Adding Insulation to Your Home Can Help You Stay Cooler This Summer

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Adding insulation isn’t something that should be left for your winterization to-do list. In addition to keeping you warm in winter, the right level of attic insulation keeps the Southwest Ohio summer heat from seeping into your air-conditioned living space. More insulation could cut your air conditioning bills by up to 15 percent.

Check Your Attic Insulation

If you’ve already got three or four inches of insulation, you’ll want to insulate to between R38 to R49 level. How deep your insulation should be to achieve these R levels depends on the insulation type. For R38 level, appropriate depths are:

  • Fiberglass batts: 12 inches
  • Loose-fill fiberglass: 14 to 17 inches
  • Loose-fill cellulose: 10 to 12 inches

Check the depth in different parts of your attic. You may find there’s plenty of insulation around the access door, but not enough toward the edges or in the middle of the attic. Also check for deteriorated insulation. This no longer forms an effective heat barrier and should be replaced.

Your Options for Better Insulation

If your current levels suggest the need to add insulation, you have two main options.

  • Batt insulation – These long sheets of insulation are available in fiberglass, cellulose and some more eco-friendly materials such as cotton from recycled jeans. If not carefully installed, batts may fail to fill in small crevices, leaving room for heat to escape.
  • Loose-fill (blown-in) insulation – This comes as small chunks of material, usually fiberglass or cellulose. These small pieces more effectively fill in corners and crevices. Loose-fill insulation requires a blowing machine for installation, but can be added over batts.

Installation Quality Matters

The effectiveness of your home’s insulation depends on proper installation. A professional can help you decide which insulation best meets your needs and determine the ideal amount. A pro can also do the tricky job of adding insulation to fill in crevices sufficiently without blocking the critical sources of ventilation that protect your attic from mold and heat damage.

For an accurate assessment of your attic’s insulation levels and a reliable, professional installation job, consult with us at Apollo Home Heating, Cooling and Plumbing in the Greater Cincinnati area.

Image via Shutterstock.com

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"We scheduled an estimate AND a tune-up. We knew something was wrong with our furnace, but hoped we could make it through the rest of the season. Upon telling Bill what our furnace was doing, he warned us immediately what the possible outcome was going to be; a cracked heat exchanger. He watched the flames roll backward, tested carbon monoxide levels, which were so high they meter’s last reading was 5,600 before saying “high”. He immediately shut it down, tagged it, and explained that with levels that high and children in our home he wanted off right away. He continued his inspection and showed us via a camera that not only was it cracked in multiple places, but had holes all over it. He gave us a few options for repairing it; his knowledge as well as genuine concern was beneficial and refreshing. Luckily we also scheduled an estimator, Micah, to come too and we were able to get costs between repairing and replacing (with several options). We decided to replace with a much higher efficiency furnace and one sized properly to our home. Hands down, not only did they both provide us great service and knowledge, but without sounding dramatic, they may have saved our lives. This was our first time calling Apollo, but it won’t be our last."
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