Over the life of your home, you will find that one your greatest household expense is the cost of cooling and heating. Certainly, you will want to reduce these costs if you can. One thing to look at is your attic space. Since heat rises, a poorly insulated and sealed attic can raise your energy costs during southwest Arizona’s short heating season. In the summer, without proper attic insulation (as well as ventilation), superheated air in the attic will infiltrate into your living spaces. There are several important points to consider when installing attic insulation.
Choosing you insulation
Because of easier access, it’s far easier to add insulation to your attic than to other areas of your home. Most homeo
wners select either batt or loose-fill insulation. Batt insulation is essentially mats of fiberglass-based material that is laid between the joists in the attic. Loose-fill insulation is usually made from recycled materials like newspaper or cardboard that’s then converted into peanut-sized nodules.
Before you start
Before you begin installing insulation in your attic it is important to properly seal the attic against air infiltration through the roof and between the attic and the floor directly below. To do this, use caulk to fill any small cracks or openings. Larger openings such as gaps around pipes or vents should be filled using spray cans of expanding foam. Use weatherstripping around the attic hatch or door.
Installation
In order to ensure sufficient ventilation to prevent moisture buildup in the attic you should install barriers all along the eaves to provide ventilation from the soffits. For batt insulation, pre-measure the distances between the joists to ensure you are purchasing the correct width. Working from one edge of your attic to the other place the insulation into the space between the joists, gently pushing it down. Try not to overly compress the batt, since this will reduce its efficiency. Since loose fill requires specialized equipment, its installation should be left to a professional.
Attic insulation can make your home more energy efficient and comfortable for you and your family. If you have any questions, please contact us at Hansberger Refrigeration and Electric Company.We serve the Yuma area and will be happy to help you.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Yuma, Arizona about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about attic insulation and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
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