What You Should Know About Attic Insulation

By Linden J. Walhard

One surefire way to reduce your heating cooling expenses in
your home is by adding insulation in the attic. Heat and cool
air often leaks from the home through the attic, therefore
properly insulating can efficiently conserve energy for you.

When correctly installed, attic insulation can reduce your
energy bill by about 20% or more each month. As well, there are
lots of different materials that are frequently used for
insulating attics. Most often, you don’t even have to hire a
professional to do this. You can do most attic improvements
yourself.

When considering the type of insulation that you’ll want to use
in your attic, think about the R-value. The R-value of is the
insulation’s ability to resist against heat flow. The higher the
R-value, the more successful it will be to insulate your home.
The materials can vary in thickness, which means that some
insulation averages an value of R-3 while others are as high as
R-8 per inch. It’s important to remember that over time, most
insulation will lose some of its capacity to insulate and will
lessen in R-value.

There are tons of reasons to think about replacing or improving
your attics insulation. If you have little or no insulation, or
you have it but it’s old, then replacing it has much benefit.
Also, you’ll want to consider insulation if you have large
energy bills or if your walls or attic have been open to the
elements during remodeling.

There are many types of material that can be good options for
using in attic spaces for insulating. Cellulose insulation is
made of ground up wood or paper. It’s often used in attics and
commonly has additives that prevent mold as well as resistance
to fire.

Another type of insulation material is fiberglass. This is made
of molten glass strands. It is also resistant to fire. Wood
shavings are not used much any more for insulating in attics.
This is because it can be much too heavy for the inside of
attics, plus can promote fungal growth.

Before you begin adding or replacing insulation to your attic
you consider the fact of whether or not you have moisture
problems in your home. Adding the insulation can hasten this
problem. If moisture gets trapped in the insulation material it
can easily cause mildew and dangerous molds to grow and spread.
This is beyond the fact that it can also cause staining and
rotting of the ceiling as water and moisture collect in the
attic. You should seal any and all air leaks before you put in
your insulation in your home. This will also help lower your
energy bill simply by keeping the cold air from entering.

Always use much caution when working with insulation material.
Be sure to protect your hands and eyes by wearing protective
gear that will cover your nose as well. You’ll be thankful when
you do.

About the Author: Linden Walhard regularly pens publications on
latest developments in drywall equipment and air tools. Working
on his detailed writings such as
http://www.insidewoodworking.com/drywall/index.html ,the
columnist established his deep knowledge on subjects dealing
with drywall tools.

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