Attic Insulation for Every Season
Why Insulate Your Attic in North Alabama?
- Keeps warm air inside your home from escaping during the winter months
- Keeps hot air outside from entering your home during the summer months
- Keeps the temperature inside your home consistent and comfortable
- Helps you save money on your heating and cooling bill throughout the year
- Prevents premature aging of your roof due to an overheated attic or ice dams
- Prevents HVAC from overworking
Signs Your Attic May Need New or Upgraded Insulation
- There are uneven and inconsistent temperatures in your home from room to room
- You have high energy bills from HVAC working overtime
- Your home feels drafty even if windows and doors are closed
- Animals are living in the current insulation in your attic
- Your insulation got wet from a roof leak and is now damaged
Does Your Attic Have Enough Insulation?
Here are some tips and safety measures you can take if you decide to check your attic insulation levels yourself:
- Know what kind of insulation you already have. This is very important because some attics have vermiculite insulation which may contain asbestos. Vermiculite is a gray flaky light-weight granular pea-size mineral. Unless you have had it tested by a health department approved lab to be sure it does not contain asbestos, do not disturb it.
- Be careful of nails. They may be protruding through the ceiling or sticking out of the roof deck.
- Make sure you walk only on joists or truss chords. To avoid falling through the ceiling, do not walk on exposed ceiling drywall or insulation.
A quick way to check your insulation levels is to look in your attic and determine whether your insulation is the same level or below the floor joists of your attic. If this is the case, you will likely need more insulation. If the floor joists are not visible due to them being covered by insulation, you may have enough. Check to make sure there is an even distribution throughout your attic without any low areas to be sure the insulation is dispersed consistently without any spots lacking.
Depending on the type of insulation you have, you may be able to use a tape measure to measure the depth in inches. If you have batts insulation, the R-Value (used to determine proper insulation levels) could be printed on its label. Otherwise, you can use the depth measured in inches to determine your R-Value which is then used to determine if your attic has a sufficient amount of insulation when compared to the R-Value standard in your area.
There are different R-Value standards in different areas of the country due to varying climates. Alabama falls in Zone 3 and the R-Value standards differ depending on whether it is your attic or basement/crawl space and whether you already have existing insulation or if you have none. Use the Energy Star charts above and below to guide you in determining whether your attic is properly equipped with enough insulation.
Contact Us for all Insulation Questions
If your attic needs a little TLC, call Advanced Roofing & Construction at 256-603-9171 and we can assist you in making sure your attic is properly insulated for every season. While we are there, we can also take a look at your roof and provide you with a free roofing estimate.
We know how important proper attic insulation is to your home’s roofing system. Insulation effectively prolongs the life of your roof and lowers your heating and cooling costs significantly, no matter what season you’re in. You deserve to be comfortable in your own home rather than constantly checking the thermostat. Proper attic insulation will help keep temperatures consistent throughout each room and will prevent drafty and uneven temperatures in one area of your house compared to the next.
Frequently Asked Questions
R-Value is the way in which insulation levels are specified. An R-Value exemplifies the ability of insulation to prevent heat from moving through it. As R-Value increases, so does the insulation’s capability of performing when heat comes into play.
Attic insulation and attic ventilation (such as ridge vents) work hand in hand to effectively control the temperature of your attic and home. Having proper attic ventilation will allow air to escape through your venting system thus keeping good air circulation throughout your attic. If hot air were to build up in your attic without a way to travel out, the build up could cause issues such as shingle blistering which could age your roof faster and increase its risk of leaking during future storms. Having proper attic insulation will help keep any heat in your attic out of your home and there won’t be as much built up heat to keep out of your home if your attic is well ventilated. Having both will ultimately prevent your attic from getting too hot as well as prevent your hvac system from working too hard. This winning combination can help you save money on your energy bills throughout the entire year.