With the colder months getting closer every day, many homeowners in the Metro-Maryland, DC, or Northern Virginia areas are starting to think about how they can stay warm and cozy this winter. While there are several upgrades that can help increase your winter comfort, there are few that are as cost-effective and beneficial to your whole home as attic insulation.
Your attic is probably not the first place that comes to mind when thinking about energy efficiency and home health, but the upper levels of your home have a bigger impact than you’d expect. At The Fifth Fuel, our team of building scientists understands that attics can contribute to significant energy loss and home comfort issues if left under-insulated. We can help combat these issues with our attic insulation services, offering you several winter—and year-round—benefits!
Attic Insulation Takes the Pressure Off Your Heating System
With more than half of the energy use in homes going toward heating and cooling, many homeowners stand to save with attic insulation. Since insulation acts as a barrier between your home’s living spaces and the outdoors, it also helps to keep heated or cooled air from your HVAC inside where it belongs. This not only lessens the wear and tear on your heating and cooling systems, but it can even extend its lifespan.
At The Fifth Fuel, we typically use cellulose insulation in attics, which is made from recycled newspaper. Cellulose insulation is non-toxic and mold-resistant, making it a great choice for any home.
Breathe Easier: Attic Insulation Improves Your IAQ
Attics are a common point of entry for many indoor air quality contaminants, like dust, moisture, mold, and even pests. By adding a protective layer of insulation, you’re keeping your home safe from the health effects that these can cause, such as:
- Increased asthma and allergy symptoms
- Headaches
- Fatigue
- Respiratory disease
Attic insulation helps to keep harmful contaminants out of your home, which will result in a cleaner and healthier indoor environment for your family.
Want to Solve Your Ice Dam Problem? Attic Insulation Is the Answer
Ice dams are caused by heat that escapes from an attic, making them common in homes without proper attic insulation. They’re not only tricky and annoying to remove either—ice dams can cause permanent damage to your home’s structure as well. By creating a barrier that traps heat inside your home, attic insulation helps combat ice dams, which can save you from water damage and mold growth down the road.
Don’t Forget to Air Seal Too!
At The Fifth Fuel, we always recommend combining insulation with air sealing. While insulation provides resistance to heat flow, air sealing prevents unwanted airflow by sealing gaps and cracks in your home’s thermal envelope. These holes allow air to infiltrate your home, bringing in excess moisture and a plethora of other issues.
Each benefit that you get from attic insulation is enhanced when it’s done in tandem with air sealing, like better indoor air quality, improved HVAC efficiency, and a more comfortable home.
Get Started With an Energy Assessment
In order to accurately determine your home’s attic insulation needs, we always start with an energy assessment. This allows our team to utilize building science and pinpoint exactly where your attic is most vulnerable in order to provide you with the best, and most effective, solutions that will solve your home comfort, health, and efficiency issues.
We’re a locally owned and operated company at The Fifth Fuel, and we’ve been serving Northern Virginia and Metro Maryland homeowners for over 30 years. When it comes to finding the right attic insulation for your home, you can trust that our team is on your side! We can even help you maximize your savings with attic insulation tax credits and rebates with programs like the Income & Age Qualifying Energy Efficiency Program with Dominion Energy!
