If your home happens to be too hot during summer or too cold during winter, poor attic insulation may be partly to blame. The good news is, attic insulation can be improved without necessarily undertaking a roof replacement. In this blog, the roofing contractors at DryTech Roofing LLC share important things you need to know before adding insulation to your attic.
The Energy Envelope
To understand how attic insulation works, let’s first take a look at the energy envelope, which consists of the roofing system (which includes the attic), the exterior walls and fenestrations (which includes windows, entry doors and skylights).
These components form a barrier known as an energy envelope, which slows down thermal transfer. This results in lower indoor heating and cooling requirements, particularly during summer and winter seasons, resulting in energy savings. With heating and cooling comprising almost half of an average household’s annual energy costs, the savings can be significant.
Why You Need Proper Attic Insulation
Roofing contractors recommend having a well-insulated attic for two reasons. First, it helps reduce heat from the sun that’s absorbed through the roof, which, along with attic ventilation, helps keep the attic and your indoor spaces cool. It also helps prevent structural damage caused by extreme heat. The second reason is the reverse during winter season: it helps prevent heat from escaping indoors, which helps keep your indoor spaces warm, as well as prevents roofing problems, such as ice dams.
Important Considerations
If you are looking into improving your attic insulation, here are some important considerations:
Insulate Both the Attic Floor and Roof — A typical attic would either have an insulated roof or an insulated attic floor; few homeowners invest in adding insulation to both. In addition to the double layer of protection against thermal transfer, it can also make it easier if you decide to convert the attic into a living space later on.
There Are Many Kinds of Insulation — There are many types of attic insulation, the use of which depends on the part of the attic that it’s used for. Expanding foam is generally used on roof decks, while loose fill is used on attic floors.
Address Roofing Issues — You won’t get as much benefit from new insulation if you have a leaky roof. Consult your roofing contractor to check your roof and make sure there are no fundamental roofing issues before upgrading your insulation.
The roofing contractors at DryTech Roofing LLC have the skills and know-how to ensure proper attic insulation. Give us a call at (240) 491-5600 or fill out our contact form. We serve customers in Maryland.