FORT BEND Blog

Why You Need More Insulation

Have you ever ordered a coffee or a meal but when it was brought out it wasn’t the temperature you expected?  Maybe you bought something and after a week it broke unnecessarily in a way it wasn’t supposed to. You might think - “this product wasn’t worth putting money into” because now you will either have to repurchase it or live without it, but remember the amount of money you put into it.

Suppose someone was going to want to purchase a car. Upon coming to the lot they find 2 cars that they like and want to continue to learn more about the price, history, etc. One the cars is very new, has great gas mileage, but is a bit more expensive. The second car is a bit older, it does not have great gas mileage, but is less overall in price.

Which car would you advice this person to select?

More than likely, you would suggest the person to pick the newer, more expensive car with the better gas mileage because of this reasoning:

1. Although you will spend more upfront - you’ll save more per month and in the end.
2. Because of this (Point 1) and the fact it is a newer car - you will be confident in the car’s usage because you know it will be more reliable and safe.
3. Lastly, you make this purchase because this car will last longer and better than the other.

You go with choosing this car with a higher expense because even though you must make a purchase - at least this car will be worth the money.

YOUR ATTIC

In the same way, when it comes to your attic’s insulation you always want to make sure you’re getting the best out of what you have and make sure you have what you need.

Now, most people when it comes to thinking about their attic, they probably think that it is a place in their house where they store their personal items and is known for being very uncomfortable in terms of the temperature.  This is one of the most important spots to the rest of the house in terms of monthly cost and living.

If your attic’s insulation is not meeting the standard level and therefore is being used to the fullest degree, you might be seeing yourself as one who owns the car that is actually adding to their monthly costs and not subtracting them.

Now, there is something you can do. According to the Department of Energy, “on average, you can save up to 20% on your home’s heating and cooling costs or up to 10% on its total energy costs by adding insulation to attics, floors, crawl spaces, and accessible basement rim joists, and by reducing unwanted air leaks all around your house” (energy.gov).

There are many simple ways to fix these issues, from air sealing with can foam, adding attic hatch covers, spray foam insulation and even loose fill blow in insulation.

Today we will focus in on the last in this list of solutions. One of the easiest ways is to add blow in insulation. It is a simple yet fast solution to where results from it can start the day it is added.

Now, to see how your attic is doing, and why it needs blow in insulation, we must measure how much insulation you have. When it comes to measuring insulation in your attic, you want to determine how many inches of insulation is on your attic floor. By measuring this, you can then reference this R-Value chart (this measures inches for Fiberglass insulation) to determine how well your attic is doing.

What is  R-Value?

All this entails is simply observing your attic’s “ability of insulation material to reduce heat flow… The greater the R-value, the more this heat flow is reduced.

R-Value is determined by the number of inches of insulation that is in your attic (from the sheetrock/floor to the top of the current insulation). For instance, if you have 6 inches of insulation in your attic - you are rated at R-19.

In the state of Texas, the R-Value is set at R-38 which is a minimum 13 inches (for fiberglass) total since it is a temperate climate. Which obviously means, if you have less than 13 inches or R-38, your HVAC, energy, and the conditioning in your home is going to run more than it usually should because the lacking insulation. This only adds to your energy costs.

If you have less than 13 inches - you need insulation.

In terms of what kind of blow in insulation, there are many different types: fiberglass, cellulose and spray foam. Now, the most common would be fiberglass.

Here are some facts about Fiberglass Insulation:

• R-value per inch: 2.2–2.7
• Made of: Recycled glass or sand that's melted and spun into fibers
• Bottom line: Lighter in weight than cellulose or mineral wool, but it settles more than those materials, so you've got to put in a thicker layer to get the protection you need (ThisOldHouse.com)

WHAT KOALA CAN DO

Blown-in insulation takes a minimal amount of time and sometimes can be done just in a couple of hours - depending on the size of the attic and how many inches you would need to add. At Koala, we will come in and simply run a hose into your attic. From there, through the combination of circulating air and breaking up the insulation with an auger, we very quietly blow in insulation. We will make sure to place Attic Rulers so you can see how many inches of insulation you are always at and we will make sure that we leave the job sit cleaner than we found it.

Adding insulation to your attic is like driving your car with a new and efficient engine. You’ll experience a better conditioned space and you’ll pay less on your monthly energy bills.