Cold weather and home heating are never far away for us living in the Calgary / Airdrie area, conversely home cooling in the summer months can also prove challenging.
Heating and cooling account for 50 to 70 percent of the energy used in the average home. If your home is un-insulated or under-insulated, you’ll spend extra money on your heating bills trying to maintain comfortable temperatures.
Insulating an attic delivers the greatest return on investment for most Alberta homes. As ENERGY prices rise, it means deeper applications of attic insulation make more economic sense.
Safer Home Structure:
Adding house attic insulation can prevent gradual damage to your home caused by heat and moisture. It prevents water vapor from seeping in and eroding your walls/ceiling.
It also slows down heat buildup in your attic, which can cause the shingles on your roof to swell and crack.
It prevents ice dams from forming when melting snow refreezes on your roof’s edge.
Even Homes built to code just two years ago probably wont meet minimum levels required for new homes today. And don't assume that a brand new home even has enough attic insulation without measuring. Sometimes things don't happen like they are supposed to on construction sites.
So how much is enough? You will need to do some figuring. Start by aiming for a minimum R50 as an end goal. If you don't have at LEAST 16 inches of insulation in your attic you're letting money escape out of your home.
Better Indoor Air Quality:
Heat naturally flows from warmer to cooler places. And even homes that are equipped with modern heating and cooling systems can cause severe temperature fluctuations when under-insulated. A temperature difference of 5 to 10 degrees between floors in your home is a sure sign that your home has too little insulation.
Most bedrooms in Canadian homes are located on upper floors, so adding insulation is a great way to ensure comfort at night and in the early morning, when temperatures are at their lowest.
Less HVAC Wear and Tear:
Older homes tend to be drafty, and poor insulation can cause your heating and cooling systems to work overtime to maintain an even temperature. With less heat gain in the summer and heat loss in the winter, you’ll reduce your family’s reliance on your home’s heating and cooling systems while maintaining comfortable indoor temperatures year-round.
Environmental Benefits:
While most homeowners associate attic insulation with keeping a home warm and cutting down on utility costs, there are also environmental benefits to attic insulation. Improving or upgrading attic insulation actually means two things: reducing the amount of energy that's being wasted in summer and winter AND consuming less energy for heating and air conditioning. Simply put, less energy consumption means less negative environmental impact.
