Attic Insulation
You might not think about attic insulation when considering your home’s health, comfort, and energy costs—especially if it’s just a storage space. However, proper insulation can have a significant impact on your comfort and your energy bills.
When it comes to installing new attic insulation, many factors must be considered. These include access to the attic, obstructions, the type and condition of the current insulation, attic ventilation, and more.
Our dedicated team performs a full attic evaluation to review the conditions of your attic, along with the layout and outline our suggested approach to insulating your attic.
The most common types of attic insulation are as follows:
- Blown in attic insulation (fiberglass or cellulose)
- Rockwool insulation
- Encapsulated attic insulation
- Rigid foam board for applications located within the attic
Common Conditions Indicating a Need for New Insulation
- Mold is a common issue found in attics. If your home doesn’t have an adequate vapor barrier and there are leaks, mold and mildew can create a health hazard. Blocked vents can impede proper airflow, which is another common cause of mold and mildew. If the vents are blocked, moisture can build up.
- There could be a number of pests nesting in your insulation, such as squirrels, bats, chipmunks, rats, or mice. Attics are dark, sheltered areas that typically don’t have much human activity, making them ideal places for animals to nest. Rodents like to chew on fiberglass insulation and move it around to make nests. Not only does this make your insulation less effective, these pests can carry disease or chew on your electrical wiring.
- Over time, your insulation may have settled or drifted, making your attic prone less effective. This is especially true of blown fiberglass and cellulose, which can drift or settle over time. This leaves your attic insulation prone to air movement which contributes to higher energy bills and an uncomfortable home.
- Ice dams on your roof are a sign your attic insulation needs attention. Ice dams form when snow melts, then refreezes near the edge. This is a sign that part of your roof is warm enough to melt, but the edge stays below freezing. This can damage your roof which will be even more expense to repair.
How Attic Insulation Works
First, how does insulation work? Insulation works by trapping pockets of air, which slows down the airflow both directions.
Your climate-controlled air stays inside longer, and the cold or hot outside air stays out longer. Because heat rises, attic insulation is even more important than wall insulation.
The better the attic insulation, the longer it takes heat to escape from your warm home to the cold outside.
More Does Not Always Mean Better
“More” doesn’t always mean “better,” however, so you don’t want to just throw down an additional layer yourself.
It’s important to have a professional assess your current attic insulation, determine whether you need additional insulation, and install any necessary additions.
Benefits of New Insulation
Energy Savings
Money is obviously a key thought when it comes to making an improvement in your home. Our focus always is on saving you money. Insulation in the attic has the biggest impact on energy consumption.
Our insulation installation services pay for themselves over time by saving our customers on average 17% on their heating and cooling bills throughout the year. We not only look to insulate your home properly, but to take it a step further and identify any other areas that are commonly missed like air leaks.
These areas can cause a significant increase in energy costs. It’s also good for the environment! Insulation helps reduce the amount of greenhouse gasses.
Spring and Summer Benefits
Insulation not only helps you during the colder months, it allows your air conditioner to work less over the summer. This, in turn, can help provide a cooler summer. Who doesn’t love that?! By closing off the building envelope to the warm weather and high humidity, you will have an even more enjoyable experience here at the Jersey Shore!
Improved Indoor Air Quality
We perform an evaluation of your attic before insulating, as this helps to identify any issues related to indoor air quality. We all care about our family’s health and well-being. When replacing insulation, it helps reduce the flow of harmful air particles into your home—but that’s only half the battle.
We make sure the insulation is not covering up any existing problems with the wood structure such as damp rot, mold, mildew, or fungus. Our inspections include moisture testing to determine if there are any issues that can lead to mold or mildew growth as well to help protect your family and your investment.
Protect the Value of Your Home
By protecting the health and comfort of your home with insulation, you are simultaneously protecting the value and investment you’ve made into your home. This will not only help protect you from costly repairs down the road, but it will help you if you ever find yourself in the process of selling your home.
Working with Jersey Shore Crawlspace Enhancement
Our professional installers will provide a thorough inspection to identify any issues, such as inadequate insulation or signs of pest activity, and provide recommendations to make your home safer and more comfortable. Jersey Shore Crawlspace Enhancement can help fix your attic and save in energy costs.