Even though Sarasota rarely sees snow in winter, our area of Southwest Florida can experience chilly days. If your home feels less than cozy during cooler months, you may think your heating system isn’t functioning properly. However, the culprit may be inadequate attic insulation, which allows heat to escape through the roof.
The Importance of Adequate Attic Insulation
Sufficient attic insulation plays a crucial role in keeping your home warm in winter. Warm air rises. Attic insulation creates a thermal barrier, trapping warm air produced by your heating system inside your home. In poorly insulated residences, as much as 85% of the produced heat can escape through the attic. Ensuring proper insulation helps keep heat inside your home, yet many people overlook crucial areas where heat escapes. Failing to address these areas leads to energy loss and higher utility bills. Paying attention to areas of insulation that homeowners often overlook will improve winter comfort.
Seal Air Leaks Before Adding Insulation
One of the most overlooked aspects of attic insulation is sealing leaks before adding batts or blown-in insulation. Examine the attic floor, and seal any cracks or holes you find. The same applies to specific areas in the roof. Common areas where air leaks can occur include around vents, pipes, chimneys and attic hatches. Cracks in the roof decking can also cause air leaks. Sealing attic floors and other critical roof areas before adding insulation will help keep your home warmer.
Neglecting Knee Walls
Knee walls, which most commonly are vertical walls in attic rooms, often don’t have any insulation. In newer construction, knee walls can occur in finished attics or in rooms above garages. You’ll also find them where vaulted ceilings meet flat ones and where skylights are. These areas often lack insulation or have old batts pulling away from the walls. Knee walls typically range from 3 to 5 feet in height.
Blocked Soffit Vents
Although it may seem contrary to keeping warm air inside your home, attics still require sufficient ventilation. If you have blown-in insulation, it may go right up to the roof soffits. However, these areas need to breathe. Removing blown-in insulation from soffit vents will improve your energy efficiency. Your attic needs this breathing space to prevent unwanted moisture buildup.
Damaged or Displaced Insulation
If you have an older home, you may have insulation that has degraded over the years. Damaged or displaced insulation can also account for significant energy loss. Fiberglass batts can last up to 100 years, but significant degradation can occur after 30 years due to moisture, insects, settling or dirt. Batts can also pull away from walls. Just because you have insulation in place doesn’t mean it’s performing as intended. Inspecting the condition of current insulation can make a decided difference.
Missing Blown-In Insulation
Most homeowners trust the contractors they hire to install blown-in attic insulation. However, not all companies provide what homes need. Many attics with blown-in insulation never receive adequate inspection after installation. If you had blown-in insulation added to your attic more than 25 years ago, you may not have an adequate amount. Request an inspection from a reputable company to determine if your needs have been met.
Dropped Soffits and Incorrectly Installed Batts
Dropped soffits represent one of the more complicated attic insulation issues, but it is common in older homes. Dropped soffits can cause misalignment during insulation installation, resulting in large gaps with no coverage. When this situation occurs, heated air has an easy escape route.
Missing attic insulation represents a serious problem. Thermal analysis indicates that if you have only 5% of uninsulated walls in your attic, you’ll experience a 54% drop in R-value. The R-value measures a material’s ability to resist heat flow. Thermal defects like missing insulation not only undermine the total R-value of your attic insulation but also decrease comfort in your home.
Open Chases
A problem similar to dropped soffits but less common is open chases, which are uncapped framed areas. Open chases often start in the attic and travel downward, leaving a long, uninsulated area. Adding insulation in an open chase can greatly improve your home’s winter comfort.
If your home feels chilly in winter, AirNow Air Conditioning can help. Our professionals can determine whether you need a new heating system, maintenance or repair. We will also examine your ductwork to determine its adequacy. These factors work together with attic insulation to keep your home cozy.
Contact AirNow Air Conditioning today to schedule your consultation on attic insulation.
