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How Does Home Insulation Work in the Summer?

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How Does Home Insulation Work in the Summer?

Did you know that home insulation helps cool your house during the summer? Yes, insulation is more than a one season solution to your home comfort. We all recognize that insulation helps keep our homes warm in the winter. However, not many of us understand that the same principles help in the summer as well. To help you keep your house comfortable, we have created an outline of how insulation works to keep your house cool throughout the summer season.

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With proper insulation, you won’t have to rely on pumping the air conditioning (AC) system or sitting near a fan to feel comfortable. Your home will simply be comfortable! To help understand the basics of home insulation, here are a few frequently asked questions (FAQs). If you have any more questions or want to understand how proper insulation can help your home, call a skilled technician to receive support.

After all, who wouldn’t be interested in a home a project that paid for itself within a year and kept your home comfortable every season?

What Does Home Insulation Do?

Insulation in a home works almost like a thermos. It helps keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer.

“In the summer, attic insulation helps reduce heat gain through the ceiling to living spaces below. [Meanwhile], in the winter, it helps slow heat loss from the interior spaces.”

In simple terms: insulation is designed to keep heat out of your home in the summer and holds heat in during the winter, which results in a cooler home in the summer, warmer home in the winter, and lower energy bills. It’s that simple and it really works.

For any homeowner considering adding or reviewing their insulation, then keep in mind that its cost is often paid for through energy savings in less than a year!

Why Does My House Get So Hot in the Summer?

The home energy efficient experts at GreenHomes America explain how our homes operate in the summer. During the summer, our homes get hot because a large amount of air is lost to the outside. It is a continual, silent process that goes on every moment of every day all summer long.

What Is Heat Exchange and How Does It Impact the Temperature of My Home?

To make matters worse, as your home loses cool air, an equal amount of hot, humid air enters your home to replace the cool air that was lost. This invisible process called air exchange is typically one of the main contributing factors for hot, sticky homes during the summer.

In addition to the large amount of air escaping from your home during the summer, most homes do not have enough insulation to slow the heat that is outside of your home from entering through ceilings, walls and floors. This high rate of heat gain causes walls, floors and ceiling surfaces to heat up causing warm, uncomfortable conditions inside of your home.

On the positive side, once the underlying reasons for the uncomfortable conditions in your home are determined, a solution can be identified that greatly improves your insulation and comfort while saving energy for the occupants.

insulation cools down home during the summer

As a solution, GreenHomes America recommends air sealing and insulation. The air sealing keeps the air in your home, well, in your home and prevents outside air from entering.

Insulation should be increased in a variety of places, such as:

  • Where there is no insulation.
  • Spots with poorly installed insulation.
  • Areas with thinly installed insulation.
  • Exterior walls or floors over unheated spaces.

Regardless of the location in your home, insulation should always be installed to be continuous and to the proper thickness (and ALWAYS after air sealing first). It is important to insulate the correct locations in your house.

Types of Insulation

Crawl Space Insulation

Builders often forgo crawl space insulation or install the incorrect type. This can cause a home to become uncomfortable, mold growth from a damp crawl space, or wood rot. Fortunately, a licensed HVAC technician can install rigid foam insulation which is specially made for crawl spaces to prevent the absorption of moisture or mold growth.

Roof Insulation

In some cases, insulating the roof instead of the attic can be a smarter option in some homes. Insulating the roof is the best choice when your attic is full of stored items or your HVAC equipment. Similarly to attic insulation, roof insulation keep your rooms at a comfortable temperature all year round.

Ceiling Insulation

With energy costs on the rise and extreme weather a norm in Connecticut, it is important to make sure your entire home is properly insulated. If you are wondering how ceiling insulation works, it is used by contractors to make your house more resistant to the warm weather throughout the summer months. Ceiling insulation can be installed in basements, living rooms, bedrooms, kitchens, and other areas in your living space.

Wall and Floor Insulation

In Connecticut, like in most climates, insulation is needed on all sides of the house: under your flooring, in basement walls, and at the ceiling or roof. Wall and floor insulation is an effective way to maintain comfortable temperatures throughout your home. Wall and floor insulation are often forgotten but is an important insulation to install in your home.

Attic Insulation

Heat passes easily through a poorly insulated attic which can cause a drastic increase in your energy bills. Naturally, heated interior air rises, especially in chilly winter months, and is lost through numerous attic air leaks. To tackle these issues, you may need to contact a professional to seal the air leaks in your attic, followed by new or additional attic insulation. Types of attic insulation we offer include: cellulose, fiberglass, mineral wool, spray foam, and rigid foam.

Duct Insulation

Uninsulated duct work is located in your attic, basement or crawlspace. Your ductwork will have the same temperature as those spaces. This means your ductwork has to heat up before heating your home, making it work twice as hard. Duct insulation will improve your comfort and energy performance.

What Are the Benefits of Home Insulation?

barn showing how hot it gets without insulation during the summerIn general, a well insulated home has a few main main benefits.

First and foremost, the HVAC system (heating and cooling) do not have to work as hard, which helps save on energy costs.

Secondly, the air inside the house does not get processed and cycled as much through your HVAC system, which means the air does not get nearly as dried out. This has residual benefits, such as an increase in indoor air quality.

Additionally, for anyone that lives near a loud place, such as an airport, school, park or highway, insulation helps reduce outside sound from entering the home. People that live near these places frequently report dramatically less sound infiltrating and most people describe the home as having a more solid feeling to it.

How Does Home Insulation Work Best in the Summer?

The insulation in your home works to create a barrier that prevents heat from entering the house on a hot, humid day. There are a few other use­ful tips that will help make sure the heat stays out­side and the cool air is inside:

  • Air cir­cu­la­tion is really impor­tant, so open win­dows at night to allow your home to cool.
  • Cir­cu­lat­ing air with fans is fine. However, any­thing elec­tri­cal creates an increase ambi­ent tem­per­a­ture and the insu­la­tion will trap in the heat.
  • Turn all non-essen­tials off or try putting some water or ice in a dish under the fan.

heat signatures of home during the summer

What Else Should I Know About Home Insulation?

From our experience, most homes, especially older homes, simply do not have enough sufficient or proper insulation. Frequently, homes have a minimum amount of insulation. Although required by building codes, this isn’t sufficient or proper insulation. The result are homes with:

  • Drafty areas
  • Energy loss
  • Increased utility bills
  • An overall uncomfortable environment

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Heating and Air Conditioning Repair Services

You may ask yourself what kind of insulation my home need? Where do I need it most? If you need assistance, give our technicians a call at (860) 325-7836 to book an appointment. Our team offers reputable heating and air conditioning repair services in Stamford, CT. We are available to help you resolve issues with your HVAC system or insulation.

SolvIt is here to answer all of your questions. We help homeowners identify the correct areas and type(s) of insulation for specific types of rooms. Interested in learning how proper home insulation can make a difference? Give us a call today!

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