Is It Okay Not To Insulate Your Attic

Unventilated attics can help to mitigate energy loss through leaky ducts or ceiling fittings.

Is it okay not to insulate your attic.

If your existing attic flooring isn t adequate for conversion to a living space all is not lost. Poorly insulated attics become warm in the winter and as we all learned in school heat tends to rise up. Whether or not there is an inner roof lining and the total thickness of the roof structure. This old house general contractor tom silva and host kevin o connor demonstrate the proper way to insulate an attic.

Before you peel away the plywood assess its condition if it s fit for insulation. The technically correct approach depends on a number of factors. The energy savings touted by unvented attics can be as high as 20. Virtually any attic floor can be brought up to code it s just a matter of how much.

The presence of molds and stains means that it s time to change them. Stop using your attic for storage. But if the floor is covered in plywood you can t stuff enough insulation beneath it to do the job sufficiently not even in warm climates. Now that you ve air sealed your attic and basement check your attic insulation levels and add more if necessary.

This is the best way to save money and energy in your home. This way it s easier to remove the plywood on the attic floor. Although they re fairly pretty to look at icicles could be a sign of a problem with your attic s insulation. However if moisture is able to enter the unvented attic space it may lead to roofing panel issues.

Because the simplest and cheapest way to insulate an attic is to add material to the floor. However if your attic gets very hot in the summer insulating the ceiling may reduce some of the heat transferred from the attic to the garage space via conduction through the ceiling materials. If your attic is often used or perhaps you plan to convert it in the future you will need to insulate the inner surfaces of the roof. Before you seal or insulate your attic it s best to clear it out first.

Start with the attic floor. The attic is the easiest place to add insulation to improve your comfort and the energy efficiency of your home.