When you want your California home to be as comfortable and as energy-efficient as possible, properly insulating the attic is a top priority. The right types of attic insulation can keep your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.
In this blog post, we’ll focus on why attic insulation is so important and how to choose the best types for your home.
Why Attic Insulation Is Important in Winter
Heated air naturally rises, and if your home isn’t properly sealed and insulated, some of that heat will bleed through into the attic through gaps in the insulation and thermal conduction through the ceiling.
Attics are one of the top sources of energy loss in the home, as they often aren’t sealed well, with plenty of leaks and drafts that allow heat to escape. This heat loss can lead to significantly higher utility costs while making your HVAC system work harder to keep you comfortable.
Proper attic insulation can slow this transfer of heat. It provides a strong thermal barrier between the living area, the attic and the outdoors, reducing heat loss, and it helps seal the air gaps that allow heated air to escape.
With high-quality attic insulation installed by a professional, you can maximize your energy savings, pay less to heat your home and turn on the heat less often to keep your home comfortable.
Best Insulation for Attics
If your home lacks the proper amount of attic insulation, about R-49 in the Sacramento area, adding more can greatly improve your home’s comfort and efficiency. This can involve insulation removal and replacement if your current insulation is old or damaged.
Or, if your current insulation is in good condition, an insulation retrofit can add more to bring it up to the U.S. Department of Energy’s current recommendations. There are several good choices for attic insulation in the Sacramento area, including:
- Spray foam insulation: Spray foam offers the highest R-value per inch of installed material, making it easy to fit more insulation in tight spaces like attic floors. It also provides a good vapor barrier, since it seals tightly to adjoining surfaces as it cures.
- Fiberglass insulation: Blown-in fiberglass is ideal for attic floors because it can be piled high to maximize the installed R-value, and it’s quite cost-effective. Fiberglass batts are perfect for insulating knee walls and attic floors because they fit tightly between wall studs and floor joists.
- Cellulose insulation: Blown-in cellulose offers similar R-values to fiberglass, and it’s perfect for attic floors where it’s installed in thick layers for maximum thermal efficiency. It’s also environmentally friendly, made primarily from recycled paper products that have been treated to resist fire and pests.
- Radiant barrier insulation: Installed on the underside of the roof, radiant barrier insulation features a surface that reflects the sun’s heat away from the roof during the summer rather than absorbing it. This keeps your home cooler in the summer and can help maximize the service life of your roof.
Professional Attic Insulation Installation in Sacramento, CA
Need help insulating an attic? Talk to the experts at Gold Star Insulation. We serve homeowners, builders and contractors in the Sacramento area, and our professionals can recommend the best types of insulation for each area of the attic.
We offer high-quality insulation installations throughout Sacramento, Davis, Folsom, Carmichael and surrounding areas. Our company is BPI-certified, A+ rated by the BBB and our great service and work has earned us many positive reviews.
Make your home more comfortable year-round with top-quality attic insulation from our team at Gold Star Insulation.
Call (916) 229-8445 today to request a quote for attic insulation services in Sacramento or surrounding areas.