Insulation is vital to keeping your home warm this winter, preventing your valuable (and expensive!) heat from escaping. Typically heat rises, and on average, you could save 15% a year by insulating an uninsulated attic with R-38 or about 10 to 14 inches of attic insulation.
However, you must keep your attic insulation well-protected for it to work as intended; otherwise, it can become damp and not effectively retain warmth. Find out what can cause damp attic insulation and how to prevent damp attic insulation today to ensure a warm and cosy winter.
What causes damp attic insulation
The biggest reason damp attic insulation occurs is due to condensation forming when warm, humid air meets cooler air creating moisture. This usually is represented by tiny beads of water on the underside of the attic roof. This type of condensation can be dangerous as, more often than not, it leads to damp buildup but also can cause the wood to rot.
Attic insulation gets compressed by the weight of standard attic floor boarding, squashing it flat, and when coupled with your belongings stored on top of these boards, that compression gets even worse. Compressed insulation cannot trap air properly, meaning condensation is more likely to form as the heat transfer from hot to cold happens.
Keeping your insulation from becoming damp
An attic boarding kit, such as AtticZone’s StoreFloor, can protect your insulation from being compressed by creating a raised structure for the floorboards to be laid on top. Removing any risk or problems with dampness or condensation and allowing air to flow throughout.
On top of a raised attic boarding kit, you can also prevent damp attic insulation from forming by ensuring the attic is adequately ventilated. Popular attic ventilation solutions are to have soffit vents letting cool, fresh air into the roof while separate ridge vents cycle out the warm stale air. The other obvious choice for attic ventilation is an attic window, but as these can be pricey, an alternative budget method could be to invest in a dehumidifier.
Issues with insulation being damp
If you are experiencing damp attic insulation , thermal performance will be reduced resulting in wasted energy, increased heating bills, and heat loss. But beyond that, it can also lead to more detrimental issues for the structural integrity of your attic. The potential for your attic joists and timber supports to rot and become damaged may leave you facing some hefty repair costs. As well as rotting wood, damp conditions tend to result in mould buildup, and if the condensation buildup is extreme enough, it can even affect the rooms below.
If you find that your current attic insulation is already damp, you must address this before putting an attic boarding kit over the top of it. In this case, we sell the market-leading brand of attic insulation rolls, which you can either fit yourself or find a local and approved insulation installer to have it professionally installed. The US guidelines now recommend a minimum of R-38 or about 10 to 14 inches of attic insulation., so our options have you covered to meet the building regulation standards easily.
There are many benefits to insulating your attic, from reducing your heating bills, doing your bit for the environment, enjoying a warmer, more comfortable home and even increasing the value of your property. But if you want to ensure a well-insulated attic, you must prevent damp attic insulation with our handy tips above. Get in touch if you require assistance choosing suitable attic boarding and insulation solutions for your needs, and our team will happily discuss your options.