Attic Insulation Central

One of the most commonly overlooked things when dealing with insulation is the health risk. Attic insulation is dangerous no matter what, it’s actually one of the most commonly encountered factors in lung cancer.

Most of the homes built between the 1930 and the 1960 were insulated using fiberglass which was thought at that time to be the best type of insulation, boy they were wrong. One thing that’s actually weird is that fiberglass was never approved to be used as insulating material for the attic yet it was the most commonly encountered insulating material. Because of it’s nature fiberglass is actually being compared to asbestos to a certain level regarding the diseases it may cause.

Mold or fungus, the nasty greenish looking things that you commonly see in attics, so common yet so underestimated. Besides the fact that mold can damage the structural integrity of the building by eating away at the wood and drywall it can also cause severe breathing problems. Although insulated attics aren’t usually a good environment for fungus growth, in some circumstances where dust get trapped in the attic mold can occur. Dust alone isn’t the single contributing factor to the appearance of mold there are others as well, like a humid climate and moisture.

Asbestos has to be one of the worst insulating materials that exist on the market. Because of it’s structure, asbestos was considered at a certain point one of the best thermal insulation materials until they discovered the diseases it can cause.

Constructed of microscopic fibers, it can become airborne when disturbed and inhaled into the lungs. Once in the lungs they can cause numerous types of serious health problems including:

• Asbestos is a serious, non-cancerous disease of the lungs that is caused by inhaling asbestos fibers. The lung tissue is irritated and scarring occurs, making it hard for oxygen to get into the blood. There is no effective treatment for asbestosis.
• Lung Cancer causes the most deaths related to asbestos exposure.
• Mesothelioma a rare form of cancer that is found in the membrane of the lung, chest, abdomen, and heart and, in almost all cases, is linked to exposure to asbestos.

It’s a well known fact that attic doors are one of the biggest energy leaking areas in an insulated house. A proper insulation on attic doors should be taken into consideration if you’re keen on saving energy as I’m sure most of our readers are. An attic can have up to 3 access points, such as: an attic hatch, a pull-down stairs or a knee-wall door; usually no one takes into account the importance of these access points when insulating thus leaving a large hole in the thermal barrier between the attic and the living space.

The attic hatch serves as an attic access point for many houses, yet it’s one of the most inefficiently insulated attic access points in the house. This gap in our attic heat barrier increases heat loss during the winters and heat gain during the summer. Imagine this - a gap of only 1 inch wide can potentially leak almost the same amount of air that a typical bedroom heating duct can provide.

The pull-down stairs are yet another type of attic access that aren’t quite insulation friendly as they should be. The pull-down stairs roughly fit in a gap that leaves some extraneous space for the air to flow by and that’s a big no no for anyone that’s looking to save money on those heating bills.
If the gap is smallish (less than an inch), caulk could be used as a sealant. If a larger opening exists though non-expanding foam or a backer rod is what you should try in conjunction with caulk. Expanding foam could also be used but be extremely careful when using it as it might stop the stairs from opening properly.

Today’s article is going to be about how to install cellulose attic insulation. We’ve already discussed about why cellulose insulation is a better choice than fiberglass insulation - if you haven’t read that article, now is the time to do it ( Types of attic insulation ). Just as a short side note you should know that one of the reasons why insulators prefer cellulose is because it’s made out of recycled newspapers and only has chemicals to make it fire retardant. Besides, cellulose insulation doesn’t cause rashes as the fiberglass one does. So without too much talk let’s get started with today’s article on how to install cellulose attic insulation.

The first thing you’ll want to do is to place some strips of plywood down the length of your attic, these pieces of plywood will serve as a walkway for later on. If you’re planning on leaving some spare space to use for storage remember to place some plywood there as well so you don’t accidentally step through the ceiling.

The second thing you should do is measure the length and width of the attic, the measurements will help you determine what thickness your cellulose insulation should be and how much you need to buy. Using the formula provided on the back of the insulation packages and some simple math calculations you’ll be able to tell how much cellulose insulation you need.

