NORTH BROWARD & BOCA Blog

How to get your attic ready for summer

This summer's temperatures are not only a source of uncomfortable heat in your living spaces but can also affect your home's structural integrity as well. Hot attics aren't just uncomfortable, they can be dangerous to you and your home. If heat is accumulating in your attic and raising the temperature indoors, you probably want to address this problem as quickly as possible - especially now that temperatures are only getting hotter. Factors like airflow and insulation are the key to cool attics. Otherwise, hot air collecting in the attic makes its way into the rest of your home, which isn’t ideal. Not only is it uncomfortable, but it can drive air conditioning costs through the roof. We’ve collected a couple of tips on how to prepare your attic for summer so you can relax and stay cool in your home all year long.

Tips to get your attic ready for summer

Attic Cleaning

The first step in fixing any space is to properly clean it and prepare it for whatever maintenance or installations you are going to get done. Your attic always seems like the perfect spot to store away all those items you can't bear to part with, but don't want cluttering your house. However, most things should actually not be stored in the attic. Storing cardboard boxes and nostalgic keepsakes like photo albums creates a perfect environment for pests and dust but can also affect the airflow that goes directly into your home. With limited airflow, especially in an under- or non-insulated home, an attic in South Florida becomes an unbearably hot environment which will make your home feel hotter and damage the stored items that you might want to use later. 

Attic Insulation

One of the first things you should do is check the quality of your insulation. In some cases, you may have little-to-no insulation, which means it will need to be replaced or supplemented. As the highest part of your home, your roof - and therefore your attic - gets direct sun exposure and the heat accumulates. That’s why a thermal radiant barrier and insulation are often used to lower your attic’s temperature and therefore prevent heat damage to your home and high energy costs from the hot air leaking into your air-conditioned living space. Just with insulation alone, you can notice a temperature difference of up to 20 degrees in your attic. This means that there will be less heat entering your living space and your A/C won’t have to work so hard this summer.

According to House Logic, homeowners can save over $600 per year with new attic insulation, depending on the type that’s installed. Making sure that you have enough insulation installed to properly cover the attic space is important as old or little insulation will not have the desired temperature-regulating effect nor lower your bills. EnergyStar.gov recommends adding more insulation if the current amount is even with or below the floor joists. If you have to pick only one solution on how to cool your South Florida home, attic insulation would be non-negotiable.

Air Sealing

Attic insulation alone is very effective but won’t necessarily suffice in turning your home into its most energy-efficient version. You will get the most benefits from your insulation if you improve your home’s overall thermal envelope in order to save as much energy as possible. That means, checking your attic’s roof and floor for air leaks between the outside and inside as well as your attic and your living space. Did you know air leakage accounts for over 40% of all energy waste in your home?

Most attics have air leaks in one or more of these places:

• Attic hatch
• Wiring holes
• Holes for plumbing and pipes
• Dropped soffits that are open to the attic
• Recessed lights
• Furnace flue or duct chaseway

Air leaks in these places allow for air, and therefore heat, transfer which is hotter outside air traveling into your space. Air Sealing is a procedure that not only helps sealing air leaks to prevent heat transfer but also keeps Florida’s high humidity out of your home. Air sealing is a stand-alone application to close those leaks but also the perfect add-on to your insulation. Insulation combined with air sealing is the optimal solution to regulate the temperature in your attic and therefore your home and provides the biggest energy savings. It's best to rely on a certified insulation specialist's expertise and professional equipment to adequately address air leakage.

Cooling your home in the summer can be difficult, especially if you live somewhere that reaches temperatures over the 100s. However, by implementing one or all of the ways to make your attic more energy-efficient mentioned above, you can keep your attic cooler throughout the year, even during the hottest months. 

Contact us today at Koala Insulation of North Broward and Boca to receive your free insulation evaluation, we come to you and guide you through the whole process. We offer all types of services from insulation removal, insulation installation to air sealing!