Making sure your house is properly insulated can go a long way in keeping you and your family comfortable, especially when the winter months roll around. The attic is the main center for this insulation to be located since it is right below the large surface area of your roof. If the insulation in your attic is bad or lacking, it can have a major impact on the temperature of the rest of your home. See how your attic insulation can affect your R-value and what steps you can take to improve it with help from New Jersey Siding & Windows, Inc.
What is R-value?
Knowing how much insulation to use in your attic is based on factors like the age of your home and what region of the country you live in. The United States government has used these factors to create recommended levels of insulation for people across the country to use in their homes. The unit used to measure the amount of insulation you have is called an R-value. This measures the ability of your insulation to resist heat traveling through it. The higher your R-value, the better the insulation is at resisting heat. Thus, climates in the northern part of the country have higher recommended R-values, while the southern states’ levels are lower.
Quality and Quantity Matters
When trying to properly insulate your house, both how much insulation you use and the quality of the insulation play integral parts. The R-value of your region will tell you how much insulation you need for your home. For residents of New Jersey, the value is R-38, which is roughly 15 inches of attic insulation. When looking at your attic, make sure your level of insulation is above the floor joists. If you can still see your joists, then you probably need to add more.
If your attic is filled with the proper amount of insulation but you are still noticing that you have to run your heating or cooling system more often than you’d like, then you should check its quality. Insulation that is wet from leaks in the roof or condensation has limited effectiveness since the water fills up the pockets that are used to trap air. Animals, such as squirrels, mice, or bats may have taken up residence in your insulation. This could also damage the insulation, so make sure to do a sweep of the attic to look for any creatures.
A Full-Scale Approach
With how important attic insulation is to your R-value and overall energy efficiency, it’s helpful to use several different methods to ensure that your home is not affected by the temperature outside. That is why New Jersey Siding & Windows, Inc. uses a three-pronged approach with their attic insulation services. Their services include:
- Installing a radiant barrier: A radiant barrier is a thermal reflective surface that reflects 97% of radiant heat transfer. It is used to direct heat from the sun back to where it came from in order to keep your house cool.
- Using fiberglass insulation – We use only 100% recycled formaldehyde-free fiberglass insulation to fill your attic to the meet the proper R-value, which is R-38. If your insulation falls below this level, we will refill it for free.
- Air sealing – This service seals off any gaps between your attic and the lower levels of your home to prevent air provided by your heating and cooling systems from escaping into the attic.
With this comprehensive approach, you will be able to save big on your energy bills moving forward. If you would like to learn more about our attic insulation services or set up an appointment, please contact us today.