Attic Insulation

Let Home Smart improve the comfort of your home with our cellulose, spray foam and attic insulation.

Upgrading attic insulation is a VERY popular energy-saving improvement because more energy (and money!) is lost through the attic than through any other part of the house.

What makes matters worse is improperly or poorly installing inadequate attic insulation. Existing attic insulation in many homes may be as minimal as R-19-- which pales in comparison to the recommended R-value!

Going through a cold winter with so little insulation is like wearing a t-shirt in a snowstorm. What your house really needs is the equivalent of a thick down-filled parka.

The U.S. Department of Energy recommends between R-49 and R-60 of attic insulation in Maryland , Virginia , & Washington dc , and other areas. That's at least a 16-in.-thick blanket of fiberglass insulation!

attic insulation is also needed in warmer areas. Insulation prevents heat transfer. It prevents hot air from being transferred to the outside in the wintertime, and prevents the attic's scorching heat from being transferred into the living areas of your home during the summer.

Air Sealing Goes Alongside Attic Insulation :

There are many air leaks in your house where heat can leak out of the conditioned space and into the attic. If you insulate without air sealing the surface first, the air will just leak right through the insulation! Many types of insulation do not stop air flow.

What is Air Sealing?

Insulation is NOT an air barrier. So while insulation will stop heat from transferring through your attic floor, it is critical that all gaps and penetrations are sealed before insulation is installed. Think of a winter coat, the coat keeps your arms warm but if you don’t zip up the front, that cold air is still getting in. Air Sealing is restricting the passage of air through the walls, floor, or ceiling so the home is more energy efficient and the process of heating or cooling the home takes less energy and less money. Although you find obvious air leaks, it is the large hidden penetrations that dominate air leakage. Air leaks exist in your attic floor around recessed lights, attic perimeters, construction top plates, duct or plumbing penetrations, etc. These leaks allow costly heated air to escape from your living space below your attic during the winter, and hot air to penetrate your home’s interior during the summer. By sealing up these cracks and gaps, you will stop wasting energy, save money, and experience greater room-to-room comfort.

Electrical, plumbing and HVAC contractors use your attic to conceal the wires, pipes and ducts that comprise the mechanical systems in your home. To control air leakage, an effective air barrier should border and touch the insulation. Without an effective air barrier, air is allowed to pass through and around the insulation which greatly reduces the effectiveness of the insulation.

How does Air Sealing affect you?

Air Sealing is providing appropriate retrofit applications that repair the original construction condition of your home that reduces the direct and indirect air leakage. Air sealing is something that is completed before you install additional insulation in the attic and before you install that new high efficiency gas furnace.

Air leakage in your home represents a sizeable chunk (typically about 25 to 40 percent) of your annual heating/cooling bill. Those leaks also make homes uncomfortable and unhealthy. Air leaks can contribute to problems with moisture control and cause moldy and dusty air to enter your living space through cracks and openings between the living space and attics or foundations. Air seal today and reap the many benefits such as lower energy bills, improved comfort, improved indoor air quality and less impact on our environment. All of our attic estimates will include an option to air
seal your attic prior to installing new attic insulation.