experience helping local Missouri homeowners make their houses more comfortable and energy efficient, and it often starts with attic insulation. Here’s what’s so important about properly insulating your attic.
The attic is one of the best places to start with energy efficiency upgrades in a home, and there are good reasons why. Because of a building science principle called “the stack effect,” air and heat tend to enter and leave a building at the very top and bottom. In the winter, heated air from your furnace will rise through your house and escape through underinsulated areas and air leaks. In the summer, cool air that you want to keep inside will be pushed down and out of your home by hot outdoor air infiltrating through your attic and into your home’s living spaces.
Proper insulation and air sealing slows this energy loss. Insulation works to reduce the transfer of heat through the building materials that make up your home. Air sealing blocks air from escaping through tiny cracks and gaps, as well as areas in your attic such as around recessed lighting, your chimney, or through holes that have been drilled for electrical wiring, cables, and internet lines. Together, insulation and air sealing lower energy waste, which can lead to a number of noticeable improvements around your home.
The biggest difference you’ll likely experience with upgraded attic insulation is a more comfortable home. Insulation evens out the temperatures in your house—without weaker areas in your building’s thermal boundary, you’ll have more consistent temperatures throughout your home, as well as fewer indoor drafts.
Ever noticed that in the summer afternoon, your upstairs becomes noticeably hotter than the downstairs? That’s a strong sign of poor insulation in your attic. By replacing any old, damaged insulation material and upgrading to the correct attic insulation R-value levels for our Missouri climate, your home will be better equipped to keep unwanted outdoor weather at bay, whether it’s summer heat or frigid winter air.
But those aren’t the only benefits of attic insulation. By reducing energy waste, you’ll need to run your heating and cooling systems less frequently, which can significantly lower your monthly energy bills. Plus, with less unfiltered air infiltration, you can improve your indoor air quality by cutting down on the amount of outdoor air pollutants that find a way into your house.
How can you be sure if your attic insulation needs to be upgraded, or what’s the best type of attic insulation? Talk to the insulation professionals at SmartHouse. We use a variety of insulation types, including fiberglass, cellulose, and spray foam, and will assess your home to find the best insulation for your attic. From attic insulation removal and replacement, to energy efficient HVAC solutions and indoor air quality services, our team is here to help you stay comfortable in your home.
