Proper attic insulation and ventilation extend the life of your roofing. The two working together helps you avoid extreme heat in the summer that literally cooks your shingles from the inside and in the winter will not allow radiant heat from your home to melt snow cover causing ice dams and related problems.
Proper attic insulation and attic ventilation are part of an effective roofing system. Each alone have a positive impact but together protect the longevity of your roof, improving energy efficiency and allowing all of the mechanical systems to work most efficiently. Proper ventilation and attic insulation make your home a more comfortable place.
Attic Insulation Is Important In Cold And Warm Weather
Attic insulation has an extremely important function. The fluffy fiberglass batts, loose fill, or rigid panels in your attic and walls help insulate your home from low winter temperatures, sealing in the heat from your furnace. Properly installed insulation conserves energy (heat in winter and cool in summer) because it stops air leaks from diminishing the effectiveness of you heating and cooling systems. When considering attic insulation, the R-value is an important measure of the impact your insulation will have. In a climate such as Madison WI, higher R-Values such as R-38 or over in the ceilings and R-25 and over in walls and floors. Insulation R Values By State
Attic Ventilation and Attic Insulation Work Together
The general rule is where there is a lot of attic insulation, good ventilation is needed. The insulation is most effective when it “breathes”. To accomplish this there must be an air flow to the outside surfaces of the insulation (attic). Conversely, insulation should be sealed off on the inside surfaces. In all homes, walls and ceilings should have a vapor barrier lining of watertight material.
Vapor barriers are designed to limit the movement of moisture. This is significant because when airborne water molecules from inside the home are allowed to commute through your attic insulation, they will ultimately condense when contacting cooler air on the wall. The condensation will accumulate and begin saturating your insulation. Wet attic insulation is a very poor insulator and the excess moisture in walls and ceilings might lead to paint peeling on both the outside or inside. In the worst case scenario the moisture can lead to wood rot in your attic and walls.
When adding attic insulation, plan on adding ventilation as well. Proper attic ventilation can be accomplished with vents in the soffits in the underside of the roof overhangs, to the roof itself, and to the walls of your home. The airflow these vents allow cool your home during summer. A general rule is to have one square foot of ventilation for every five hundred square feet of insulated surface.
If you would like assistance with correcting roofing problems, improving your homes attic ventilation or increasing your attic insulation, please give the ventilation pros at Sims Exteriors & Remodeling a call. Our experience with roofing and remodeling allows us to identify problems with the ability to fix what is wrong.
We provide roofing, attic insulation and attic ventilation services to Madison WI, Cottage Grove, Sun Prairie, Deforest, Waunakee, Middleton, Verona, Fitchburg, McFarland, Stoughton and all other communities in south central Wisconsin.
Please call us a 608-825-4500 or email us and our professional team will help you define your roofing, ventilation and attic insulation needs in Madison WI.