Proper Attic Insulation Can Keep You Comfortable All Season

Adequate attic insulation is the first line of defense against heat transfer out of or into your house. Depending on the time of year, heat’s always on the move from a warm spot to a cooler spot. In winter, rising heat conducts through the ceiling of your living spaces into the cold attic. Your furnace has to work longer to make up for this loss, so heating expenses escalate. In the heat of an Ohio summer, heat energy accumulating in the attic radiates through the ceiling and overheats rooms below, competing with your A/C and increasing the cost of keeping cool.

Insulation retards the transfer of heat, whichever direction it may be moving. Insulation effectiveness is rated by its R-value. The higher the R-value, the better the insulation resists movement of heat. Attic insulation is generally one of two varieties:

• Fiberglass batts are pre-cut blankets that have a cotton-candy appearance and roll out between the ceiling joists. Standard fiberglass batts have an R-value of 3.2 per inch.
• Cellulose loose-fill is installed in the attic through large hoses using compressed air. It’s composed of millions of particles of pulverized paper treated with fire retardant. Once it’s installed, it looks like a layer of fresh snow. Cellulose insulation provides better coverage and a higher R-value of 3.8 per inch.

How Much Do I Need?

If your home is over 10 years old, you’re probably under-insulated by current standards. According to the U.S. Department of Energy’s recommendations, here in northern Ohio your attic should be insulated to a depth of R38 to R60. For fiberglass batts, that’s a range of 12 to 18 inches; for cellulose, 10 to 15 inches.

The good news is you can reach the recommended total depth simply by adding additional insulation to what’s already there. You don’t have to remove the existing material. A thick layer of cellulose blown in atop existing fiberglass batts is a typical upgrade that provides excellent heat resistance.

Contact the HVAC professionals at Energy 1 Heating & Air Conditioning for more details about updating your attic insulation.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Lorain, Ohio about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about attic insulation and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Guide or call us at 440-201-2959.

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