You probably know that attic insulation keeps your house warm in winter. It traps the heat, keeping it from escaping so your home stays comfortable. But did you realize that insulation helps during the summer, too? If you’re struggling with the heat, you might have an insulation problem. New Jersey Siding & Windows, Inc. tells you why there’s so much hot air coming from your attic and how high-quality insulation can stop it.
Why Is Your Attic Hot?
Do you ever open your attic’s hatch only to be greeted by a gust of hot air? Attics are notorious for their ability to collect heat in summer. One of the reasons your attic is so hot is ventilation. Attics are built with several kinds of vents to push hot air out and make room for cooler air. Unfortunately, many attics don’t have enough of them to properly ventilate such a large space.
Another problem can be a lack of insulation. It’s easy to assume powerful insulation will make the heat problem worse. After all, it traps hot air in the winter – wouldn’t it do the same thing during the summer? In fact, it’s the other way around. Good insulation will help keep your attic cool by keeping the heat from entering your home in the first place. Ideally, your attic should be the same temperature as the outside temperature.
The Problem with Hot Attics
A hot attic might not seem like an immediate problem. It’s not part of the rest of your home, so as long as you keep it sealed off, its heat shouldn’t affect you, right? Unfortunately, this isn’t true. Anything stored in your attic can be affected by the heat, including heat-sensitive pipes, ductwork, and valuable items. It also reduces the efficiency of equipment and wiring. They work twice as hard to do the same job and, as a result, their lives are shortened.
Your attic is also an integral part of keeping your home cool overall. When your attic overheats, cool air from the living space will try to move to a warmer area, thus affecting the temperature in your home. Any exposed pipes and ductwork will also get hot and transfer heat into your home. As the overall home temperature increases, so do your energy bills, and you’ll find yourself paying more to keep your home cool and comfortable.
How Does Insulation Help?
To answer that question, it’s important to understand how heat transfer works. When you go outside in the sun, you can probably feel its heat on your skin. It’s the same for your roof. The sun’s radiation beats down on your home and heats the attic. That hotness is then conducted through the rafters and studs into your attic and the rest of your home’s structure.
Insulation, or more specifically a radiant heat barrier. can stop this process by sealing off the rafters and studs. As radiant heat passes through your roof, it’ll get reflected by the barrier. As a result, your attic won’t heat up as quickly. In combination with ventilation, your new insulation will keep your attic cool and your energy bills low.
Replace Attic Insulation
Attics are notorious for overheating, but yours doesn’t have to be that way. Get in touch with a contractor today to upgrade your attic insulation. At New Jersey Siding & Windows, Inc., we serve North Jersey with attic insulation replacements and other home improvement services. We’ll coat your attic with high-quality eShield insulation to stop hot air coming from your attic. Contact us to learn more.
