Proper insulation of your attic is an essential consideration in optimizing your home’s energy efficiency. It also increases your interior space’s comfort, boosts indoor air quality, and helps reduce the cost of energy bills. However, because there are lots of Attic Insulation Types and many ways of preparing your attic for insulation, finding the best techniques can be challenging. As such, check here for attic insulation installers Chicago, especially for professional tips and methods of better attic insulation preparations.
Schedule a home energy assessment
Before anything else, prepare your attic insulation by scheduling a home energy assessment. The process is to help you evaluate the current energy efficiency of your home. Professionals or your DIY skills can help identify critical areas that demand inspections and work to improve the energy efficiency of your space. A proper assessment also enables you to determine whether or not attic insulation procedures like blown insulation are the best methods to reduce energy and help lower your utility bills. In addition to that, the same also has many undeniable benefits, including reducing condensation and preventing the freezing of pipes, especially plumbing and other types of plumbing pipes at your home.
Clearing and cleaning the attic
Depending on the uses of your attic, clearing and cleaning can be challenging. If you use it for storing stuff like boxes, a playroom, and anything in between, the best tips for cleaning it include:
- Emptying it first
Remove all the bags, boxes, and furniture from the attic to make the cleaning effortless. If it’s difficult to remove large pieces, like upholstery, consolidate them and move them to one corner of the attic, creating space for proper cleaning, especially for elements like dust. Also, if your attic has windows, remove the window treatments and toss them in clean washers or dry cleaners.
-
Cleaning dust and other elements
Begin by dusting the top of the attic working your way down. Dust the light fixtures, beams, blades, window frames, and walls. Also, clean and dust the ceiling fans and anything in between them. Use disposable dusters, cleaning cloths, and dusting towels or microfiber dusters to remove dust and other elements.
-
Sweeping and vacuuming
Get a broom and a dustpan to gather all pieces of large debris, especially those that might clog the attic vacuum. Again, carefully vacuum the attic flooring and collect any dead organism, including insects and other allergens. Gather dust and empty the attic vacuum bag or dust cup into the trash to properly clean it before reinstallation.
-
Cleaning screens and wash attic windows
If your attic has windows, use glass cleaners or microfiber dusters to clean them. Dust their inside and outside panels. Also, clean the window screens, mainly from dust and allergens.
Removing the old attic insulation
Immediately after cleaning the attic up, the next step is to remove any old insulation. This helps reduce energy bills considering attic insulation breaks down over time, especially fiberglass designs. While removing cellulose insulation, whether by the help of a professional or using your DIY skills, wear adequate safety gear, including masks, gloves, and bodysuit, plus safety goggles. Seal and tap the perimeter to prevent cross-contamination between spaces. Also, use appropriate tools and high-powered vacuums for sucking up debris, especially when you stir it up, preventing it from getting inside clean areas or into your home’s air systems.
The benefits of attic insulation
Like other spaces in your home, insulating your attic helps you experience more feelings of comfort. It also allows you to feel warm during winters and more relaxed in summers. On top of that, insulating your attic has other benefits such as:
-
Improves the quality of air
Usually, pollutants enter your house from outside in the form of random elements like dirt, mold, and smoke. Therefore, First Defense Insulation – Affordable Options prevents such contaminants from risking the health of your residents, considering you’ll experience a better quality of air.
-
It increases the value of your home
Like other furnishings that help boost the value of your home, especially for real estate dealings, installing attic insulation also does the same. Upgrading or installing new attic insulation adds to your home’s resale value, especially with a high R-value. Homebuyers always look for properties with reduced energy bills, thus the benefits of an adequately insulated attic.
-
It helps keep away pests
Consider installing pest-resistant attic insulation if your home suffers from pests infestation. Doing this helps keep unwanted organisms from entering or building nests in your house.
-
It prevents structural damages, especially from moisture
For a house in a moisture-prone area, structural damages can be challenging to handle. The good news is, proper attic insulation prevents water vapor from reaching your house’s structure. For this reason and more, install an open-cell spray foam attic insulation, considering it’s a perfect barrier for moisture and vapor from entering the house’s structures.
