“Will insulating my attic make my house cooler?” It’s a common question with a simple answer: yes.
Why is this? After all, when you think about insulation, you probably picture a heavy winter coat insulating you against the cold or a thermos keeping your soup warm. For this reason, residents of San Antonio may assume attic insulation isn’t so important in our warm climate.
However, the purpose of insulation goes beyond keeping things warm. Refrigerators and freezers, for example, need ample insulation and tight seals to keep food cold. Even the cooler you take on a camping trip couldn’t do its job if it wasn’t made out of insulating materials.
In this way, attic insulation is clearly not just reserved for cold climates; it also helps homes stay cool in the summer.
Insulation is a Thermal Barrier
Wearing a coat makes you warm because it prevents your body heat from dissipating. Heat always moves toward cold, not the other way around. This means if you run the air conditioner to keep your home cool in the summer, insulation helps keep hot air from making its way inside.
This is possible because insulation is a thermal barrier, meaning it slows the transfer of heat through convection (movement through the air) and conduction (movement through physical contact). That’s how insulation can perform the double duty of keeping your home warmer in winter as well as cooler in summer.
Radiant barrier insulation is installed under the roofline, helping your home reflect (rather than absorb) heat from the sun. This helps keep your home a lot cooler and more comfortable.
Staying Cool & Comfortable
While walls need insulation too, the attic is the most important place to boost insulation if you discover your home doesn’t have enough. Attic insulation prevents sweltering summer temperatures from entering the attic and passing through the ceiling and into your home.
Consider that the average attic exceeds a grueling 130 degrees F on a hot summer afternoon. Without insulation to create a thermal barrier, this heat seeps down into the house, raising the indoor temperature by an average of 10 degrees. This can easily cause the air conditioner to work double time to cool down your home.
Contact the team at Installed Building Products San Antonio to look into boosting attic insulation in your San Antonio home.
