With the winter season fast approaching (December 21st FYI), there’s no better than now to prepare your and attic for the upcoming cold temperatures. Performing some basic maintenance here will make your home more energy-efficient, which in turn lowers your monthly utility bills. To learn more about preparing your attic for the winter, keep reading.
Visual Inspection
Let’s face it, some homeowners rarely, if ever, go up into their attic. It’s just one of those areas they would prefer to close off rather than seeing what lurks above their ceiling. Of course, you can only turn a blind eye for so long before problems begin to appear. If you haven’t inspected your attic in a while, go check it out. This will give you the opportunity to look for signs of pests (rat or mice droppings), water leaks, mold or structural damage. A short visual inspection is all it takes to identify problems such as this.
Mold is a serious problem that shouldn’t never be taken lightly, especially when it’s located in the attic. The potentially harmful mold spores can make their way down through the ceiling and into your home, leaving your family vulnerable to illness. If notice any patches of mold in your attic, schedule an appointment to have it professionally cleaned.
Caulk The Cracks
When you’re performing a visual inspection of your attic, examine the exterior to see if there are any cracks, holes or crevices where air is escaping. Even small holes can end up placing a heavy burden on your home’s heating ventilation and cooling (HVAC) system. If you notice any areas in your attic where sunlight is shining through, fill it with professional-grade caulk. This is a quick and easy solution that will prevent your home’s thermal energy from escaping.
Insulation
Arguably, one of the most important elements you’ll want to look for in your attic is the insulation. If it’s old, torn, damaged or wet, it’s probably a good idea to replace it with new insulation. You can call the Attic Guys to have your old insulation professionally removed.
With the old installation gone, you can then install new, energy-efficient insulation. The energy-efficiency of insulation is measured by R-value. Insulation with a high R-value is more efficient than insulation with a low R-value, so make sure you choose a quality brand of insulation with a high R-value. The minimum R-value for homes is 30, but you can certainly use higher values to improve your home’s efficiency.
