The attic is the room right below the roof of your home. It is also known as a loft or a garret. This space was meant for regulating air temperature in your home and storage if well maintained.
When insulating your attic, you improve its efficiency in performing the two tasks listed above. The market is filled with insulating materials that vary with price, type, R-value, and installation techniques, giving homeowners various options.
While there is no limit to the insulation material for your attic, many homeowners may fail to see the need to insulate their attics as it remains for many a forgotten space. This article will evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of insulating an attic and find out if it’s worth it for you.
Advantages
Reduces Energy Bills
Energy efficiency is a trend every homeowner is trying to jump on to help prevent global warming. A poorly insulated attic can cause increased utility bills primarily because of air conditioning. Since the attic allows air to penetrate the living area, the room temperature fluctuates from warm to cool, making it hard for the HVAC system to keep up. The system will have to use more power to run to maintain the room temperature and filter the air in the room.
Makes Your Home Comfortable
Good Insulation helps your home become comfortable in two main ways. First, controlled temperature – air is contained from escaping in or out of your living space; the temperature is steady throughout, which is comfortable. Second, reduced noise – a well-insulated attic will help reduce noise from rain, birds, and debris falling on your roof.
Prevents Air Leaks
The main idea of insulating your attic is to fill the tiny spaces that may allow air to move in and out of your home. A poorly insulated attic will allow air to pass through, which can cause fluctuation of temperature in the home, formation of moisture, and contamination of air in the living space. Putting good insulation in your attic can help you control the temperatures and save you utility bills for your home.
Increases Your Home’s Value
While it shouldn’t be the sole reason to insulate your home, having proper insulation in the attic can increase your home’s value. This comes down to the significance your home could get from insulating your attic, considering the overall experience one could get living in the home. Since reselling improves your home’s energy efficiency and brings your family comfort, you can use this to price up your listing when trying to sell. Investing in insulating material with a higher R-value can be valuable.
Prevents Moisture Accumulation
Spaces in your attic can be the perfect way for water droplets and air moisture to enter, affecting the conditions inside your home in two ways; it allows bacteria to breed and makes your wood rot faster. Properly insulating your attic can help avoid the breeding and infestation of bacteria while also protecting your home’s structure from deteriorating.
Improves Air Quality
A poorly insulated attic is bound to rodents and foreign particles infestation that could be harmful when inhaled into your body. Foreign particles and debris can contaminate your living space. Installing good Insulation can help ensure your space is free of contaminants.
Helps Your HVAC System to Run Efficiently
When your home lacks proper Insulation, air leaks in and out of your home, causing internal temperatures to fluctuate between warm and cool. In response, your HVAC system will try to work harder to maintain your home’s temperature. In turn, this can lead to breakdowns that could be expensive to repair and a shorter lifespan for your HVAC system. Insulating your home or replacing your current Insulation will help your HVAC perform smoothly and efficiently.
Disadvantages
Can Be Costly
The cost of getting your attic insulated and with quality material can be expensive, especially for bigger attic spaces, with Forbes estimating it to cost $1 to 7$ per square foot. Although the price could be high upfront, the benefits will eventually payback.
Substandard Material
As mentioned earlier, the insulation material market is full of products boasting different benefits to your home. With this amount of options, newbie buyers can fall for substandard material unknowingly, giving them ineffective solutions.
The number of benefits insulation can bring to your home is overwhelming. As a homeowner, it could be unwise not to insulate your attic even with the cheapest material out there. This makes insulating your attic worth it in the short and long run.
