New or inexperienced homeowners may underestimate the importance of taking care of their attic space. Making sure that the attic space in your house is insulated and has proper air flow is key to getting the most energy efficiency out of your house. With all the tax breaks available today for reducing a house’s energy usage, it is well worth everyone’s while to make their house as efficient as possible. The attic in most homes is meant to act as a buffer between the outside world and the inside of the house, helping to regulate the effect of summer heat and winter cold on indoor temperature and the condition of the roof. There are two critical parts of taking care of this attic space–insulation and ventilation.
Each element is just as important as the other, so it is important to not underestimate either one when improving your attic. The first problem to address if you are working on your attic is the insulation. Many homes, especially older ones, do not have enough insulation to begin with, and that is something that should be addressed right away. The cheapest way to up the level of insulation is to add some rolls of fiberglass insulation foam, such as the ones manufactured by Owens-Corning. Another option is to have someone add blown insulation to your attic space. This is often a better option for attic spaces that are especially complicated, since it means you don’t have to cut the foam to fit around support beams. Attic ventilation, the second part of the efficiency equation, is the one that many people are not aware of. They take a lot of time and spend unnecessary amounts of money adding insulation when what they really need to do is to improve the ventilation in the attic space. The best way to do this is with attic ventilation fans.
Sets of attic ventilation fans keep the attic space cool in both the winter and the summer. Having the attic cooled in the summer makes sense to most people; it isn’t good to have super-heated air sitting on top of your ceilings, as it can warm the air inside the rooms below. Additionally, allowing for a natural flow of air through an attic space removes moisture that can rot beams and rafters, while a cooler space keeps the shingles on the roof in better condition. It may seem counter-intuitive, but it is also important to have an attic space cool in the winter as well. Some people may think that it would be beneficial to have the attic space warm in the winter, because the warmth might transfer down to the ceiling, and it would keep the roof from freezing. In fact, having a warm attic in the winter is the last thing you want. If the attic space is warm enough to melt snow, that water can run down the shingles and refreeze near the gutters–causing extensive damage to your roof. Obviously, having proper ventilation in your attic is extremely important.
It is possible to regulate the temperature in an attic fairly well with just open vents, but attic ventilation fans will do the job far more effectively. Prior to installing any attic ventilation fans, it is important to make sure the space is completely sealed off from the rest of the house. The attic ventilation fans will pull cool air in from outside during the summer and will help circulate the cold air in the winter, keeping any moisture from collecting and freezing in the rafters. Having a properly sealed attic and some attic ventilation fans will keep your air conditioning unit from trying to cool your attic space in the summer, raising your bills and overworking your air conditioning system.