Attic Insulation For Your Home
PCA Crawlspace and PCA Attic are parts of The Pest Control Authority’s family of services in the Charlotte, NC region. Family owned and operated locally since 1980, we provide restoration, repair, and prevention services to homeowners that have experienced damages from water intrusion, moisture, and insect or animal intrusion in your attic or crawlspace area with services including:
- Total home analysis by state certified and licensed employees that average over 15 years of field experience.
- Pest control treatments, animal trapping, removal, and exclusion.
- Wet, moldy, fouled insulation and wood removal and replacement.
- Animal waste removal.
- Construction, junk and debris removal left from previous companies’ “repairs” and vermin.
- Mold remediation treatments.
- Rain and ground water control with drainage systems inside and outside of your home’s foundation and crawlspace.
- Humidity control to your enclosed airspaces with dehumidification systems.
- Crawlspace vapor barriers; partial or total encapsulations to stop water evaporation into your home from the ground below the crawlspace and/or it’s foundation walls and vents.
- Sump pumps with drains to remove captured humidity and water.
Energy Concerns In Your Attic
One the most common areas that homeowners overlook to help with energy costs is the attic. Most homes when they are built use the bare bones minimum amount of fiberglass insulation. Insulation levels are specified by R-Value. R-Value is a measure of insulation’s ability to resist heat traveling through it. The higher the R-Value the better the thermal performance of the insulation. If a home has a low R value this is going to cause the house to become cooler in the winter therefore your heat will have to make up for the lost heat. Many times animals such as squirrels can lower the R-value causing the heat loss to occur at a faster rate therefore leading to higher energy costs.
Your home needs a healthy balance of moisture, temperature, and air. Too much water is unhealthy for it. This invites mold, fungi and eventually rot, insects, vermin and disease if not corrected. Every home is different. Some problems are minor and some are major. Undetected, they will only get worse over time.
Take control of and stabilize your home’s environment with a common sense prescription from the professionals at PCA.
For a free energy analysis please give us a call at 704-377-2847.
Fiberglass Blown Insulation
Fiberglass insulation is one of 2 types of blown-in insulation. Fiberglass based blown-in insulation is made from molten glass that is spun into fibers. Most manufacturers use 20%–30% recycled glass content. Attic blown-In insulation is becoming more popular every year. It has many advantages over the traditional fiberglass batts and installs quickly and easily in most homes. Because it can actually be blown into attics and walls without much disturbance for the homeowner or damage to the home, it is great for older homes.
How is Blown-In Insulation Applied?
Fiberglass blown-in insulation must be applied using an insulation blowing machine. It is designed for both open-blow applications (such as attic spaces) and closed-cavity applications (such as walls or vaulted ceilings). Blown-in insulation creates a tight fit in each stud cavity and seals around all outlets, pipes, wires, etc. This tight seal makes this insulation a great sound barrier as well as insulator. Our installers are trained to eliminate settling of the insulation by creating the perfect combination between the netting used to contain the material and the amount of compression in each cavity.
Why Blown-In Insulation?
It is very easy to install in open wall spaces. The tight seals it creates bring increased noise control and a dramatic reduction in your heating and cooling costs. You can take advantage of the rebates and tax credits from utility companies and the federal government. Cellulose insulation is second of two types of blown-in insulation. It is composed of up to 85% recycled newsprint. The remaining content is most commonly a mixture of ammonium sulfate and borate that functions as a fire retardant. These chemicals have the added benefit of deterring insects, rodents, and mold. Because Blown-in insulation is loose material it can take any shape and fits easily into oddly shaped spaces like vaulted ceilings. Also, because it can actually be blown into attics and walls without much disturbance for the homeowner or damage to the home, it is great for older homes.
Cellulose Insulation Types
There are two types of this kind of insulation. Our team of experts will determine the ideal choice for your situation.
Dry Pack Cellulose—With Dry Pack, the wall/ceiling is covered with “netting” that tightly contains the material in each cavity and eliminates settling.
Spray Applied Cellulose—Spray Applied Cellulose is different because the cellulose is mixed with latex adhesive, misted with water to activate the glue and blown into wall cavities.
Insulation Tips
- Consider factors such as your climate, home design, and budget when selecting insulation for your home.
- Use higher R-value insulation, such as spray foam, on exterior walls and in cathedral ceilings to get more insulation with less thickness.
- Install attic air barriers such as wind baffles along the entire attic eave to help ensure proper airflow from the soffit to the attic. Ventilation helps with moisture control and reducing summer cooling bills, but don’t ventilate your attic if you have insulation on the underside of the roof.
- Be careful how close you place insulation next to a recessed light fixture—unless it is insulation contact (IC) rated—to avoid a fire hazard.
Long-Term Savings Tips
One of the most cost-effective ways to make your home more comfortable year-round is to add insulation to your attic, including the attic trap or access door, which is relatively easy.
To find out if you have enough attic insulation, measure the thickness of the insulation. If it is less than R-30 (11 inches of fiberglass or rock wool or 8 inches of cellulose), you could probably benefit by adding more.
If your attic has enough insulation and proper air sealing, and your home still feels drafty and cold in the winter or too warm in the summer, chances are you need to add insulation to the exterior walls. This is more expensive and usually requires a contractor, but it may be worth the cost—especially if you live in a very cold climate. If you replace the exterior siding on your home, consider adding insulation at the same time.
You may also need to add insulation to your crawlspace or basement.
New Construction & Additions
In most climates, you will save money and energy when you build a new home or addition if you install a combination of cavity insulation and insulative sheathing. Reduce exterior wall leaks by taping the joints of exterior sheathing and caulking and sealing exterior walls. Cavity insulation can be installed at levels up to R-15 in a 2 inch x 4 inch wall and up to R-21 in a 2 inch x 6 inch wall. These help to reduce the energy that would otherwise be lost through the wood frame.
Consider products that provide both insulation and structural support, such as structural insulated panels (SIPs), and masonry products like insulating concrete forms.
You should consider attic or roof radiant barriers (in hot climates), reflective insulation, and foundation insulation for new home construction. Check with your contractor for more information about these options.