To find out if you have enough attic insulation, measure the thickness of the insulation in several areas of the attic. If it is less than R-38  (12 inches of loose fill fiberglass insulation), you could probably benefit by adding some more. If your thinking about Attic Insulation in St. Louis, no one does it better then St. Louis Insulation.  

Insulation level are specified by R-Value. R-Value is a measure of insulation’s ability to resist heat traveling through it. The higher the R-Value the better the thermal performance of the insulation. The U.S. Department of Energy recommends insulating your attic to at least an R38 which is roughly 12 inches of loose fill fiberglass insulation. If you can see your floor joists, you don't have enough insulation in your attic. 

If your recessed or "can" light fixtures have not been properly air sealed, they  are compromising  the effectiveness of your attic insulation by allowing your conditioned air to pass right through them. Correcting this problem is easier then you might think. Our company sells thermal recessed light covers that can be sealed in place using spray foam. 

Did you that almost 40% of your monthly utility bill comes from running your heating and cooling system? In the winter, warm air inside your home rises and escapes into the attic through holes and gaps in your ceiling. That warm conditioned air, is replaced by colder exterior air that's pulled in through cracks and gaps in the basement. This leads to draft, uncomfortable rooms and high er then necessary energy bills. Unless your home was specifically designed to be energy efficient, you could be throwing hard earned money away by paying for utility services that you might not need. 

Air leakage is the main cause of cold and drafty rooms. In the winter, the cold outside air leaks through holes or gaps in your home's exterior which causes your heating system to run more frequently. This leads leads to higher energy bills & an uncomfortable home owner. Air sealing your attic can decrease your utility costs & make your home more comfortable. A well-sealed  building envelope and the right amount of attic insulation, can make a real difference on your utility bills.

Insulation reduces the exchange of heat through surfaces likes walls, attics, floors and ceilings. In a well-insulated home, less warm air escapes from the house during the winter, and less cool air escapes during the summer. This reduces the amount of energy needed to keep your home comfortable. If your heating and cooling system seems to be running all the time, you could benefit from adding insulation to your home. Adding attic insulation to your home  will cause your heating and cooling system to run less which can save you as much as 20% off your heating and cooling bills. 

keeping warm air in an old house can be tricky. Houses built before 1980 were rarely insulated properly and if they were the products originally used may have settled or deteriorated over time. This allows your conditioned air to escape right through the  attic. The attic is the primary site of heat loss in a home and an improperly insulated attic allows your conditioned air to  escape right though your roof. 

The snow on your roof can tell you a lot of information about the levels of insulation in your attic. If the snow on your roof melts before the snow on the ground, it's because your heating equipment is helping the snow on your roof melt faster. The picture below shows a house with inadequate levels of insulation. As you can see, the warm air from their H.V.A.C. system is melting the snow on the roof quickly. 

If you have had problems with mold, smoke or animal infestation, then you may need to have your attic insulation removed and replaced. Mold remediation can be expensive so removing any water damaged insulation should be your top priority.  Smoke and animal infestation causes even more problems because while the insulation may seem to be undamaged, it may retain the smell which will permeate through your living space. 

If you have heating or cooling equipment installed in your attic then you special insulation practices should be performed to maximize your energy efficiency. The fact is that heating and cooling equipment doesn't belong in your attic but if you purchased a home with this equipment already installed, there are some things you can do to maximize on your heating and cooling investment.