Attic Is Cold In An Old House

The insulation materials used in older houses are not as effective in keeping heat in as the new ones.

Attic is cold in an old house. But if the floor is covered in plywood you can t stuff enough insulation beneath it to do the job sufficiently not even in warm climates. If you have an unfinished and unconditioned attic like many old houses my first recommendation would be to add batt insulation on the underside of the roof. Also make sure your attic is ventilated. By chris deziel it may seem incongruous to allow cold air into your attic in the middle of winter but attic venting is an important climatic control that protects your house from moisture rot and.

The majority of heat loss and gain occurs in your attic. Taking advantage of this natural process referred to as passive ventilation is the most common way to vent an. Don t avoid ventilating your attic for fear you re letting cold air into the house. The insulation must meet doe standards.

If there are asphalt shingles on your roof the attic must be ventilated to comply with the terms of the manufacturer s warranty. This answer will vary from old house to old house. If there are asphalt shingles on your roof the attic must be ventilated to comply with the terms of the manufacturer s warranty. The attic is often the easiest place to add insulation.

The exfiltration of warm interior air through your attic and the infiltration of cold outside air through your basement or crawl space could be to blame. Since warm air has a tendency to rise and cool air to fall insulating the attic is the place to start. If the attic is unfinished the insulation should be installed on the floor. As mentioned most heat loss is typically through the roof.

Even if you bought the house with insulation already installed into it it s best to double check. Your actual living space is sealed and insulated at the attic floor the attic is outside this envelope. Because the simplest and cheapest way to insulate an attic is to add material to the floor. Read more about the 3 types of heat here.

Plan to pull up the flooring and layer new insulation on top of the old. Don t avoid ventilating your attic for fear you re letting cold air into the house. A ridge and soffit ventilation system an extra 200 during reroofing will reduce attic temperature to around 100 degrees. Due to your attic s location at the top of your house it can be a major location for energy loss especially if you lack sufficient insulation.

Gable vents around 25 each plus 75 per vent for labor can lower attic temperatures about 10 degrees. Hot air exhaust vents located at the peak of the roof allow hot air to escape.