CAN I HAVE TOO MUCH ATTIC INSULATION?
Is it possible for your attic to have too much insulation? That is an interesting question. There is no one-size-fits-all answer and it probably isn’t a question you even need to ask. To work backwards a bit, your attic can definitely be under-insulated. Millions of homes through-out the continent are under-insulated. Understanding the positives of insulating is one the best things homeowners can do. Environmentally helpful, energy efficiency, money saving, etc. are just some of the good things we can say about insulating. But are there negatives? An opposite side of the coin? Affordable attic installation that is done correctly is our specialty, we can answer this question.
Two things insulation does for your home is it regulates the temperatures of your living space and helps you save on energy bills. Insulation deals with the movement of heat. It keeps heat from moving from a hot attic to your cooled home and it keeps the heat of your home inside when outside temperatures are cold. There is absolutely a minimum amount of insulation that is suggested and a perfect amount that maximizes your energy usage so that you’re saving the most while being the most comfortable. There is a point, however, when the amount of insulation you have begins to result in diminished returns. If you continue to add insulation to your home, it eventually stops adding efficiency to your temperature regulation. If your home isn’t retaining heat enough during winter, you may need more insulation, so you add more. But if you continue to add more past the point you need it, your attic is SO insulated that the additional material isn’t helping you. Basically, there is no point to the extra insulation being there! It does nothing but cost time and money to install. That’s where the returns begin to diminish. Most homes in the country need more insulation, but only to a point. Past that point, you’re spending money on something that no long saves you money or even makes you more comfortable. Very little impact, very expensive.
Attic insulation services typically goes hand-in-hand with positive environmental impacts. For example, most insulation projects mean air sealing your attic, thus improving the air quality of your home. But more insulation than you need won’t further improve the air quality, in fact, additional layers could cause some problems. Those extra layers of insulation mean more possibility for mold and mildew if those layers take in water as it would be harder for that moisture to escape. Additionally, the insulation material your using has to be manufactured. This requires energy and even natural resources. Over-insulating uses resources while not actually helping regulate energy and temperature.
In most cases, over-insulating your attic may not result in problems to the health of you and your home, but they might. And if one thing is for sure, you’re going to break your bank account paying for all that insulation with absolutely no good returns. That being said, what we’ve discussed today is most likely a theoretical issue for you. Out point is that, yes, it is possible to over-insulate your home. BUT there is little chance you’re in danger of making that mistake. Most have home don’t have enough insulation or it hasn’t been properly done. If your worried about the issues that can arise with over-insulation, let us tell you that most people are at risk of incurring problems with under-insulation. Under-insulating can cause all these same problems as well as many more will cost you much, more in the long run. Ultimately, there is some truth the argument of over-insulation, but we suggest hiring professionals to do a audit of your home. If you think your experiencing issues due to over-insulation, a professional can confirm that for you, but will mostly likely identify a different culprit.
Give All Attic Insulation, your local 5 star insulation contractor, a call and we can answer all your questions and determine the perfect attic insulation solution for you. As one of the best home insulation companies in the area, we can provide quality services from attic insulation installation, removal, energy audits, to attic sealing and more. (713) 817-1769