A Place for Baby

As a homeowner, it's important that you take the necessary steps to fix insulation issues anywhere that they exist within your home. This often means working with a general contractor to deal with areas where your home's insulation may be lacking. One of the most common areas that can suffer from insufficient insulation is the attic. Here's a look at some of the things that you need to understand about your attic's insulation and the steps you can take to improve it. 

Check For Gaps First

The first thing that you should do is to check your attic floor for gaps from the room below. Anywhere that wires run up into the attic, or wiring in the light fixtures can all leave gaps from the room to the attic above. Those gaps are a key area for heat and cold to pass through into the attic space. Fill those gaps with sealant, expanding foam, or another material that will block airflow.

Add Insulation

Fill the gaps and spaces around the existing insulation with new insulating materials to help create full coverage. The more complete the insulation coverage, the better it will be for your attic and your home's temperature control. Talk with your general contractor about the insulation options so that you get the material that best covers your attic space. Depending on what you're trying to accomplish, you may want to have your general contractor finish the attic with floors and walls so that you can use expanding foam insulation to cover the entire area behind the walls.

Check The Vents

Your attic should be properly ventilated to clear out any warm air that accumulates. This is important because heat rises, but when the attic becomes saturated with hot air, it can then force that hot air down into your living area, creating an uncomfortable space that your air conditioner has to work harder to cool. With the right ventilation, the hot air will vent out of the attic, maintaining more consistency in your home's interior temperature. Your general contractor can check the ventilation of your attic to be sure that there's enough of it and that it's clear. If you're concerned that it's insufficient, he or she can add more as well.

These are some of the most important things to consider when you're dealing with your home's attic insulation. Talk with a general contractor today for more information and to ensure that your attic is properly insulated.