November 24, 2021
Installing proper basement and attic insulation is one of the best ways to improve your home’s comfort and energy efficiency. And when it comes to making these insulation upgrades in your Keene, Chester, or Brattleboro-area home, it’s best to tackle both projects together.
When you fix your attic and basement insulation issues at the same time, you’ll not only see a dramatic improvement in your home’s comfort, energy efficiency, and durability, but you could also reduce your energy costs by up to fifty percent!
Why Is Basement Insulation Important?
Let’s start from the bottom (your basement) and work our way up.
According to the laws of thermodynamics, heat will always move from areas with higher temperatures to areas with colder temperatures. Assuming your basement is unfinished, it is likely colder down there in the winter than it is in the rest of your home. Because heat always moves from warmer areas to colder ones, heat from your living spaces will travel down into your basement. From there, it will radiate outside, where temperatures are even lower. Without insulation, your basement is essentially sucking the heat out of your home. Uninsulated basements are like having your house sit on an ice cube.
Basement insulation stops heat transfer, keeping warm, conditioned air trapped inside your living spaces during the winter, and keeping heat out during the summer. But the benefits of basement insulation go beyond temperature regulation. Basement insulation can also:
Make the rooms above your basement more comfortable
Improve your home’s efficiency, especially with the distribution of heat, thus saving on energy costs
Make your basement more comfortable and useful
Stop moisture intrusion and prevent musty smells
Reduce radon infiltration and improve indoor air quality
Why Is Attic Insulation Important?
Earlier we talked about how heat moves from hot areas to colder ones. But hot air behaves differently—it rises. In the winter, this means that while heat is radiating down into your basement, hot air is moving up, into your attic, and out through your roof. You can stop this from happening with spray foam insulation, which prevents heat transfer, air infiltration, and moisture infiltration all at once.
Spray foam is one of the best types of insulation for attics and can lead to benefits like:
Greater home comfort
Lower energy bills
Less strain on your HVAC system
Longer HVAC equipment lifespan
Better indoor air quality
Less risk of ice dams
Attic and Basement Insulation Work Better Together!
An insulated attic and basement are like the bookends of your house, holding conditioned (heated or cooled) air in on either end. If you take one of those bookends away, your house will only be half as effective at retaining the heat or AC from your HVAC system. With both, your house will be able to keep your family comfortable all year round while saving you money on your energy bills.
Vermont Foam Insulation is the premier insulation installer serving Southern Vermont and South Western New Hampshire. We install many common types of insulation and specialize in spray foam. We’ve been in business since 2006 and you can count on us for a successful attic and basement insulation project.