Most homeowners often under-look attic insulation. In the US alone, 90% of houses are under-insulated and unprotected from numerous environmental factors. The loft is critical to your entire home’s structure. If you would not secure it as soon as possible, you will be risking your whole family’s safety while living in it.
Read my guide on getting the best attic stair here to safely climb on your attic.
Thankfully, several innovations are quite useful in this aspect. Numerous construction companies provide solutions to secure your attic’s lifespan with the help of insulation. If you have not done this yet, continue reading this post to know the importance and relevance today.
What is Attic Insulation
In a nutshell, insulation has everything to do with regulating your home’s temperature. Sufficient attic ventilation may be helpful, but too much of it will ruin your house’s structure. Having enough insulation on your attic ensures that you enjoy the right amount of indoor temperature.
If it is getting too hot or too cold in your home, or if you are noticing frequent damages, you might want to check your attic insulation.
Benefits of Attic Insulation
For you to know more about the importance of attic insulation, here are some of the benefits you will get with it:
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Improves Indoor Air Quality
Proper insulation regulates the amount of air going inside the house, making it easier for you to breathe fresh air. Whether it is too hot or cold outside, you won’t have any issues if your attic is well insulated.
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Offers Extra Comfort
Attic insulation makes everything more comfortable by controlling the temperature. This is an essential factor, mainly if you have upstairs bedrooms. The outside temperature has a significant effect on whether your home will feel too hot or too cold. If your attic is adequately insulated, you will enjoy happy moments with your family.
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Protects Core Structure
Having an insulated attic prevents damages in the long run. Moisture has many dangerous effects on your home, so you must prevent it. By having your attic insulated, you will block out negative environmental factors from seeping into your house. This is quite useful in winter, especially since it has a 2-in-1 effect (temperature and damage control).
Now is the time to get the most out of your attic. Read my blog on 10 most effective ideas here.
Types of Attic
Understanding the different attic types can help to figure out the recommended R-Value of your home. After that, things will fall right into place.
There are two types of attics based on the insulation property:
These are Vented and Unvented AKA sealed attic. Here’s a little more on both of these attics.
Vented Attic
Vented attics are the most preferred options for maximum homes. A vented lof has multiple openings. All these openings are covered with an attic vent window or two so that air can gradually seep into the room. Aside from that, another main purpose of these vents is to let the air crawl out in case of overheating.
Still, heat can build up to 150 degrees. This is why insulation is very crucial inside the space. It is considered as an unconditioned space, which means that temperature is often fickle inside it.
Pros
- Continuous airflow
- Multiple vents
Cons
- Unconditioned room temperature
You need the right attic windows to properly utilize the ventilation. Here’s my personal recommendations on how to keep the attic cool in hottest summer.
Unvented (Sealed) Attic
Sealed attics, as the name states, do not have openings of any kind for outdoor air to seep in. It’s a reliable option if you do not want to deal with stubborn temperatures. Polyurethane foam spray is commonly used to insulate an attic. The foam allows the air to stay at a specific temperature for a long time.
Usually, sealed attics are 10 degrees warmer. This is why they are considered as semi-conditioned spaces. They can help you save a lot when it comes to energy consumption, and you can move more freely inside the attic.
Pros
- Energy efficient
- Semi-conditioned room temperature
Cons
- Insufficient airflow
Based on the framing properties attics can also be classified into two categories:
Rafters Attic
Rafters are popular attic framing method for a long time. It’s engineered lumber pieces, all of which act as the “skeleton” of the roof. When installing rafters, workers cut and plug each stick separately to ensure that your attic will securely hold your house’s roof. Floor joists are installed first, and then the beams are plugged in.
Rafters accommodate enough space for storage underneath. Rafter roofs are also known as “stick-framed.”
Pros
- Sufficient storage space
- Secure hold on the roof
Cons
- Difficult to install
Trusses Attic
Trusses are like a miniaturized version of rafters. Having minimal storage space, and the sticks are designed in a web-like manner. When trusses are built, they are simply connected from the top to the bottom chords. Trusses are not meant for heavy payload.
Trusses are quite useful for roof support. The web-like design gives a secure hold, which is ideal for added protection. This attic type is also quite effective against unexpected home fires. It holds the roof and gives you enough time to get out of the house.
Pros
- Secure roof hold
- Stable protection
Cons
- Cramped space
Thinking about installing an attic ladder? Here’s how you get the best attic ladder and here’s how you install it.
Last Words
Contrary to popular belief, attics are crucial in the house-building process. It is vital to choose the right type to avoid complications in the long run. Also, make sure that you have sufficient attic insulation. This will increase your home’s comfort, and it will even preserve your house’s sturdiness for a long time.
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