How Much Attic Insulation Should My Attic Have?

If you are curious about if you have enough attic insulation, here are some things to look for:

1. Gaps or low points in insulation:

The goal of attic insulation is to block air and temperature exchange from the living spaces of your home and your attic. In Texas, attics can heat up to 160 F in the summertime. This means there needs to be an absolute barrier between the attic and the home. If there are areas without insulation, or areas with less insulation, this will allow the Texas heat to heat up your home. The solution: We can remove old insulation (if necessary), and replace it with blown in TruSoft cellulose attic insulation. Blown in cellulose blankets the attic, and has a higher R-Value than fiberglass and many other types of insulation.

2. Gaps or penetrations between the attic and the home:

If you look at the ceiling between the attic and living spaces, there may be many small holes or gaps in the ceiling around lighting fixtures, air ducts, or wire holes. Any small hole can allow air exchange between the attic and home. Hot air rises, creating a vacuum that pulls conditioned air from your home into your attic through these small holes. This causes the HVAC system to run longer to keep the home comfortable, which increases energy bills. The solution: We can seal all of these openings with closed cell spray foam insulation.

3. Air ducts in the attic:

The attic is not a great place for air ducts to be, considering the extreme temperatures in the attic. Typically, the air in the ducts is trying to combat whatever the temperature of the attic is. The problem is, there are many imperfections and gaps in air ducts, which allow conditioned air to escape. Also, when air ducts attempt to deliver cool air into the home while the attic is extremely hot, the air delivered into the home ends up being warmer than expected. The opposite is true in the winter when heat needs to be delivered to the home and the attic is extremely cold. Our solution: We can encapsulate the air ducts with Tight N' True spray foam. This prevents air exchange between the attic and the air ducts.

If your attic suffers from these problems, we are here to help. We offer free attic inspections and attic insulation estimates. To schedule an appointment with one of our attic specialists, call 1-888-756-5967, or explore our website for more information.