Attic Insulation Summer Heat

Heat transfer from the attic.

Attic insulation summer heat.

During summer months the sun beats down on your roof long into the day. Most often found in attics basements walls floors and ceilings insulation can save up to 20 percent on a home s heating and cooling costs making it one of the most important energy efficient tools at your disposal. Without a properly insulated attic the heat will transfer through the ceilings into other floors of the house. Look for water stains on the roof sheathing or damp or moldy spots on attic joists and existing insulation as a clue to where leaks might be.

Roofing materials often absorb the sun especially metal sheeting or asphalt shingles. In hot summer months proper attic insulation will keep your cold air in and will keep warm air out. Quality attic insulation will help your hvac system run at its peak efficiency cutting the energy costs by as much as half in some homes. To understand how attic insulation helps keep your home cool in the summer months you first have to be aware of the ways a poorly insulated attic can make your house hot.

The more insulation and fewer air gaps you ve got the slower the heat and air escape. So it s time to pay close attention to what s happening up there. Sun rays beam down to the roof and without a properly insulated roof the temperature will rise in the attic. As heat rises attics can reach 140 degrees or more.

There it radiates down into the attic heating up the insulation the framing the ductwork and the boxes of christmas tree ornaments. Proper attic insulation is the best way to prevent heat loss in the winter and retain cool air in the summer. Water is insulation s enemy. Insulation helps prevent heat loss and heat gain in a home by acting as a barrier to temperature extremes.

It creates a breeding ground for mold and mildew and ruins the air trapping pockets that block heat flow. Once the solar radiation is absorbed some of the heat still gets ejected to the outside but much of it conducts downward through the roofing materials and roof deck. Most people think attic insulation is a way to keep your home warmer during cold winter months but proper attic insulation is equally important for keeping your home cooler and more energy efficient in summer too. So a thin wisp of r13 in the attic does very little to prevent heat in summer moving in or heat in winter moving out.

The higher the r value the better the insulation works. During summer the reverse stack effect occurs. If you feel like your. Box out light fixtures.

The r value of insulation refers to its thermal resistance its ability to keep heat from moving from place to place.