Birmingham Attic Insulation Insulation contractors in Birmingham

What's the best way to insulate an attic in Birmingham?

In Birmingham, attic insulation, as well as air sealing the attic, will help reduce your energy bills. Attics are often one of the easiest places in a house to insulate, especially if you'd like to add insulation. Blown in or rolled out insulation is typically installed in an attic. Although installation costs may vary, blown in is usually less expensive to install than rolled out attic insulation.  When installed properly, loose-fill insulation also usually provides better coverage.

 

In Birmingham’s climate, you might consider installing a radiant barrier in your attic along with the insulation. Radiant barriers are installed in homes—most commonly in attics—to reduce summer heat gain and winter heat loss, which helps lower heating and cooling costs. The barriers consist of a highly reflective material that reflects radiant heat rather than absorbing it. When the sun heats a roof, it's primarily the sun's radiant energy that makes the roof hot. A large portion of this heat travels by conduction through the roofing materials to the attic side of the roof. The hot roof material then radiates its gained heat energy onto the cooler attic surfaces, including the air ducts and the attic floor. A radiant barrier reduces the radiant heat transfer from the underside of the roof to the other surfaces in the attic.

 

All radiant barriers must have a low emissivity (0.1 or less) and high reflectivity (0.9 or more). Also, the greater the temperature difference between the sides of the radiant barrier material, the greater the benefits a radiant barrier can offer from an attic insulation standpoint. Radiant barriers are more effective in hot climates than in cool climates, especially when cooling air ducts are located in the attic.

Some studies show that radiant barriers can lower cooling costs between 5%–10% when used in a warm, sunny climate, such as the climate is in Birmingham. The reduced heat gain may even allow for a smaller air conditioning system. But in cool climates, it's usually more cost effective to install more than the minimum recommended level of attic insulation rather than a radiant barrier.

 

Radiant barriers can be installed between the roof sheathing and attic floor insulation, in cavity walls, and around door openings, water heaters, and pipes. An installer typically drapes a rolled-foil radiant barrier foil-face down between the roof rafters to minimize dust accumulation on the reflective faces (double-faced radiant barriers are available). Finding a good Birmingham insulation contractor is key. A radiant barrier's effectiveness depends on proper installation. Therefore, it's best to have a certified installer do it.