How Can Insulation Keep Your Home Cooler In The Summer? 

Insulation in your attics and walls help regulate the temperature of your home. Insulation is the blanket that keeps your home warm during the cold winter months. However, insulation can also protect your home from the harsh temperatures of summer as well, by keeping your home cool. 

How Does Insulation Work? 

Heat moves through a combination of conduction and convection. Conduction is when heat transfers through objects, warming them up. When your seatbelt is hot in the summer when you get in your car, that is the property of conduction. Convection is how the heat moves through the air. Something you have probably heard often is that heat rises. This is why bedrooms during the summer tend to be hot. Heat rising in the air is the property of convection. The main way that insulation works is by mitigating both conduction and convection. 

Insulation in the Winter 

Through convection, heat will always go from warmer places to colder places. During the winter, when you are using heat to warm your house, that heat will want to escape through your walls and attic to the outside. Insulation provides a barrier to slow and stop the conduction/convection of heat, improving your house’s energy efficiency and keeping the heat you want inside, keeping the harsh, cold temperatures out. 

Insulation in the Summer 

During the summer, when you use Air Conditioning to keep your home cool and comfortable, the oppressive hot air will want to get into your house and occupy the cold air inside. Insulation occupying your walls and attic functions the opposite during the summer, as it stops the conduction and convection of heat from the outdoors from getting indoors. Insulation is often correlated with winter temperatures, but it is just as crucial to home comfort in the summer as it is in the winter.  

Improperly Insulated Homes 

Overheated bedrooms are a common summertime complaint, which is oftentimes due to an improper insulation of the house. According to a study done by the North American Insulation Manufacturers Association (also known as NAIMA), 90 percent of the homes in the United States are not properly insulated. This lack of proper insulation can often lead to these heat problems in the summer, which leads to a lack of energy efficiency in homes, which can lead to an adverse effect on the environment and more money spent by the homeowner on energy bills. 

R-Values 

Insulation’s resistance to heat flow is most commonly measured in its R-Value. Essentially, the R-Value measures effectiveness, and it is measured through thickness, density and type of insulation, and it can also be positively or negatively affected by its age, moisture level, and the temperature of the insulation. Some houses may have multiple layers of different insulation, and the R-Value can be calculated by adding together the R-Value of separate layers. The R-Value necessary to insulate your home is also affected by where you live. Insulation’s r-value is often affected by the type of insulation you have. There are many different types of insulation, each with differing materials, effectiveness and r-values. 

Types of Insulation 

There are many different types of insulation, each with differing materials, effectiveness and r-values. 

Blanket Insulation (Batts and Rolls) 

This is the most common type of insulation, and what you most likely think of when you hear the word insulation. These are typically fiberglass, though they can also be made of mineral wool or natural fibers. This type of insulation is relatively inexpensive, is perfect for walls and floors, and is built to fit nicely between studs and beams. 

Foam Board Insulation 

Foam boards are rigid panels usually made from polyurethane type materials that are great for walls and floors as well as ceilings and special applications. The main advantage of foam board insulation is that it has a higher r-value for little thickness. 

Loose-Fill and Blown-In Insulation 

This type of insulation is blown into place inside the attic instead of being installed in batts or rolls. These are perfect for adding more insulation to previously insulated areas, as well as adding insulation to obstructed and irregularly-shaped areas that batts, rolls and foam boards can’t fit into. This type of insulation is typically cellulose, although it can also be fiberglass or mineral wool. 

Spray Foam Insulation 

Spray foam insulation is a polyurethane substance that is sprayed into hard to reach areas, similar to blown-in insulation. These are also perfect for irregularly shaped or otherwise obstructed areas. 

Keep Your Home Cool This Summer with Summit 

Summit Environmental Solutions offers a variety of insulation, including batt/rolls, foam boards, blown-in, and spray foam. We can help keep your home’s temperature regulated this summer and save you money on energy bills. Call us today at (703) 520-5868 or fill out a contact form.