While you may spend little or no time
at all thinking about your attic, this space may be costing you money in terms
of heating and cooling bills and may be the root cause of different forms of
roof damage. If you haven’t inspected or made any changes to this space for an
extended period of time, there are three steps you can take now that can reduce
your utility bills and help to prevent expensive roof repairs.
Sealing cracks and gaps – Cracks in
your drywall and gaps in and around roof penetrations such as the chimney and
vents let warm air escape on cold days while letting heat in when it’s warm
outside, placing added demands on your climate control systems with a result
being higher energy bills. The reason for warm air escaping when you’re trying
to contain it and seeping in when you’re trying to keep it out is that warm air
has higher pressure behind it and is drawn to areas of low pressure and colder
air. By sealing areas in your attic that are currently allowing the transfer of
heat, the demands on your heating and cooling systems will be reduced as will
your energy bills.
Installing insulation – The transfer of
heat in and out of the house can also occur through solid materials that are
not insulated. For example, in the summer, direct sunlight on the roof can
raise temperatures in an un-insulated attic to between 130 and 150 degrees,
which can increase the cost of cooling the house by up to 30 percent. In
winter, the transfer of heat reverses from the inside of the home to the
outside, which can increase heating costs by 20 to 30 percent. Installing
insulation can drastically reduce the transfer of heat in both directions and
save money throughout the year.
Ventilating the space – Adding
ventilation may seem somewhat counter-intuitive after sealing and insulating
the attic, but taking this step can mitigate a variety of issues including the
trapping of moisture in humid environments and the concentration of warm air
under high points in the attic. Reducing moisture levels can prevent the onset
of mold and mildew while dispersing heat across the entirety of the space can
eliminate hot spots on under the roof, which can lead to the uneven melting of
snow leading to the formation of ice dams.
These steps can minimize the transfer
of heat in and out of the house, saving on energy bills while also protecting your roof. As an added benefit, once these steps are completed there will be
little in the way of follow up work, meaning that you can go back to not
thinking about your attic except for the occasional inspection to make sure
everything is in working order.
