The cost of energy is the majority of budgets and energy costs for households. They increase only when temperatures drop and furnaces begin to kick in.
You don’t need to just sit and let your electricity bill increase. Preparing your attic for colder temperatures to be chilly right now can be a fantastic option to cut your energy bills down in those cool winter months.
Stay tuned for helpful suggestions and techniques for planning your attic to deal with whatever is in store for the winter season including the harsh winter weather the polar plunges, and all in between.
Where to Start When Preparing Your Attic This Winter
As you get ready to begin the process of winterizing your house and getting it ready for winter you can easily neglect the attic. Although you may not visit your attic fan frequently it is important to go upstairs to inspect the place where your home is the most susceptible to temperature control and air leak problems.
Attics are highly susceptible to air leaks due to poorly sealed entry points seal cracks that cause an imbalance in warm and fresh air in your house. This is known as infiltration. Professional air sealing is a solution to the issue of air loss. Infiltration and air leaks make up a third of the heating system issues in your home. Attic insulation and air sealing improve energy efficiency and result in significant savings through the elimination of the waste of energy.
Your attic is most vulnerable to heat loss and losses in many areas, and your sealing efforts should be targeted to:
- Attic Hatches
- Attic Doors
- Floor Holes
- Fireplace Gaps
- Furnace Holes
Making your home winter-ready through air sealing and insulating your attic will be similar to adding a sweater and turtleneck before putting on an outer coat. When it’s cold outside it is essential to layer! The layering effect can be the same with air quality in your home. The frigid winter air slices into your winter attire, and in the same way, you wouldn’t want to expose your house to the elements when the weather drops outside.
If you can trap heated air in the house, it stops the heating system from working constantly to maintain internal temperature. Therefore, if you are insulated in your attic and it’s just not working it could be that you’re experiencing losses of air from air leaks. The energy audit and inspection will provide you with a clear understanding of how you can take steps to reduce the losses of cold air from your attic.
10 Steps to prepare your attic for winter
| Inspect the attic | Hire a trusted professional to do a walk-through of your attic ventilation. Look for cracks, water damage, holes, or damaged adequate insulation. |
| Clear your gutters | Remove buildup of leaves, sticks, and other debris. Without a clear path, rainwater will overflow onto your roof, and then to your attic vents. |
| Repair all leaks | Water in your attic can cause mold, mildew, and wood rot. If you spot any leaks, patch them up and call a professional immediately. |
| Install proper insulation | Insulation helps keep your energy bill low during winter in wood rot by preventing the spread of cold air throughout your home. |
| Evict pests | Rodents and bugs get into your home through holes in your roof and walls. Call a professional to evict the pests and seal off entry points. |
| Inspect your furnace | Have your furnace professionally inspected at least once a year to keep its energy efficiency as high as possible. |
| Ventilate the attic | For every 300 square feet of ceiling, you should have 1 square foot of ventilation. Attic ventilation during winter prevents mold and mildew. |
| Assess the chimney | If your chimney is made of brick or stone, side it for winter in cool air. Siding prevents moisture from leaking into your attic proper ventilation. |
| Use an attic fan | Attic cool fans help ventilate your attic & prevent ice damming. Your attic temperature should be above 60 degrees and no warmer than 10 degrees above the outside temperature. |
| Insulate your pipes | Keeping your attic vents may cause pipes to freeze. Install pipe insulation by snapping on the attic insulation and sealing with new insulation heating system tape. |
To enjoy the advantages of economy, which preparing your attic room is capable of presenting, it is necessary for you to first organize it for the cooler months. You have several abilities to improve as well as the service Findlay roofing of your attics to achieve the best results. See what you need to do.
8 Points for Preparing Your Attic for Colder Temperatures
#1 Check Your Roof
Your roof may become overgrown by mold growth all sorts of natural debris. However, you should not let it lie in the rain for too long.
When twigs, leaves branches or pine needles accumulate in a row, they may collect water and other water in your roof, which can result in thermal leaks sealing cracks within the attic.
If you’re confident doing it and are comfortable doing it, then you may clear this mess by yourself. If you are not comfortable, ask for help from experts.
#2 Fill Cracks
The cracks and holes that can be found within your attic could be an issue regardless of the dimensions. They let warm and moist air out and the furnace must perform overtime to compensate and send your bills to the ceiling (pun meant).
Looking for a way to identify cracks and seal them?
- You should wait until it is a bright, sun-filled day. Find places with sunlight shining from the outside.
- If sunlight is coming in then it’s probably a safe assumption that air leakage is common.
- The majority of the time it is possible to fix the problem yourself by filling in any gaps, cracks, or holes you discover using caulk or sealant.
#3 Investigate For Signs Of Infestation
If you’ve noticed holes and cracks in your attic rodents or other creatures have likely escaped into your attic. The signs of rodents are:
- Droppings
- Urine
- Chewed or nibbled wood
Repairing cracks and holes will prevent other creatures from getting inside your attic. It will also help to trap those who have chosen to use the attic for a warm space to stay warm during winter. The result could create even more issues down the line which is why you should have a top pest control expert at your location as quickly as you can.
#4 Check Your Ventilation
The importance of attic ventilation is not overemphasized.
In the winter months, humid, damp air is likely to move to the higher reaches of your house. If your attic has been stricken with poor attic ventilation, the buildup of humid air could cause severe problems, such as wood rot, or potentially dangerous mold.
