How Does Attic Insulation Work

Radiant barriers are utilized to reduce summer heat gain in attics.

How does attic insulation work.

It isn t the time tested fiberglass rolls of pink insulation. Proper insulation and air sealing also keeps attics cold in winter by blocking the entry of heat and moist air from below. Install or repair vent chutes. How insulation works insulation is a thermally resistant barrier which inhibits the migration of thermal energy into and out of the house.

The insulation will resist heat transfer into the house. Quality attic insulation will help your hvac system run at its peak efficiency cutting the energy costs by as much as half in some homes. A home energy company has proposed a solution that involves sealing air leaks in the bedroom ceilings attic floor sealing around the chimney weatherizing the attic hatch insulating a few roof areas that the builders missed and adding cellulose to the rest of the attic to bring it up to r 60. The higher the r value the better the thermal performance of the insulation.

It keeps the cold out during winter months but does it work the same in summer. With new types of technology and approaches to keep homes comfortable it s natural to wonder if attic radiant barrier works. Attic insulation regulates the temperature in a home. The temperature of the attic space increases and that heat is transferred to the building below.

Increasing summer energy consumption and cooling costs. The answer here is yes. You can achieve better thermal performance in your attic by adding an additional layer of insulation. Insulation blocks heat from entering the home in the summer and holds heat in during the winter.

These thin highly reflective layers aren t designed to slow heat transfer they reflect it away before it radiates into your attic and home. Achieving greater r values in exterior walls in exterior walls add insulating sheathing to achieve a greater r value in your wall system. Always cover the tops of the ceiling joists to make sure the insulation is deep enough to reach your target r value and. The results are a cooler home in the summer warmer home in the winter and lower energy bills.

Pull the existing insulation away from the roof. April 19 2019 posted in. Position the new vent chute so the. To determine how much insulation you need for your climate consult a local insulation contractor.

Attics heat up when the sun s radiant energy heats the shingles and the heat is transferred to the interior attic space through the roofing materials via conduction. Because of this compression loose fill insulation r value does not change proportionately with thickness. In the summer natural air flow in a well vented attic moves super heated air out of the attic protecting roof shingles and removing moisture. The effectiveness of an insulation material s resistance to heat flow also depends on how and where the insulation is installed.

In hot summer months proper attic insulation will keep your cold air in and will keep warm air out.