Attic Insulation in Arlington, McLean & Northern, VA
Properly insulating your attic is one of the best ways to improve your home’s energy efficiency and save money on your energy bills. Upward airflow and air lost through the roof comprises about 70 percent of energy lost in your home, so ensuring your attic is properly insulated goes a long way toward increasing your home’s energy efficiency.Our skilled insulation team at Southland Insulators is experienced in providing optimal attic insulation solutions, whether installing insulation in a new construction project or adding it to an existing home.
Types of Attic Insulation
The type of insulation that should be used to insulate your attic depends greatly on whether it is new construction or an existing home and whether there is already insulation in place.
For upgrading insulation in existing homes, blown-in fiberglass insulation provides an easy, effective solution. Since it is blown-in, the insulation can easily fill tight, hard-to-reach spaces in your attic and serves to create an additional layer of protection on top of your existing insulation. Cellulose insulation, made of recycled newsprint and other recycled paper, is similarly effective for adding a layer to upgrade existing insulation. It is also blown in and can therefore be used in nearly any space.
If your attic has no insulation at all or you’re building a new home, spray foam insulation, fiberglass insulation and mineral wool all provide excellent insulation options. Spray foam insulation, or a combination of spray foam and fiberglass batting called “flash and batt” is a cost effective way to insulate and air seal. Foam insulation blends high quality insulation with the capability to seal air leaks in your attic all in one.
Air Sealing Your Attic
Adding insulation goes a long way toward cutting down on energy loss through the roof, but it’s only part of the equation. Air sealing your attic is almost as important as insulation in keeping temperature-controlled air in and external air out, potentially saving you hundreds to thousands of dollars in heating and cooling costs each year.
There are multiple ways to approach air sealing, the most efficient of which is spray foam insulation. Foam insulation serves to insulate your attic and air seal it at the same time. It is sprayed on during application and then expands to completely fill the space and block any air leaks. Caulking and weather-stripping are both additional ways to seal air leaks in your home, but spray foam insulation provides air sealing and R-value in one step.
If you’re adding attic insulation to a new construction project or are interested in installing insulation in an existing home’s attic, call us today at (703) 368-1965 for a free estimate!
