What’s your attic like? Some homes have had the space right under the roof converted into bedrooms, home offices, or—at the very least—some additional storage space. For most of us, though, the attic probably hasn’t been accessed in years. Accessible only through a tiny hatch in the ceiling, these attics aren’t even fit for storage, let alone human habitation.
Yet even if you never really plan to so much as poke your head into your attic ever again, you still should make sure it’s been insulated properly. In fact, the attic probably ought to be the first place you insulate, if not doing the entire home at once. Why? Lots of reasons.
For starters: heat rises. As a result, a good chunk of the heat loss from your home in winter time goes up through the ceiling and attic floor and right out the roof. Furthermore, because the air pressure is higher in a heated home and lower in an unheated attic, that warm air does an excellent job finding and escaping through every gap and crack it can find.
Poor attic insulation means homes heat and cool more slowly. It also means temperatures can swing more rapidly and dramatically due to temperature changes outside—which might be why your upstairs bedroom is always so frigid when you get out of bed.
Sealing your attic floor and insulating thoroughly with foam helps prevent this heat loss and can drastically reduce your heating costs. In cold-weather climates like Michigan, we target a thermal resistance rating
of R-50 to keep escaping heat to an absolute minimum. In extreme cases, properly insulating an unfinished attic could save you up to 50% in heating costs during the dead of winter. And it could also save you a lot on cooling costs in summer, too, for much the same reason.
There are other benefits, too. Attic insulation improves soundproofing between your home and the outside world, keeping your room a little quieter when the snowplows or emergency vehicles drive by. And foam insulation can also act as a barrier against moisture and vapors, which can slowly rot and damage the structure of your home.
If your attic insulation just isn’t up to par—and in most older homes, that’s unfortunately the case—give RetroFoam a call for a free estimate. We’ll examine the current condition of your attic and determine where and how much additional insulation needs to be added. For most homes, the “floor” of the attic is most in need. For those with HVAC and air distribution systems in attic space, the duct work and rafters may need more attention. To schedule your appointment, give us a call today at (269) 751-2000.