If you have an attic in your home, chances are you know that it’s important to insulate it. In the winter, an uninsulated attic can result in your home losing a lot of heat. However, an insulated attic is useful for more than the colder seasons. It can also play an important part in keeping your home cool during the summer. Read on to learn why summer attic insulation plays a key role in keeping your home comfortable.
Why is attic insulation so important for the summer?
You’ve probably heard about how heat rises, right? Well, that’s not entirely true. When the air becomes heated, it becomes less dense and, because cold air is denser, rises. In your home, hot air will try to find a way out, most often in your attic. As hot air escapes from the top of your house, dense cold air seeps into the bottom. However, in the summer, this phenomenon is reversed. The denser cool air in your home gets pushed out by hot air moving in from the top of your house. In effect, heat always moves toward cold.
Many roofing materials, like asphalt shingles or metal plates, are good at catching the Sun’s heat and transferring it into your house. Unfortunately, because of how heat works, it only does this when you don’t want the house hot. In order to protect against this, you’ll need some summer attic insulation. Insulation acts as a thermal barrier, slowing the transfer of heat via convection (movement through the air) and conduction (movement through physical contact.) Without insulation, you can expect an increase of about 10°F in your home. The increased heat will force your AC to work harder to maintain a cool temperature, meaning you’ll spend more on your electric bill.
Why trust Daniel’s Plumbing & Air Conditioning to help me with my home’s insulation?
Since 2005, Daniel’s Plumbing & Air Conditioning has helped people around the Austin, TX area keep their homes cool. We offer complete weatherization services designed to help your home stay comfortable and reduce your energy bills. This service includes insulating areas of your home, caulking doors and windows, and tuning-up your HVAC unit. Call today to take advantage of our weatherization services and save money on your future energy bills!