Next, we’ll have to purchase the insulation and some special protection equipment, like dust masks and goggles. After you’ve made all the necessary purchases, head on to a insulation blower rental place and make sure you understand how to use it before even thinking of trying it.

To help prevent the foam from drifting into the house we’ll need to use a cardboard wall around the access door. There isn’t a specific type of cardboard you should be using here any regular cardboard will do.

Attic insulation and vapor barriers aren’t a safe combination for everyone to use safely within their homes. The reason why this is debatable is because vapor barriers can in some cases become a problem instead of a solution.
Having moisture within your house walls can lead to some serious problems. In theory, the purpose of vapor barriers is to keep the moisture away from your insulation. The mixture between moist and insulation can lead to rot and lose of R-value which will eventually lead to a faulty insulation with a lower R-value. The actual problem isn’t moist but the condense that creates within your walls. The condensed water inside your walls will in the best case scenario freeze and stay like that, worst case scenario you’ll end up with a stained ceiling or wall.

Attic insulations usually come pre-equipped with vapor barriers to keep the moisture out, however this doesn’t mean it’s fail proof and leakages can occur where the facings meet. One of the most problematic things with attic insulation and vapor barriers is how to properly combine them and leave out the moisture.

The phenomenon that usually occurs is that during the winters, you’re going to have a constant flow of hot air inside your house. The hot air will rise and it’s a good practice to let some of the moisture into your attic. As we know it hot air means moisture, moisture leads to rot and rot leads to faulty attic insulation which isn’t a really good thing.
Attic insulation and vapor barriers aren’t really necessary although useful in some cases - it mostly depends on the area you live in. If you’re living in an area with an average temperature of above 0 degrees Celsius the combination of attic insulation and vapor barriers isn’t necessary.

Attic insulation is a commonly encountered procedure but nevertheless requires some basic knowledge on how to perform it. I’m sure that by now if you’ve had the chance to read our articles about The advantages of home attic insulation and Commonly encountered types of attic insulation and if you haven’t you should. Now, leaving that aside let’s move on and start considering the basics of attic insulation.

What you need to know about the basics of attic insulation

1. Attic insulation helps increase the comfort of your home, reduces energy bills and at the same time increases the overall value of your house.

2. There are two types of attic insulation: sprayed-in and rolled-in; the sprayed-in is the most popular choice whilst the other is the best solution.

3. If you’re serious about insulating, then acquiring the best spray foam insulation equipment is a must; for rolled-in foam insulation I suggest hiring a specialized contractor as it’s a bit trickier.

4. Attic insulation is your house’s first and cheapest line of defense against the ever changing temperatures of the nature.

5. There aren’t too many tips on basics of attic insulation that one should know, just remember to keep on the safe side using proper equipment and asking for advice at first.

There are many insulating contractors that will certainly give you a free custom tailored quota to suit your needs.

Attic insulation is one of the few things every proud householder should do. The purpose of attic insulation is to not only help you reduce heating or cooling costs but at the same time increase comfort. Most people think attic insulation is only good when trying to keep the house warmer in winter and unfortunately not many realize that it also helps during the hot summer days keeping the cooler air in-doors and the hotter one outside.

Most people don’t realize that home attic insulation is actually a sound investment for the future because it degrades very slow and it will make up for its costs in a couple of years. The main purpose of attic insulation is to act as a barrier between the outside and the inside, thus ensuring the best temperature is inside.

Home attic insulation is a cost effective insulation - sure you’ll be paying a few extra bucks now but when the winter / summer comes you’ll notice the difference on your heating bills. I’m sure that anyone that has lived in a house with a non-insulated attic experiences colder winters and hotter summers. Still, there are people that think that attic insulation isn’t necessary and that they can live with a sub-par or no insulation at all - I agree to a certain level but if you want what’s best for your house you’ll go with the best attic insulation contractors immediately.

Another advantage of home attic insulation is that it adds up to the overall value of the house. Having a valid proof of your reduced heating / cooling costs will surely convince any buyer that your house is worth the investment. Let’s not even mention the fact you’ll be enjoying a nicer and better experience when living in an insulated house.