A comfortable and energy efficient home requires more than just some attic insulation. Your roofs shingles work as a system along with attic insulation and roof ventilation to function properly. Have your attic checked by an insulation specialist and find out if your home is insulated properly.
Attic Insulation: R-Value
Everyone has heard about R-Value but do you really know what it is? R-Value in insulation is its ability to resist the transfer of heat. In an attic insulation like the Owens Corning ProCat blown in insulation works by tiny air pockets trapping the air to resist the transfer of heat from entering the home in summer. A properly insulated home will be more comfortable and be more energy efficient. When a home has an attic that does not have enough insulation several problems can arise. Improper insulation will allow more moisture to enter the attic and cause the roofs decking to sag between the rafters, called deck deflection this can be unsightly at the very least. The added moisture can also make the heads of nails rust off over time as well as HVAC straps rust and possibly break and allow the A/C ducting fall. In colder climates, improper attic insulation will even add to ice damming at the eves of a home.
Find Out More About Proper Attic Insulation
How to know if a home has enough attic insulation? One simple way is to inspect the attic, if you can see the rafters odds are the home needs more insulation, this does not always hold true. Insulation should be marked on the package or the backing, 12 inches of insulation does not mean it has an R-Value of 12. The DOE Department of Energy has guidelines for each region of the country for what your R-Value needs to be. In extreme areas like the south an R-Value between 49-60 is recommended. This translates to around 19-20 of good attic insulation in most cases. Having an expert come and check your entire roofing system from attic insulation, roofing material as well as roof ventilation makes good money sense.
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