How to Upgrade Your Attic Insulation
Insulation is all too important in the Madison, Wisconsin area. For over half of the year, the weather outside can dip well below freezing. With so much time spent in cold weather, keeping the heat in your home is essential to staying comfortable and surviving the winter.
If your house is struggling to keep warm air during winter, you may want to take a look at your roof. As you may know, heat rises. So when your heating systems kick on in your house, eventually, most of the air will rise to the attic.
If your attic is poorly insulated, you will lose most of your heat which can cost you big bucks in energy bills. Fortunately, there’s always a way to improve things!
Here’s how to upgrade your attic’s insulation.
Estimate the R-Value
Before even adding insulation to your attic, you should first check what your home’s R-value is. An R-value is used to determine the efficiency of your home keeping warm air in.
The higher a home’s R-value, the better it is retaining heat. An attic’s R-value should be anywhere from 38-49, so if it’s under that, you should consider adding insulation.
Safety First
Yes, this should always be the first step when you improve anything around your home!
When working with insulation, there are three things you must wear:
- Eye Protection
- Gloves
- Particle Mask
Make sure you check these off the list before starting!
Rigid Foam vs. Fiberglass Insulation
When insulating your roof, you will want to go with fiberglass insulation. Rigid foam is great for basement walls and interior siding since it does a better job at moisture protection, but fiberglass’ specialty is preventing heat loss, which is perfect for in between your ceiling joists.
Cutting Fiberglass Insulation
Fiberglass can be tricky to handle, so you want to be careful. Place a piece of fiberglass insulation on a piece of plywood. Place a 2x4 on the area you would like cut. Put some pressure on that 2x4 and use a utility knife to cut it.
If you’re concerned about the lack of thickness in the fiberglass insulation, do not worry! Fiberglass insulation will expand to at least six inches thick after installation.
Don’t DIY Insulation: Contact Isthmus Roofing
When it comes to your roofing, it pays to hire an expert. Call on Isthmus Roofing for all of your roofing and insulation needs! We serve residential and commercial properties in the Madison, Wisconsin area.
Request a quote online today or give us a call at 608-949-4250!