It is common knowledge that heat rises. It follows that the most common area in your home that heat will try to escape from is your attic. This makes attic insulation an absolute must. Did you know that increasing the thickness of you attic insulation to 12 inches can help to save over 20% on energy bills? This obviously depends on the quantity and quality of the attic insulation installation that you have at present and the improvements that you make to it.
Prior to considering improvement of your attic insulation it is necessary to determine the amount of insulation that you already have. The first part of this is usually easy as you only need to measure the thickness of the insulation that you have. The second part, unfortunately, is a little more difficult as you need to determine the R-value of the insulation material that you have. A specialized attic insulation estimator should be able to help you with this. There are many official regulations and recommendations for the levels of attic insulation that you require in your home. The International Energy Conservation Code and the U.S. Department of Energy have recommendations for levels of attic insulation to be used dependant on the climatic conditions in your area.
As long as you complete the estimation and planning correctly it is perfectly possible for installing attic insulation to be a job that can be tackled by the competent homeowner. If you think that attic insulation installation is something that you are going to do there are a few things you must consider before starting work. Ensure that you read and understand the attic insulation manufacturers instructions for installation. If you do not follow the recommended guidelines the effectiveness of the insulation may be reduced thus costing you money instead of saving it. Any vents in the attic must not be covered by insulation as this will cut down the airflow in your attic and lead to problems. There must be adequate space between the insulation and the roof, at least one inch is recommended, to ensure there is airflow at the underside of the roofing beams. Insulation should be kept away from any electrical fittings that are in you attic as they may need to disperse heat and attic insulation, by it's very nature, will prevent that from happening. In the case of an attic light or a TV aerial distribution box, two electrical fittings commonly found in attics and lofts, this can be dangerous as it can lead to an increased fire risk or failure of your electrical fitting.
A common problem that occurs in attics is mold. Attic mold and insulation go hand in hand. If your attic insulation is not installed correctly it can lead to reduced airflow. If there is also an ingress of water, from whatever source, this can lead to mold growth. The best way to avoid this happening is to hunt down the point of entry of the water and plug it. Holes in the roof should be fixed and it's also worth checking that any fan vents go outside and have not been terminated in your attic space by an unscrupulous contractor.
The attic is the most important area in your home to consider when installing insulation and attic insulation can be an important addition to your home whether fitted by yourself or an attic insulation contractor.
An over 20% saving on energy bills can be achieved by increasing the thickness of your attic insulation to 12 inches