Energy Savings and Perfect Temperatures Year-Round with New Attic Insulation
Attic Insulation is vital to maintaining comfortable and efficient temperatures year-round, preventing mold and pests, and keeping home energy costs low. About 90% of single-family homes are under-insulated in Washington state, resulting in thousands of wasted dollars for Seattle area families each year. Roughly 25% of heating and cooling is lost through the attic due to poor insulation or a lack thereof, with heating and cooling accounting for about 50% - 70% of the energy used in the average home. With winter on its way bringing freezing temperatures, heavy rains, storms, and snow in some areas - it's an excellent time to evaluate your home’s current attic insulation levels to make sure they are up to standard.
An under-insulated home’s heating/cooling system will constantly fight to maintain comfortable temperatures and therefore use up more energy. Bringing an attic up to standard not only defends against mold, pests, and sustains ideal temperatures, but will also lower annual energy expenses by as much as 25 to 40%. Washington is located in Zone 4, where the Department of Energy recommends an R-Value of 49 (R49) for Pacific Northwest attics. Many homes do not meet this current standard since building codes and recommendations have changed over time. A local professional insulation contractor such as Valentine Roofing can provide full insulation removal and replacement as well as simple top-offs to existing insulation, bringing your home up to standard.
Using loose-fill blown-in attic insulation, Valentine Roofing's attic insulation technicians can ensure that every area of the attic space is adequately covered and sufficiently insulated, keeping warm air in and cold air out. Maintaining this barrier between the living space and attic above prevents drafts and keeps the home’s interior climate at the ideal temperature all year. In addition, correctly insulated and ventilated attics will prevent moisture build-up which can lead to mold, mildew, pest infestations, and more. Your roof and attic work in tandem to protect your home from the elements, maintain comfortable temperatures, prevent moisture buildup and humidity, and keep pests from intruding and causing damage.
Next to efficient fully synthetic loose-fill blown-in attic insulation, efficient ventilation in a home’s attic is essential to the optimal performance of the entire roofing system. Almost 98% of all moisture present in a home is generated in the bathrooms and kitchen. To prevent moisture buildup, it’s best to ensure all attic vents and fans are working properly and are up to standard. Installing larger, modern style fans and vents will often increase airflow dramatically, thus improving attic airflow and reducing moisture. Loose-fill attic insulation such as ProCat by Owens Corning is entirely synthetic which allows it to not absorb or retain moisture and break down over time like organic-based insulation. Pests are discouraged from using the synthetic material as a source of food or to nest. Because the health of a home’s attic is vital to the efficiency of the roofing system as a whole, every Valentine roofing project includes an attic inspection. This inspection allows our roofing estimators to determine the current condition of the attic and its insulation and make necessary recommendations.
Without an inspection, mold, pests, and other problems can later arise once a roof or insulation is already installed. Many contractors will not take this extra step during the estimate, but at Valentine Roofing we require this to ensure the best possible results in every installation. Our roofing estimator will check an attic for any active or inactive leaks, signs of mold or pests, and excessive moisture levels, as well as the overall condition of the current insulation. Knowing the condition of an attic and its insulation helps our team to deliver the best results and ensure all elements of the roofing system are performing optimally. We recently performed a roof replacement and attic insulation install for the Jones’ in Poulsbo, WA to help prepare their home for the fall and winter months. Their project included a new composite roof in the Onyx Black Duration shingle by Owens Corning, Titanium X-30 underlayment, COR-A-VENT ridge vent system, all new fans/vents, 6k seamless aluminum gutters, 2 new skylights, and new ProCat loose-fill insulation.
Our team removed the home’s old insulation before installing new synthetic ProCat insulation along with the new ventilation components which will substantially improve airflow and reduce the chances of moisture and mold forming.Bringing the attic R-Value in the home up to R49 meets DOE standards for the Pacific Northwest. The previous 22+-year-old roof had several signs of age and shingles in at least one section of the composition shingle roof had begun to peel and become dislodged, allowing a leak to form. The new Onyx Black Duration shingles will add increased protection to the home with their superior triple-layer protection, grip, and wind resistance. These new components work together to form a cohesive system that will protect the home from the elements, maintain comfortable temperatures, keep energy costs down, and more. With only 10% of homes being properly insulated, your home could be among the 90% that are vulnerable to temperature fluctuations, moisture and mold, and pest infestations.
If you think your attic may be under-insulated and is vulnerable to temperature fluctuations, moisture, mold, and pests - contact Valentine Roofing today to receive a fast and free quote on our attic insulation services.