For a surety that your your attic space has been properly ventilated, make sure you check:
- The signs of water For attics that haven’t been properly ventilated, then there could be signs of dampness or water that has accumulated noises in the attic including damp or damaged rafters or ceiling joists, growth of mold, or damage to your insulation.
- Vents in the attic Vents in the attic generally are required by the majority of construction codes. However, it’s best to ensure that the vents haven’t been blocked by leaves, twigs empty insulation, or any other debris, and they’re in a good state.
If you find that your attic is not well-ventilated, it’s a good idea to think about installing additional vents or attic fans. To learn more about the functions of Prepare An Attic For Storage fan.
#5 Inspect Your Insulation
Making sure your roof free attic has enough insulation could help you lower your power bills Keep your HVAC from working too hard and becoming worn out as well as improve the quality of air in your residence, as well as many other benefits.
An excellent place to start is to check your current insulation’s R-value, which is an indicator of the efficiency of insulation. The more effective energy efficient an insulation is, the greater its R-value. Which R-value is right for you will depend on a variety of factors, including the area you live in as well as the HVAC system.
However, R-value isn’t only the aspect to be considered proper insulation though. There are additional indicators that your insulation may not be in good shape:
- Temperatures that fluctuate or are not consistent across your home
- Air leaks or water damage
- Heating and cooling equipment is not working properly or you pay more bill for energy than you expected
- Animal or rodent problems
If you’ve observed any of these symptoms then it’s time to call an expert in to evaluate your attic temperature and insulation issues in your attic, as well as remove and replace the insulation as required.
#6 Clean the Gutters
It is possible to think that since the gutters don’t flow directly over the attic, they wouldn’t cause any danger to the attic. This is not the reality. The clogged gutters could trap snow and trap water, which adds weight to the roof. The roofs with a long time or damage could be prone to collapse due to the weight or water in the attic. In addition, gutters that are overflowing can damage the fascia between your home and the gutters. If the facia is damaged enough because of water damage it can make the attic more vulnerable to rodent or insect infestation.
#7 Hire a Professional to Conduct a Home Energy Audit
There are a variety of ways to make your attic organized to be ready for winter. But you may find the hiring of a professional the best option. Experts have been trained and are experienced and can solve issues that an untrained eye might miss.
The Department of Energy shares that performing a home audit, also known as an audit, can assist homeowners to understand the energy use of their house and identify where the problem areas are. An audit can identify trouble spots throughout your house and your attic. It will provide a complete overview of the energy losses as well as ways to boost your home’s efficiency. There are a variety of tax benefits available when you have an accredited home energy auditor.
3 Reasons to Insulate Your Attic Before Winter Begins
- Energy Savings: The winter are the perfect time to insulate your attic. could result in significant savings. The home you live in will be more efficient by insulating your attic. This translates into substantial savings due to lower utility bills. If outside temperatures drop to low or climb too high, all of us are at risk of reaching for the thermostat! The erratic nature of the use of the system suggests that air leaks can be to blame for the issue of temperature control. As the outside temperature fluctuates your house should be within the pre-set temperature ranges. If you need to alter your home’s temperature dramatically it is consuming a significant amount of energy.
- Comfort: One of the main reasons to insulate your attic as well as winterizing your house is so that you keep warm air as the outside temperature drops. When your home is well-insulated effectively, you will reduce your expenses and can maintain the temperatures inside your home. In the chilly days of winter, everyone wants to curl up inside our cozy and cozy living space. Then you can relax in the warmth from a thermostat that is well-regulated and has the proper level of insulation at your house. There’s no need to put on an outer coat in the home or even add extra blankets over your mattress. It is possible to solve these difficulties with only a few changes to the efficiency of your home.
- Long-lasting Improvement: One of the biggest advantages of saving is that after you’ve already installed insulation in your home and it’s been insulated, it’ll be functional throughout the year. When winter comes to an end the house will not end up being uninsulated. The winter are when the house loses warmth from the ceilings. However, during the summertime time sun’s rays heat your ceiling, which warms the cooling air produced by the HVAC system. The newly insulated attic is also able to stop cool air from getting heated by sunlight, which reduces energy consumption and makes the cold air conditioner operate more effectively.
Key Benefits of Insulating Your Attic This Winter
The attic’s insulation is a well-fitting and secure layer of insulation that separates the interior walls, floors, as well as ceiling from outside of your workplace or house. The attic is the main source of air loss since the area isn’t properly sealed, both cool and hot air can enter and exit through the roof when it reaches from living areas to the roof rafters. If adequate insulation in your attic is properly insulation, external temperatures are less of a burden on the comfort of your home.
It isn’t a good idea to have your HVAC system work overtime to keep your home warm air since all the hot air is leaving the attic. For warmer climates such as North Carolina, we often tend to focus on insulation for the flooring of our attic. However, the entire insulation heating system can assist you to completely insulating the living spaces of your house all through the year.
Benefits of attic insulation:
- The home you live in will be more comfortable due to temperature control
- Your house will be more energy efficient in terms of energy use.
- The result will be a drop in greenhouse gas emissions
- Your home will benefit from greater soundproofing against external pollution
Conclusion
One of the most crucial things to consider when planning your house for winter time is to ensure that any improvement to your home is lasting. Your home can be winterized and make your attic a better place to be ready for winter, but also you’re preparing your house for all-year convenience and control of temperature.