Heating and cooling are the biggest consumers of energy in an average house. As such, inadequate insulation can cause a significant increase in energy costs. To cut back on energy costs, most homeowners opt to install insulation in their ceilings. However, to ensure that your home is adequately insulated, you must hire professionals that have the necessary experience and equipment. Clean Air Doctors offering insulation services can help you out with necessary suggestions when you need them.
Even if there are numerous rooms in the home, one thing is certain: the rooftop of the house offers the best insulation. This is where warmth or coolness can more easily escape from the property. The starting point for ensuring that you have insulation that will provide optimal energy efficiency is from the roof down. Visit https://www.asifoam.com/ to know more.
R-value And Ceiling Insulation
In layman language, R-value indicates the heat resistance offered by particular insulation material. The value of R varies, depending on the location of your house and part of the building you want to insulate. And since the R-value is calculated per inch of insulation thickness, maximum resistance requires the highest insulation layering. Typical values for insulating ceilings and attic spaces range between R-30 to R-49 throughout the United States. Higher R-values can be achieved by adding more layers of insulation and mixing material types. Ceilings and attic spaces are most vulnerable to air leakage and thus need higher R-value insulation than the rest of your house.
Add, Remove Or Replace The Existing Insulation Material?
Having existing insulation for your ceilings can be a good thing. For one, it eases out the fact that you already have a framework set to add new insulation layers. However, the efficiency of insulating materials deteriorates substantially after about eight years. If your house is close to or older than eight years, it might be a better idea to replace the old insulation with a new one. But before you decide anything, you should do a thorough inspection before any installation is done.
If there are signs of damage, decoloring or structural deformations with your existing ceiling insulation, replacement might be your best bet. If you detect any wetness, you should first look for the source of moisture and handle it. This should not be ignored even if you are planning to install moisture-proof insulations because it might lead to mold or mildew formations, which can damage the wooden framework for your ceilings and attics.
Types Of Ceiling Insulation
Drop Ceiling Insulation
This suspended dual-layered ceiling system is commonly found in modern buildings. These ceilings are installed primarily to conceal pipes and wirings and are also referred to as false ceilings. Amongst all solutions, fiberglass batt insulations seem to work best for these kinds of ceilings. Being lightweight and easy to handle, fiberglass is an excellent choice for drop ceiling insulation. Additionally, batt insulation is preferred over roll types due to the limited space of drop ceilings.
Cathedral Ceiling Insulation
These types of ceilings have a unique arched structure. Cathedral ceilings have a higher center point formed by two sloping sides of similar length. Insulation material selection is vital for cathedral ceilings. For instance, the wet installation style with cellulose might not suit such structures. The material will shrink on drying and lead to crevices and drafts later. Although expensive, spray foam insulation is more suitable for cathedral ceilings. It’s important to note that foam insulation has a strong odor that might force residents out for a while until the application is done. Another viable option is fiberglass insulation that is both easy to install and cost-effective. Such insulation provides excellent fire and moisture resistance as well.
Insulating Ceilings With Attics
Ceilings with attics mean you have a ceiling that is the floor of an attic. Most people tend to keep attics uninsulated in such cases. However, this is not advisable because it makes your attic vulnerable to moisture damage, even if it is only used for storage. For those that insulate their attics, cellulose has been the most common insulation material for such structures. But the problem with using cellulose is that it is not air-tight and is vulnerable to fire. Fiberglass, therefore, is a much better choice.
Insulating Ceilings Without Attics
Flat ceilings are insulated from top-down, meaning layers of insulation is added just below the waterproofing material. Alternatively, weatherproofing can be applied later on top of the insulations too. Renovating your home might need you to remove roof coverings before insulation. This method requires extreme care and is best handled by professionals.
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