How to Properly Insulate Your Attic
How much money are you wasting every year because your home is not properly insulated? Keep the heat you’re already paying for inside your home by ensuring your attic is well-insulated to prevent heat from escaping.
Here’s what you need to know about properly insulating your attic:
The science of heat
When the air in your home is heated, it expands, becomes less dense than the cooler air around it, and rises. So, it’s no surprise that heat can often escape through your roof. A properly insulated attic or roof of your home will keep as much of that heat inside as possible and you waste less energy (and money) heating your home.
Now, we’re not talking about a 100% airtight seal around your entire home. Your home still needs to breathe. But when you get a professional to install the insulation in your attic, you get the right amount of insulation to provide the best seal that still allows your home to expel excess moisture where needed.
Why insulate your attic?
Insulating your home has several benefits including:
Reducing your energy costs: When less heat escapes through your attic, your heating bill goes down and you’ll save money (often as much as $1000 over a few years)
Increasing your homes’ value: A more energy-efficient home makes it attractive to buyers and can increase your homes’ value and sale price.
Ensuring building codes are up-to-spec: When you have your insulation installed by a professional (like us), you can rest assured that it is done to code.
Moisture/vapour and air barriers
You want your attic to have both air and moisture or vapour barriers. Air barriers prevent heat from escaping and cold from entering the home. Installing a vapour or moisture barrier will help prevent moisture from diffusing through walls, floors, and ceilings. If your home was constructed without a moisture/vapour barrier, there are options that can be put in place to supplement that as well! (ie: use spray foam, install a vapour block paint to your drywall, etc.).
Types of attic insulation
Batt insulation
Batt insulation is made of fibreglass that you hand-place in your attic or inside your walls. Batt Insulation is not your best option for an existing attic, as it is extremely difficult to maneuver a large quantity of insulation bags up through a tight attic hatch. They are also difficult to properly fit in place as attics usually have a shortage of space that can be further complicated by existing ducts, fans, etc. that make it difficult to install Batt Insulation continuously.
Loosefill insulation
This is a popular insulation found in new homes, especially in attic spaces! You’ll need a specially designed blower machine and safety equipment to blow the loose fibreglass chunks around your attic. Loosefill is similar to Batt Insulation when it comes to performance, but it is far easier to install as it is blown in place through a hose similar to a vacuum hose by a qualified applicator. Loosefill can also be blown over ducts, wood framing, around fans, etc. to provide a more continuous thermal layer. It can also be installed over existing Batt Insulation, Loosefill Insulation, or Spray Foam Insulation to essentially upgrade your existing thermal performance.
Spray foam
Spray foam is your best option to maximize heat efficiency in your home. It quickly and efficiently fills nooks and crannies so you’re getting far superior coverage and it serves as both a moisture and air barrier. And because of its hard finish, it doesn’t tend to attract rodents or insects that sometimes have a tendency to gravitate to these sorts of spaces. The downside of spray foam insulation is it isn’t viable to install in all attic spaces. If you already have Batt Insulation or Loosefill insulation installed in your attic, this would typically need to be removed prior to installing Spray Foam as the product would need to bond directly to a substrate. Removing insulation can be costly, as can Spray Foam in general, but if those factors can be overcome it is by far the most efficient and durable insulating product available.
Greer Spray Foam is a trusted attic insulation contractor in Vancouver, BC. We specialize in residential and commercial insulation projects including batt insulation, loosefill, and spray foam insulation.
What’s the best way to properly insulate your attic
The bare minimum recommended is batt insulation, but we usually recommend starting with a layer of spray foam as a base to ensure no heat escapes through the hooks and crannies that are hard to see.
If you’re looking for an insurable, bondable installer for insulation in your attic, give the team at Greer Spray Foam a call today for your free estimate.
