An overly hot attic is an infectious problem that will leave your whole house suffering. An attic without proper insulation and ventilation can reach temperatures up to 150 degrees and raise your home's energy bill by as much as 20 percent while resulting in decreased comfort levels. Insulation and ventilation are the key to keeping both your home and your wallet healthy.
The importance of insulation and ventilation
Heat from your home will naturally rise into your attic, while at the same time thermal energy is radiating through the sun-heated roof. This heat will accumulate without sufficient ventilation. Eventually, that heat will radiate back through your ceilings and into your home unless it's blocked by insulation. When your attic lacks proper insulation, more heat will transfer through the roof into the attic, and then downward into your living spaces. This will make your A/C work harder to achieve comfortable temperatures.
How to improve your attic's insulation and ventilation
If you're not sure about your attic's ventilation, take a look at your shingles. A telltale sign of an overly hot attic is asphalt shingles that are curled at the ends. Be sure to check your attic vents for any clogs or debris. Also consider installing an attic fan to more aggressively force the exchange of hot inside air with cooler outside air. Fans are simple to install and require little to no structural alterations as they can fit at your roof's peak or in a gabled wall.
Your insulation should also get the once-over. If you can see your floor joists beneath or sticking out from the insulation, you need to add more insulation. An HVAC contractor can easily help you determine your attic insulation's required R-value and advise you on how much insulation should be added for optimal effectiveness.
For more advice on attic insulation and ventilation, contact the experts at Joe Behr Plumbing & Heating. We've been serving the Mid-Ohio area since 1965.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Mid-Ohio area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about insulation and ventilation and other HVAC topics, visit our website.
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