When it comes to home remodeling services for your home, one of the most significant investments you can make is in investment upgrades. Your attic floor is a key thermal barrier when it comes to the protective invisible thermal layer preventing heat transfer between your home’s interior and exterior.
During cold weather months, the insulation in your attic helps to prevent the heated air from your home from rising to your roof where it creates ice dams that can damage your home. And during the summer months, the extreme temperatures in your attic can cause the temperature throughout your home to escalate, wreaking havoc on your energy costs.
At The Construction Group in Minnesota, we offer a complete range of home improvement services from roof repair services to attic insulation upgrades. In this post, we’re breaking down some of the key benefits of investing in attic insulation services. Contact a Twin Cities insulation contractor to get your free estimate today!
Signs Your Attic Insulation Needs an Upgrade
If you’re concerned about your home’s attic insulation, you may have already noticed signs that your home could use an upgrade. These are some of the more common signs that your attic insulation is insufficient or has deteriorated over time:
1. Your second story is too warm.
You shouldn’t have to live with dramatic temperature fluctuations between rooms or levels in your home, and doing so can take a toll on your home's energy costs. If the highest floor in your home is too hot, it could be a sign that your attic insulation needs to be replaced or updated.
2. You have problems with ice dams.
Ice dams are a common winter problem that can seriously damage a home’s roof. A good way to identify whether your home has issues with ice dams is by looking for icicles at the edge of your roof when it is covered in snow. If you’ve got icicles, you can bet there are ice dams as well.
Ice dams form when the heat from a home’s attic cause snow on the roof to melt and then refreeze at the roof edge. There, it forms a natural dam. The problem with ice dams is that they cause water to be retained on your roof instead of running into your gutters and away from your home. That water can get under your shingles and refreeze, pushing the shingles up and leaking into the underlayment or attic. To prevent ice dams, attic insulation is needed that makes the temperature more even across the entire roof.
3. Your insulation has been damaged.
If it’s been a while since you checked out your older attic insulation, it’s a good idea to visually inspect it for signs of trouble. If your insulation is wet, it’s a sign that you’ve got a roof leak. You need to have your roof checked and schedule any repairs right away before the damage worsens. Any wet insulation will also need to be replaced as this will compromise its functionality.
Another common insulation problem is animal infestation. Mice, squirrels, and other nesting animals are sometimes drawn to insulation. If you see any signs of pest damage, your insulation should also be replaced.
4. You’re spending a fortune on heating and cooling costs.
If your monthly energy bills are much higher than anticipated, inadequate attic insulation could be partly to blame. When heat readily travels through your roof or walls, your JVAC system has to work much harder to keep up. In addition to using more energy, this can also push your heater and air conditioner too hard and can cause the components to wear out sooner.
Updating your attic insulation will lead to more even temperatures throughout your home, which means your family will be more comfortable all year long and you’ll pay less on your monthly energy bills. It also helps to reduce your household energy footprint, which is better for the environment.
Understanding R-Value
When you work with an insulation contractor, they will begin by evaluating the R-value of your current insulation and recommending insulation upgrades to improve your R-value. R-value the measurement used to determine thermal transfer. Housing materials with a higher R-value will be more effective at limiting the movement of heat between a home’s exterior and interior. In Minnesota homes, we require a higher R-value to keep up with the colder winters we experience in this region.
When you increase your attic insulation, these are just a few of the benefits you’ll enjoy:
1. A More Comfortable Home
Upgrading your attic insulation will give you a warmer home in the winter, a cooler home in the summer months, and fewer drafts throughout your home.
2. Better Energy Bills
If you’re tired of cringing every time you open your gas or electric bill, attic insulation may be a big help. Insulation upgrades are one of the best ways to improve your home’s energy usage.
3. Fewer Ice Dams
Improving your attic insulation will reduce the number of ice dams that form on your roof during the winter months, which means your roof will require fewer repairs and last much longer.
Contact Our Minnesota Home Insulation Services
If you’re tired of paying too much on your energy costs, call The Construction Group to get a free quote on home insulation contractors at 651-731-5857 or contact us online. Our insulation contractors are eager to help you start saving right away!