What You Need to Know about Attic Insulation in San Antonio

It’s easy to forget how critical the attic is in regards to keeping your home cozy. If you have the feeling that heat is leaving your home and you can’t determine how or where, there’s a possibility that your attic is a factor. Attic insulation helps capture the heat that rises to the top of your home by cutting off possibilities for the heat to pass through your ceiling by conduction or air leaks. When it comes down to it, insulating your attic or upgrading your attic insulation might be one of the most important projects you do to keep your home warm and comfy in the chilly months.

Older homes don’t usually meet current efficiency standards and are normally under-insulated. By preventing the heat from sneaking out through your attic, insulation reduces utility bills immensely and makes your home more energy efficient and cost-effective. Your heating and cooling systems will be able to run for fewer hours and maintain more comfortable temperatures, increasing the lifetime of your system and reducing your carbon footprint. Not to mention that you will then stay warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer – insulation keeps the air from your HVAC system in your home and helps you stay more cozy throughout the year.

Determining when you need to replace and reinstall your attic insulation requires a few safety considerations. The best way to determine your current insulation levels is visually – if your insulation levels are at or below your attic floor joists, more insulation should be added. But, if you can’t see any of your attic floor joists because the insulation is above them, you don’t need to worry about adding insulation. Identifying your insulation’s “R-value” can also decide when it’s time to add more. R-values indicate the durability and thickness of the insulation and how well it is doing its job. The higher the R-value, the more superior the insulation. R-values between R-30 and R-49 are recommended, depending on how cold the area that you live in can get, which can range from 12 to 20 inches of padding. Note: San Antonio Air Service Experts cannot handle asbestos cleaning or control in attics.

Residential attic insulation is normally created from fiberglass batts or cellulose. Fiberglass batts consist of pre-cut pink, yellow, or white wooly fiberglass material, normally stacked in rolls or in blanket format. Cellulose is more loose-fitting and is created from ground-up paper and cloth made to be fire-resistant. Cellulose is normally blown into attics through large hoses, reaching every corner of an attic for maximum coverage. There is also the loose mineral wool, foam board or blocks, and light-weight vermiculite options that some homeowners opt for. As a preferred choice among attic insulation companies, as well as being a premier provider of HVAC services, San Antonio Air Service Experts can advise you on the right type of insulation for San Antonio.

While each type of insulation is installed differently, the first step is always calling professional attic insulation companies to pinpoint or read the R-value of your insulation, quote prices, and check for any air sealing needs. Here are the three major types of attic insulation based on the different forms of insulation materials:

1. Roll-On: This quick and easy installation process is made up of rolling pad or blanket insulation flexibly and tightly throughout your attic. It is used with fiberglass, mineral wool, and other fiber insulation materials.
2. Blown-In: This process is perfect for loose-fitting forms of attic insulation because it blows the material to seal small crevices, halting air leakage and moisture to reduce mold or odor build-up. It is used for cellulose and mineral wool insulation materials.
3. Spray foam: This is the most energy-efficient form of attic insulation because it grows to fill the holes where it is sprayed into, making air-tight seals that last longer than other insulations.

Some homeowners might have access to rebates from their local utility provider if they choose to get more insulation due to its energy efficiency. Some areas can give up to $0.15 per square foot in rebates while others offer a flat-rate. Check out the finance offers that San Antonio Air Service Experts Heating & Air Conditioning provides, making attic insulation replacement affordable for anyone.