Hot or Not? Determining If Your Attic Insulation Needs an Upgrade

Does My Attic Insulation Need an Upgrade: 8 Signs to Look For

Excellent attic insulation can make your home feel more comfortable and lower energy bills. Without an inspection from an experienced professional, it’s sometimes difficult to determine whether or not your attic insulation is sufficient. Here are six signs that your attic insulation could use an upgrade. 

1. The Age of Your Home

If you have a home built before 2005, there’s a high probability that companies didn’t consider energy efficiency, as it wasn’t a big deal back then. With older homes, you may have uninsulated areas in your attic. If you have a house built over twenty years ago, your attic insulation most likely needs an upgrade.

You can schedule a home energy assessment to determine if your attic insulation needs an upgrade. However, some homes built after 2005 could still use an upgrade depending on your state’s requirements. Cookie-cutter homes tend to have poor insulation because of quick builds. 

2. Rooms With Temperature Fluctuation

If you notice temperature fluctuation throughout several rooms in your home, you may need to upgrade your attic insulation. When heat and cool air enter and leave your home, you may not get the correct reading on your thermostat. Temperature fluctuations throughout the house can make an uncomfortable environment and overwork your HVAC system causing high energy bills. 

If your attic insulation is thinning in specific areas, this can also create temperature fluctuations. 

3. Snowmelt on Your Roof

If your roof has uneven snow cover, you have sufficient attic insulation. During the winter, many of us spend much time heating our homes. Since heat rises, insufficient attic insulation means warm air rises onto your roof, making the snow melt.

If you notice snow melting on your roof quickly, this might be a sign that your attic insulation could use an upgrade. Not only can your energy costs increase when this happens, but you increase the chances of causing problems with your roof with ice dams.

After the next snowfall, take a look at your roof. If you don’t notice snow, or notice some areas are getting snow and some are not, contact a professional about an inspection. 

4. Moisture & Wet Insulation

There are several reasons why your attic insulation may become wet, such as humidity, leaks, air infiltration, ground moisture, or snow blowing through open soffit vents. Depending on the type of insulation, attic insulation can react differently when it becomes wet.

If you have wet insulation, this can cause mold and mildew, and your attic insulation will begin to lose its R-Value. If you notice damp insulation, this is a sign you need an upgrade and will need to have your attic insulation removed and replaced. 

5. Increase in Energy Costs

If you’ve noticed that your energy bills have increased, this might indicate that your attic insulation needs an upgrade. As your insulation ages, degrading occurs, creating gaps for air to escape. When air escapes, your HVAC works harder to heat or cool your home.

Upgrading your attic insulation is an excellent way to lower your energy costs. You can reduce your energy costs by fifty percent with high-quality attic insulation.

6. Doesn’t Meet Insulation Levels

The Department of Energy has spent a lot of time researching insulation levels. Depending on your location in the United States, your R-Value for attic insulation might differ. If your home has anything lower than its recommended number, you might spend more on energy costs.

You can visit the Department of Energy’s website to check the recommended R-Value for your area.

7. Discoloring of insulation

Insulation has a lifespan of 15-25 years. If you notice black or green coloring on your insulation. This can be a sign of aging insulation and years of moister buildup which cause the insulation to shrink down in size and decompose.

This will ultimately affect your HVAC production of a.c and heat, the insulation will not correctly prevent air from escaping through your ceiling, and cause the HVAC to work a lot harder to keep up to your desired temperature setting. 

8. Rodent Infestation

The Attic is a wonderful place for rodents such as squirrels, raccoons, bats, mice, and flying squirrels. They are forced by nature to seek shelter making your attic a prime target. 

The insulation in your attic is a perfect nesting area for mating and sleeping, causing the insulation to become damaged from feces, urine, and nesting. 

Ensure your attic is properly rodent proofed by contacting our team today. 

Why You Should Choose Master Attic for Your Attic Insulation 

At Master Attic, our experts understand how essential it is to have sufficient attic insulation. Our professionals use high-quality tools and techniques to ensure your home has the best insulation. Our main goal is to improve your home’s energy efficiency and to make living in your home a comfortable experience.

Our attic installation process includes the following:

• Old attic insulation removal
• Heavy-duty vacuuming
• Attic sanitizing
• Air gap sealing
• Rodent proofing
• New attic insulation installation

If you need to upgrade your insulation, give us a call today to schedule a free estimate.