As the temperature dips, checking your home for ways that heat can escape is vital. Not just to prevent higher heating bills, but also to increase the overall comfort and longevity of your home. Plus, it can prevent bigger damage and heftier repair bills down the line!
It’s important
Heat rises. Since the attic is the highest room in your house, where will the heat go if your attic isn’t properly insulated? Up and out.
Proper sealing and insulation keep your energy bill low and increases your comfort. Insulation keeps noise from outside lower. It also keeps pests like insects and rodents, from making your house their home.
It’s also preventative. A well-insulated roof can prevent ice dams from making your life a nightmare – and taking out your hard-earned savings.
How to Check
According to Energy Star, you can do a quick check yourself with a few materials:
- Safety equipment, including hard hats, safety goggles, and gloves. Gloves are CRITICAL, as insulation can be dangerous to bare skin.
- Boards to stand/walk on (you’ll need these if you don’t have a walk-up attic)
- Tape measure
- Flashlight or headlight
Put on your safety equipment, grab the rest of your materials, and walk up in your attic with a flashlight. If your insulation is at or below level with the attic floor joists, it probably needs more. You can also use a tape measurer, read the R-value printed on your insulation’s batts, and stick the tape measure in the insulation
WARNING: Some insulation may contain asbestos in older houses. If your house was built before 1989, or if you’re unsure if your insulation could contain asbestos, call the pros, do NOT do it yourself!
When you have problems
Have low insulation in your attic? Want to check, but don’t have the time, ability, or energy to do it yourself? Give us a call at at 800-833-9831 or see what services we can provide on our website.