The Benefits of Insulating Your Attic

Is It Important to Insulate Your Attic?

While you may not give much thought to your attic beyond storage, it can affect the integrity of your roof, indoor air quality, and more if it’s not properly managed and maintained. An important part of keeping your attic in working order is to ensure it’s well insulated. If you don’t currently have insulation, or your home is operating with poor insulation, here are thirteen reasons you need attic insulation.

1. Insulation can keep room temperatures stable.

A benefit of installing insulation is that you can ensure your and your family’s comfort. If your attic is not well insulated, the rooms upstairs may fluctuate in temperature. This may cause you to adjust your thermostat to accommodate, which could overwork your system and cause HVAC inefficiencies.

2. Insulation helps you save money on energy bills.

A well-insulated attic can help cool and heat your home, reducing energy bills annually. And who doesn’t want to save a little money? Your HVAC system won’t have to work as hard to regulate your home’s temperature as the insulation helps heat stay in your home in the winter and reduces the heat in your home during the summer.

3. Insulation extends the life of your HVAC.

Since your HVAC doesn’t have to work overtime after the insulation is installed, the system will likely have a longer life. Most HVAC systems last between 10 and 25 years. You can improve performance and operate your HVAC for 20+ years without issues when insulation is a priority.

4. Insulation helps control air leakage.

Because heating and cooling account for 50 to 60% of your home, attic insulation, such as insulating foam, can seal your attic to reduce air leaks and decrease utility bills.

5. Insulation can improve your home’s indoor air quality (IAQ).

IAQ refers to the quality of the air in your home. Poor IAQ can negatively affect your sleep, productivity, and health. By insulating your attic, you can stop outdoor pollutants (i.e., dirt, radon, mold, etc.) from entering your home.

6. Insulation can increase your home’s value.

We’re currently in a seller’s market as supply continues to outpace demand in the housing market. If you’re considering putting your home up for sale, an insulated attic can be a strong selling point and add value to your home. In fact, you can receive as much as a 116% return on investment with insulation upgrades and installation. Completing a profitable summer home improvement project is never a bad idea, even if you don’t plan to sell your home soon.

7. Insulation can make your attic inhabitable.

Depending on the size of your attic, it may be able to double as a game room or guest room instead of (or in addition to) a storage space. Attic insulation can also make your attic livable space with temperature regulation. While it may be too cold or hot to inhabit now, adding spray foam or other insulation can remove the extreme temperatures in the attic space.

8. Insulation deters pests.

By insulating the space, you can seal your attic and keep unwelcome guests like birds, squirrels, mice, and other pests out of your attic and home. It’s important to note that animal or pest droppings are a health hazard, and old insulation may already have nests or droppings in them. Replacing or updating your attic insulation after 15 years can help protect your and your family’s health.

9. Insulation helps prevent structural damage.

Without good insulation, water vapor can get into your roof, ceilings, and walls, which can cause the wood to rot or mold and mildew to grow. The average cost to repair structural damage can amount to $10,000 or more. That money could be better used to replace old insulation and avoid this issue completely.

10. Insulation helps the environment.

Not only are many types of insulation eco-friendly, but insulation also helps reduce your carbon footprint as you will use less energy. You can also reduce pollutant emissions such as sulfur dioxide, nitrogen oxide, and carbon dioxide.

11. Insulation helps reduce the risk of frozen pipes.

During a cold spike in Memphis, your pipes may freeze. However, as insulation helps keep your home warmer during the winter, your pipes are less likely to freeze and burst with sufficient pipe insulation. Additionally, you can conserve more hot water with insulated pipes, as warmer pipes have little need for higher temperature settings. With the proper insulation, you can lower your hot water temperature and save on water usage and costs annually.

12. Insulation can reduce noise pollution.

If your attic is well-insulated, less noise from the outside will enter your house. From reducing the sounds of a rainstorm to quieting the sounds of your neighbor’s dog’s barking, attic insulation can help keep your home quiet. You can also invest in sound-proofing insulation to reduce noises from your plumbing, loud internal systems, and more.

13. Insulation prolongs the life of your roof.

Insulation can help prevent your roofing materials from deteriorating by stopping heat from rising to the roof; as we mentioned, it also stops the wood from rotting. By maintaining the integrity of your roof, you avoid having to cover costly roof repairs or a roof replacement.

How Do You Tell If Your Attic Is Properly Insulated?

If you’re worried that your attic isn’t properly insulated or doesn’t have enough insulation, our Memphis technicians have your back. We can conduct a thorough assessment to determine how much insulation you have and the current state it’s in. If your attic needs to be insulated or insulation replacement, you may also notice the following warning signs.

• Pest in the attic
• Crumbling or damaged insulation
• High electric or energy bill
• Built-up condensation or leaks in the attic or on surfaces in the attic
• Different temperature zones throughout your house
• Draftiness

Need Help with Your Attic Insulation? Mr. Handyman of Memphis Is Here!

The technicians at Mr. Handyman of Memphis are equipped to help you determine the level and quality of your attic insulation. When you schedule a service, we can recommend options, discuss your next steps, help install various kinds of insulation that adhere to building codes, meet your unique needs, and address your concerns. You can trust our technicians to get the job done efficiently and effectively because we’re known for our integrity, professionalism, and quality workmanship.