Is Your Home a Hothead? Things to Know About Attic Insulation

Posted on on March 29th, 2019

Your home could be leaking heat. 

In a home that isn’t properly insulated, you could be losing as much as 30%  of the heat in your house through the roof. Do you need to insulate your attic? The answer is probably yes.

If you’re considering attic insulation, make sure that you get it right the first time and know where the heat in your house is going.

8 Things You Should Know About Attic Insulation

Time to get a home energy assessment to see where the energy in your house is being used. If your electric bill is much higher than you think it should be, it could actually be because you need to re-do your attic insulation.

Add to What you Have

The simplest way to increase your attic insulation is to add a layer of blown in fiberglass or cellulose to your existing insulation.  This will raise the R value (R = resistance to heat) from low levels to about R49 which is the recommended amount in our region. 

You’ll Be Warmer

Heat might be secretly seeping out of your attic and making you much colder. You are encouraged by the government’s energy department to check your insulation and make sure it’s retaining heat properly, so you don’t waste energy heating your home.

Putting insulation in your attic will cut back your heat loss If your insulation is below the minimum recommended for your area, you could be spending needless money.

Hire a Professional

If your insulation job is simple enough that you’re going to attempt to do it yourself, chances are you’re going to be working with fiberglass batts.  However, fiberglass batts are not the most effective form of insulation these days.  You can get better coverage and more effective insulation using blown in materials or spray foam insulation which are properly applied by licensed professionals.

Test for Leaks

The best way to test to see if your attic is leaking, have an energy assessment.   A professional can install a blower door to pressurize your home and determine where your leaks are coming from.

Fix Small Gaps

If you’ve assessed your leaks and found that you have some, you might be able to tackle the issue on your own. If there are several leaks that are quite large throughout your home, it’s not recommended that you try to do the fix yourself. For big projects, call in an expert.   But for little leaks, you may simply seal them up with expanding foam and a caulk gun. 

Check for Rebates

When you improve your insulation, you’re boosting the energy efficiency of your home along with it. The government likes moves like that, and some state and local municipalities are willing to reward you for it.

Do some research to see if there are any rebates in your area that will help you be able to afford your attic insulation project.

Insulation Works in the Summer Too

When you increase your insulation, you will not only save on heating bills, but you will also save on cooling bills which can be very high too if you are constantly running your air conditioner to keep your home comfortable in the summer months.

It’s Not Too Late to Insulate

If you think you really need attic insulation, then it’s not too late.

You can get your attic insulation done in no time, so you can stop losing heat sooner rather than later.

Get a free in-home estimate to start off your process. Oftentimes, beginning on a project is the hardest part. When you take advantage of a free in-home estimate, you can learn all about what you need to know for getting your attic insulated.

Time to cozy up to some energy savings instead of worrying about that bill.


Customer Reviews

Work Was Done Well
"I got several estimates from several providers. The pricing seemed just ok with those other providers but something seemed off. Good Life came in and made sure that I was getting the correct amount of insulation (where the other service providers had under estimated) and helped me to get into a loan through the utility company for the cost of the insulation. Good life is a qualifying contractor for this and it saved me a lot of out of pocket expense. They came in and did what they had to do. They were professional and made sure the work was done well."

-John S. Milford, CT

Immediate Improvement
"We noticed an immediate change in the performance and building envelope. We are much warmer, less drafty and quieter."

-Luke E. Ridgefield, CT