Insulation Replacement

Insulation Replacement

WHAT IS INSULATION?

Insulation is a thermally resistant barrier which inhibits the migration of thermal energy into and out of the house. In simple terms: insulation blocks heat from entering the home in the summer and holds heat in during the winter. The results are a cooler home in the summer, warmer home in the winter, and lower energy bills. It’s that simple and it really works. Insulation is so effective that its cost is often paid for through energy savings in less than a year…and with the rising cost of natural gas and electricity, savings may come even sooner!

 

WHY INSULATION GOES ON THE FLOOR OF THE ATTIC AND NOT ON THE UNDERSIDE OF THE ROOF

Attic insulation is properly installed directly on the floor of the attic, which is your ceiling, this is because you are heating and cooling the area below the ceiling (conditioned area) while the area in the attic is considered unconditioned area. In the winter you want to hold the heat in the home where you live, you don’t want heat to rise past the ceiling and then try to hold it in your attic.

During the summer it would seem like a good idea to also insulate the underside of the roof in an effort to keep the attic cooler, but the roof rafters are limited in being able to hold either R13 or R19 rolled fiberglass, which is not enough to entirely block the heat from coming into the attic, by the afternoon the attic will get quite warm/hot and then the insulation installed on the roof rafters will serve to hold that heat in over night and the attic insulation on your ceiling won’t be able to cool down over night. Also, your roofing material will get hotter because the heat won’t be able to ventilate underneath, most roofing warranties are void unless you have adequate attic ventilation.