There’s no getting around it; you need to stay warm in your home, especially in a cold climate. This is where insulation comes in, as it keeps conditioned air (heated or cooled) inside your home and saves energy. In the attic, insulation also helps prolong roof life as it blocks heat transfer from the rest of the house to the roofing system.
Before you install it, however, you need to know what you’re dealing with so you can enjoy the best from your insulation. Let North American Contractors, the top contractor for insulation and roof repair in Indianapolis, help you with these four helpful tips for proper attic insulation:
1. Don’t Block Vents
To ensure proper airflow, make sure you don’t push the insulation past the top plate at the end of joist runs. While insulation is crucial, you shouldn’t ignore the importance of proper ventilation either. In fact, if the pitch of your roofing allows enough access to the eaves, you can install a slanted-board at the end of each joist run. This way, the insulation doesn’t clog the area.
2. Seal All Leaks
Insulation keeps heat from transferring to your roof, but if there are leaks, whether in conditioned areas of your house or in the attic itself, your insulation may not work. That’s why you need to seal all air leaks before putting in any insulation. You can use caulk, weatherstripping, and expanding foam to get this done.
3. Get the Right R-Value
R-value measures the ability of the insulation to resist heat transfer. Basically, the higher the R-value, the better the insulation. These usually depend on a number of factors like insulation type, climate, and size of your attic. You don’t want to get something too little or too much for your attic as it can result in needless expenses.
4. Be Careful When Placing the Vapor Barrier
A wrong placement can allow for moisture infiltration, which can ruin your insulation. You should also check for water marks and stains around your attic before adding any insulation. If water is seeping into your attic, chances are it will also seep into the insulation and render it useless, since water is a good conductor of heat.
If you’re not comfortable installing your own insulation, we can provide a quote for Owen’s Corning Atticat blown insulation. As the leading contractor and roofer in Indianapolis, we also provide other services like siding, gutters, doors, and replacement windows. Whatever your project, we guarantee that we’ll treat your home as though it were our very own.
Give us a call today, or simply fill out our online contact form to schedule an on-site consultation.
