Adding Attic Insulation To Save Energy And Money
If you live in the midwestern or eastern parts of the United States, you’ve just come through an incredibly tough winter. Snow, ice, and most of all bitter cold winter enveloped your home for at least 5 months. If you are like me, you probably had to visit your attic space at least once this winter because you use it for extra storage space in your home. I remember particularly this winter how I got a cold blast of air in my face as I pulled the loft ladder down and poked my head into my attic. It was time to consider adding more insulation to my attic for sure. Many of us who own homes already are aware that attics can leak energy quite easily. This means that as more heat goes out, more money is going out also. In the winter…heat equals money! Adding blown or rolled attic insulation is a great way to stem the leakage, preserve your home’s warmth and save money all at the same time.
Knowing the details of how to insulate your attic is important for homeowners. For those of us who are used to living in these harsh cold climates, doing your own insulating saves heat in in the winter, and eliminates air drafts, especially those that blow through joints, cracks, outlets, and door jambs. In more moderate climates, believe it or not, the insulation actually helps keep the warm air outside the home, and keeps the air conditioning focused on cooling the living space of your home. Fortunately either climate is right for the type of insulation we are discussing.
Generally speaking, there are two types of insulaton that can be used in attics: rolled batting and loose-fill insulation. A third type of insulation is spray foam insulation and it is very good in sealing cracks and joints that traditional fiberglass or cellulose insulation can’t get to. Though installation costs can differ, loose-filled insulation is usually cheaper to install, and if done correctly will provide better insulation for the home. There are 3 types of this type of attic insulation:rock wool, cellulose, and fiberglass. Each type has advantages and disasadvantages but the net result is that basically they all provide similar insulating ability. The difference is in actually how easy or difficult it is to do it yourself.
Most home improvement retailers in your area will have knowledgeable sales people who can assist you in picking out the right types and amounts of attic insulation that you will need for your home. Also, there are specialty online websites that give many consumer details on the best choices to save energy and money.
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