August 2004

Save Energy in the Attic

Possibilities to save energy are all around your home. One of the most common areas in your home to lose or save energy is the attic.

Start by adding the proper type and amount of insulation to your attic. Loose-fill insulation is typically the best choice for attics to fill hard-to-reach areas and crevices.

Types of loose-fill insulation include cellulose and fiberglass. Both are made of recycled materials that are broken down into small particles. Cellulose looks like ground up newspaper, while fiberglass insulation looks similar to cotton balls.

Cellulose insulation has added chemicals that promote fire and insect resistance. It's made from wastepaper, where as fiberglass is from molten glass. About 20 to 30 percent of the fiberglass insulation is made of recycled glass.

Insulation is rated by R-value, or its resistance to heat flow. The higher the R-value, the better the insulator. If you choose insulation with a high R-value per inch, then you can use less insulation. R-30 is the recommended R-value for attic insulation.

Have a professional install loose-fill insulation in your attic. It requires the use of special equipment that professionals have on hand. Insulation should be installed according to the building codes. Professionals are required to install the insulation by R-value, not thickness.

Always check to make sure you're getting at least the minimum amount specified in the building codes. Since loose-fill insulations come in bags, you can determine the number of bags needed per square foot.

First, measure the square footage of your attic. The label on the bag will indicate how many bags should be used per square foot. If a professional installs insulation, count the number of bags used to make sure the proper amount was added. Professionals are also required to leave a card in your attic detailing the installed R-values.

It's important to check, because fluffing can occur during installation when excess air is used in the blowing machine. Excess air pockets develop when the insulation is blown into the attic.

Even though the insulation appears to be the proper thickness, excess air pockets have taken the place of insulation. Therefore, you don't necessarily have the proper amount of insulation that is required. It's a good indication that fluffing has occurred if all the bags of insulation were not used.

You may not be aware, but your attic could be releasing air into your home through attic fans and access doors. Use expandable foam or caulk to fill in the trim work around access doors and attic fans.

The air that passes through from the attic is air that you pay to heat or cool. You can reduce air leakage by adding an insulation cover to your pull-down stairs and a cover for the attic fan. Just remember to remove the cover over the fan before using it.

No matter how much your attic is insulated, if it's not properly ventilated then it's less energy efficient than you think. Adequate ventilation prevents moisture buildup. Moisture can potentially create structural problems, including wood decay, paint peeling and wet insulation.

A well-ventilated attic can save you money on cooling your home in the summertime. Instead of trapping heat, proper ventilation prevents excessive heat buildup in the attic. And during the winter months, proper ventilation will keep the unwanted moisture out and keep the insulation dry. "It doesn't cost anything for you to run passive vents," said Dan Guy, Walton EMC home energy specialist. "The best type of passive vents to install are continuous soffit vents and continuous ridge vents."

Guy's "rule of thumb" for passive vents is for every 100 square feet of flat ceiling under the attic, there should be 150 square inches of passive vent.

"Passive vents let air in at the lowest levels and out at the highest levels, while electric vents put suction on the ceiling by pulling air outof the house and increasing infiltration."

Electric or mechanical vents aren't usually the best solution. Often times you'll spend more money powering electric vents than what you'll save on energy. The bearings on wind turbines add resistance to air flow if there's no wind; this slows down the airflow.

The U.S. Department of Energy has more great energy saving tips. Don't pay extra this summer on cooling costs from cooling the hot air released from your attic. Instead, make your attic more energy efficient and store up on energy savings.

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