To Insulate or Not to Insulate

To Insulate or Not to Insulate?

That is the question. And I have all the answers!

I received a call from a friend yesterday because, after she added insulation to her attic, she noticed an unpleasant change in one room’s airflow. She wanted to know if she had made a mistake insulating her attic. Before we start, insulation is one of the greatest non-electronic climate control inventions of the century. It keeps hot or cold air out and comfortable air in your home.  So, in most cases, adding insulation is never a bad thing. The method in which it is added is a whole different story.

The Three Types of Insulation

I’ll start by discussing the most commonly used types of insulation.

Fiberglass Insulation is the number one most commonly used type of insulation.  It’s placed in the walls and on the ceiling in the attic.  Fiberglass insulation usually comes in rolls that you cut to size or in precut pieces, which are (hilariously) called Bats. They’re the only Bats you want in your attic!

Cellulose or Blown-in Insulation is typically added to the ceilings in the attic.  This is the most common and more economical way to add insulation to an existing house in which the insulation has settled down and needs to be re-padded.

Spray Foam Insulation is the newest type on the market. It looks exactly like what you get in those little cans at Home Depot. This method gives the absolute best insulating value, if you do it correctly. If applied incorrectly, however, it can be extremely expensive to fix.

How Different Types of Insulation Can Affect Your Home

Now that you know the types of insulation, let’s talk about their pros and cons.

Fiberglass insulation will settle over time, reducing its ability to keep the heat or cold out and comfortable air in. This creates the need to get it periodically refilled.  If you put six-inch-thick pieces of insulation between your attic rafters, over time, dirt and dust will cause the insulation to settle down, reducing the R-Value of the insulation. The R-Value pertains to the ability of insulation to resist heat flow. When this happens, you can either add more rolled insulation on top of what’s already there or add Blown-in insulation.

Most people choose Blown-in, because the cost is lower, and the insulation is easier to install. It can, however, be a mess. The insulation comes in bags that are dumped into a machine that literally blows the insulation into the attic. You can also rent a machine and do it yourself, but I strongly advise against this because one wrong move could affect your air quality or electric bills.

Let’s talk Spray Foam, which is the newest insulation product on the market. Adding Spray Foam insulation to your attic is the opposite of adding Blown-in, which is simply adding more insulation to preexisting insulation. Spray Foam is added to the roof line and is supposed to seal of the attic 100% from the outside air, creating an Ice Chest type of area. Before adding Spray Foam, you are supposed to remove all preexisting insulation on the ceiling. This method needs to be done by professionals, but not all professionals are created equal.

The Importance of Proper Insulation Installation

If an attic is sealed incorrectly, it will create moisture problems inside the house because humid air will be able to enter the attic with no way of escaping. When the trapped air inevitably creates lingering wet areas, ductwork will condensate and drip water all over your ceiling. In many cases, homeowners falsely assume this is an air conditioning problem. Another potential issue with Spray Foam is that the heat load is greatly reduced on the house. This means that you will not require as much air conditioning and will likely need to downsize your AC system.

If you don’t replace the system, it will not run long enough to remove the humidity inside your home, causing unpleasant moisture and mildew problems.  This method is best when you have a heat pump system of electric heat system.  It can be done if you have a gas heater, but you must take extra precautions to make sure you’re using the proper style heater. Air conditioning technicians are more than just people who comes out to fix that broken AC unit.  We are responsible for you and your family’s complete comfort.  We must know a thing or two regarding how your house works with the air conditioning, how window replacement will affect your climate control and how insulation affects the house.

Think of your house as a big science project.  It can range anywhere from being the most comfortable house in the world to going extremely wrong. Your house needs to be able to breathe (exchange inside and outside air) otherwise you end up inside that sealed up ice chest which can and will cause problems inside your house, as well as health problem for you and your family.  The biggest problem we see is when insulators block off the vent that allows your attic to breathe. Often, when people try to do it themselves, they block off those vents without even knowing it.

Your AC Technician Can Help You Decide!

I’m hoping I didn’t scare you into NOT insulating your house because, in most cases, adding the Blown-in or rolls of insulation won’t have an ill effect on you house or cooling system.  Most houses can use a little more insulation and it will help keep your air conditioning system from running as much and lower your electric bills when it’s done right.  If you are ever in doubt of what’s the best way to insulate, don’t be afraid to ask your Air Conditioning and Heating Company because we are the ones responsible for your overall comfort.

Korey Knobloch

Owner, Help Service Co.