At A+ Insulation, we understand the importance of insulating your attic to keep warm air in your home in the winter and cool air in your home during the summer. But there’s another secret to attics that many homeowners don’t know – proper ventilation. An attic without proper ventilation not only wastes energy and money, but can cause other problems.
Summer Advantages of Adding Insulation
In the summer, your attic gets hot. Because heat rises naturally, it is critical to have a way for that superheated air to leave your attic. Natural airflow in a well-vented attic moves super-heated air out of the attic, protecting roof shingles and removing moisture as well. The insulation we add will keep that heat from seeping into your house below.
Winter Advantages of Adding Insulation
It may seem counter productive to add insulation for warmth and then purposely allow cold air to enter the attic through vents in the winter, but in the winter, allowing a natural flow of outdoor air to ventilate the attic reduces the potential for ice damming (snow that melts off a roof from an attic that is too warm and then re-freezes at the gutters, causing an ice dam that can damage the roof). It also reduces the moisture in the air that seeps into the attic. If it isn’t well ventilated, the moisture will condense when it hits the colder air in the attic and cause mold, mildew or rot problems.
Related Read: Is Your Home Properly Insulated? Get a Free Home Energy Evaluation.
Make Sure Your Attic Is Properly Sealed
Proper insulation and air sealing also keeps attics cold in winter by blocking the entry of heat and moist air from below. You don’t want to pay to keep your attic warm when no one is ever up there. Conversely, in the summer, you don’t want your cool air to escape to your attic. You want to keep it in the living areas. Keeping it sufficiently sealed will help year round.
Don’t Make This Attic Insulation Mistake
The most common mistake homeowners make when installing insulation is to block the flow of air at the eaves. Never cover attic soffit vents with insulation – use rafter vents and soffit vents to maintain airflow. You want the air to be able to move freely to so it will easily leave your attic.
If you’re not sure your attic is properly ventilated (or insulated), call the attic insulation specialists at A+ Insulation for a free evaluation. Call us at (913) 281-2250 or (816) 268-7511.