Attic Insulation — Keep Yours Updated

Keeping a comfortable climate in the home year-round is one of the most important challenges many home owners face, and it can sometimes feel like a losing battle, particularly during the winter months. As the temperature dips uncomfortably low or soars to the top of the thermometer, a comfortable home becomes not only a luxury, but a necessity for the health and safety of your family. A poorly insulated home is often to blame for cold drafts, unwelcome blasts of heat, and heating and cooling bills that can rapidly spiral out of control when the thermometer is stretched to its limits. While few home owners pay attention to the attic during these times, improper attic insulation is actually adding many degrees of uncomfortable air to your home, as well as thousands of dollars each year to your electric and gas bills.

When hiring a contractor to handle your attic insulation, it’s important not to expect that it’s a process that will be completed overnight. First, the contractor will evaluate your home, keeping an eye out for spaces where the building is losing energy, ideally coming up with a viable plan for making your living space a more energy-efficient one. This will often involve re-insulating your attic area, since many homes suffer from inadequate insulation simply because the wrong type of insulation for your home was used when the home was constructed. Not all types of attic insulation are the same, and some are more suitable for one particular home than others. Having your attic evaluated by a professional will pinpoint the reason your attic space is not energy-efficient, and disturbing the balance in your home’s climate.

In some instances, the attic insulation will simply need to be updated, as many years of natural wear and tear can cause substances to erode and lose their effectiveness. Another common problem has to do with birds, bats, mice, and other pests that tend to enter the home via the roof or top floor of the house. These unwelcome visitors may actually chew or eat the material used to insulate your home, leaving holes and gaps in your attic insulation.

After the contractor takes a look at the space, you’ll receive an estimate for what type of work will need to be done, what materials will be used, and how long the project is likely to take. While no home improvement project is ever cheap, attic insulation is a relatively inexpensive and quick update, ultimately paying you back within the first year or two of greatly improved heating and cooling bills.