So, you just bought a home or are building the home of your dreams! You are busy picking out paint colors and dreaming of what your first year in your new home will look like.
However, don’t forget about the other important aspects of being a homeowner. It is crucial to understand your entire home, and that includes understanding the importance of insulation and the role it plays in your new property.
Let’s dive into why insulation matters and where you should insulate first in your new home.
Insulation comes in many different materials and forms, but its purpose is the same throughout its different compositions. Insulation passively slows the transfer of heat throughout your home.
In the summer, it prevents the hot air outside from making its way into your home. In the winter, it works hard to keep the warm air inside your home while keeping the cool air out.
The cool thing about insulation is that this process works on its own! Once installed, you don’t need to do anything special with it for it to work season after season.
Having a properly insulated home is beneficial in many different ways. In addition to slowing heat transfer, it also:
The benefits of a properly insulated home can’t be beat! So, when it comes to deciding what part of your home to insulate first, what room(s) do you choose? The clear answer is your attic.
You most likely learned back in your high school science class that heat rises, and this single concept is why attic insulation is so important. As your HVAC system circulates warm or cool air in your home, the warmer air will eventually rise into the highest part of your home, which is typically your attic..
If you don’t have the right insulation in your attic space, this air will quickly escape out of your home. This rapid escape will force your HVAC system to work in overtime to keep your home’s temperature comfortable and consistent. Over time, you can expect higher energy bills and more repair needs on your furnace and air conditioner.
In addition, you can expect all that conditioned air that you are paying for to escape right out of your roof! Simply having your attic insulation professionally installed is the best thing you can do for your home.
Attic insulation regulates your home’s temperature regardless of the season. During the summer, it circulates out the hot air to keep it from overwhelming your living spaces. In the winter, it traps the heat produced by your heating system and prevents it from escaping out of your home too fast.
This process results in a cooler home in the summer and a warmer home in the winter, all without having to crank up your HVAC system to an unreasonable temperature.
In addition to keeping you and your family comfortable, your attic insulation also benefits your home by reducing the risk of moisture or pest issues.
An improperly insulated attic will allow hot, humid air into your spaces. This can result in humidity issues and even mold troubles during the hottest months of the year. Prioritizing attic insulation ensures that your air continues to circulate, keeping humidity levels in check.
Proper attic insulation also reduces the risk of pest infestations. If your attic is sealed and insulated, pests like squirrels and mice cannot easily infiltrate your attic space. Pests can easily cause serious structural damage to your attic and to other parts of your home, so prioritizing attic insulation protects your home in more ways than one.
In addition to attic insulation, insulating your crawl space is also an important factor to consider. Crawl spaces act as a barrier between the ground and your first level, giving it protection from the elements.
Many crawl spaces are also vented to the outside, which also makes them vulnerable to pests and moisture issues just like your attic space. Adding insulation to this vital area of your home helps protect your floors as well as the rest of your living spaces.
Did you know that adding insulation to your crawl space can also support your indoor air quality? Dust, debris and allergens travel through the air, and this contaminated air will easily infiltrate your home through your uninsulated crawl space. This can lead to respiratory troubles for more sensitive family members.
Having a properly insulated home is essential to your health, safety, and comfort, and it is necessary for your home to function smoothly. However, that doesn’t mean that attic and crawl space insulation is an easy DIY!
Getting insulation done right the first time is crucial. If you attempt to do it without the right knowledge or training, you can actually make your problem worse over time. Different insulation materials shine in different ways, and not every material works in every circumstance.
For example, different insulation materials have varying R-values, which is a specific formula that determines how effective it is at preventing heat transfer. The higher the R-value, the more efficient it is at this process. Choosing the right material ensures that each space in your home has the insulation it needs.
A professional insulation contractor has the knowledge to help you choose and the expertise to get the installation done right the first time. When it comes to attic or crawl space insulation projects, the easy choice is to rely on the team at Master Attic.
Ready for a more comfortable and efficient home? Call Master Attic today at (800) 285-4009 to chat with one of our insulation professionals.
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