Many people don’t realize how much of an impact attic insulation has on general indoor comfort, and we suppose that the attic isn’t someplace that they remember; after all, they don’t see it every day. So it’s not surprising that they would not be aware of the importance of properly insulating it. A sound attic insulation should take the load off the HVAC system, allowing it to affect environmental control more efficiently, and humidity is one of these environmental controls. So, does attic insulation help with humidity? The answer is a resounding yes. Let’s take a look at some of the various ways in which it does.
1. Takes Some Load off The HVAC System.
The job of any insulating system in a home, first and foremost, is to reduce the amount of heat entering the building and the amount of heat escaping. That means during the summer, it keeps the inside cool and during winter, it keeps the inside warm. In a house without sound insulation, the HVAC system will pick up the slack of keeping it warm and cool when needed. The issue with this is that it increases the load on the HVAC system and the energy used, hence your energy bill. The attic takes up quite some space in the house, and if such a place is not well insulated, it means that your HVAC system would have a larger area to work on. This thought process also works in the case of humidity because the temperature of the indoor environment often governs humidity. Plus, if your air conditioning system has to worry less about heat or cooling, it can focus more energy on controlling the home’s humidity.
2. Prevents Draft.
Draft is one of the major contributors to humid weather, it occurs during winter, spring, or summer. This is because a draft brings air with water molecules or snow into the house. Normally, humidity is a good thing, but it becomes extremely uncomfortable when it reaches above 50%. If this Draft comes from the windows or doors, then there is little insulation that your attic can do. But if it comes from holes in the roof, then the insulation can do its work and prevent snow or humid air infiltration into the home.
3. Improves The Energy Efficiency of The Home.
There are several ways your home can become energy inefficient, causing your energy bills to skyrocket and humidity to soar, but the most proliferating of them all is through infiltration. Infiltration refers to heat gain or heat loss in a building through exposed windows, doors, and holes in the roof. This wrench in the house’s usual energy cycle creates problems and makes it harder for the HVAC system to affect proper environmental controls.
4. Reduces The Impact of Leaks.
Leaks in the home are a major source of humidity. When your home is filled with cracks and holes in the roof, it’s easy for moisture to seep into the attic and slowly condense into liquid form. From there on out, the condensate will raise the humidity of the environment of the whole attic, and if it is without insulation, this humidity will spread to the rest of the house. During winter, the opposite happens, in which the attic insulation prevents the cold and dry air from infiltrating the house, thereby making it lose internal humidity.
Signs You Need To Replace Your Attic Insulation.
- Increased Draft.
- Costlier Energy bills.
- Mold and algae formation in the attic and on the walls.
- If the total humidity of your house suddenly increases or decreases beyond the norm.
When you start to notice any signs that your attic insulation might need replacing, contact professionals like Anderson Insulation of Maine, who have years of experience replacing faulty attic insulation.