Last time I talked about missing insulation on attic kneewalls and how that allowed heat to radiate into your home from the hot attic. So sticking with the topic of insulation I thought I would discuss something that I see on almost every home inspection in Virginia Beach, almost every.

attic insulation during virginia beach home inspection


Pull down stairs or scuttle holes into the attic are rarely insulated. When I go into an attic and see that the homeowner has taken the steps to insulate the attic to R-38 everywhere except the entrance to the attic it is a shame knowing how much heat loss they are having through that small area.




Now I am no math geek but there are those who do these type of calculations, and have done the math. Uninsulated attic access found during home inspection in virginia beachWhen you have 99% of the attic insulated properly and have that small 1% uninsulated it can drop the total insulation value by approximately 25%.  

The amount of heat flow through this small area due to conduction is a lot higher than the insulated parts of the attic. This is not even taking into consideration heat loss due to air leaks.

So make sure your attic access is insulated whenever you it penetrates an insulated ceiling. If not you will be losing big by not thinking small.

 


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   Troy Pappas  757-418-0944         

    Hampton Roads Home Inspector   

    The Home Inspection Report                              

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3 Comments on When A Little Bit Costs A Lot

AUG
31
2011
315,303 Points 5 Featured Posts Called Shot Master

Troy, I'm not sure about our attic entrance. I'll have to go check!! Good info esp. for these blazing hot days!
12:21pm • #1
Attended Rain Camp Called Shot Master

Great information for home owners and agents alike. Thanks for sharing, Troy! I will subscribe to your blog to keep up with your inspection insights.
1:53pm • #2
SEP
28
2011
235,053 Points Outside Blog

Good idea for sure.
7:34pm • #3


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Troy Pappas - Virginia Beach Home Inspector

Virginia Beach, VA

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Safe House Property Inspections

Address: Virginia Beach, Norfolk, Chesapeake, Suffolk, Portsmouth, VA

Cell Phone: (757) 418-0944

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