What to Do Before Attic Insulation

Attic insulation is important to keep a house flowing with the right amount of air at the right temperature. However, some concerned house owners rush themselves into attic insulation before considering reasons as to why they need it in the first place. As the old proverb goes, ‘knowing is half the battle’, so before attempting any serious changes to your attic, you would want to keep these following aspects in mind.

• Attic insulation legalities:

All buildings everywhere in the world follow code specifications that apply for local laws and regulations. Depending on where you live, certain attic modifications may or may not be legal, so in order to avoid any future complications, it would be wise to familiarize yourself with the laws first, especially the ones regarding floor load capacity, dimension measurements, and escape-rescue egress.

• Ensuring easy access:

Even if your attic is meant to be a storage space, you need good entrance and exit doors for it. While drop-down staircases are usually used, they are not encouraged since they tend to get stuck or cause accidents. Reserving a bit more space and installing permanent stairs would be a good alternative here since it is not only easier to access the attic this way, you can easily move things in and out of the room.

• Electrical performance:

Although insulation can generally save you a lot of energy in the long run, things get tougher during warmer seasons. Thus, it is important to have a professional energy auditor to scan your home and pinpoint exactly how much electricity and fuel you would need. In extreme cases, the insulation may not be compatible with your current home appliances, so be wary of that too.

• Adequacy of dimensions:

Some attics are smaller than others, making them non-optimal targets for ventilation, since it simply won’t be too effective in the end. Smaller rooms also tend to contain obstructions that trap the air instead of letting it freely flow around the house. Before installing attic ventilation, you need to save an adequate amount of space.

• Fixing the lighting:

Staying in a damp and humid attic environment can damage electrical appliances, especially bulbs and tube lights which can get heated quickly. These eventually become fire hazards that can cause serious accidents if not taken care of beforehand. So, before going for anything else, contact an electrician to fix all loose wiring, old lighting and unstable plugs.