We know insulation in our building envelope resists heat flow, so adding more should be better, right?
🥊 Reality check: Adding insulation is really step number 3.
- You’re wasting money if you don’t do steps 1 and 2 first.
⚡ Flashback: Step 1 is to air seal, which I wrote about here.
- Air seal —> then insulate —> then address HVAC
🤷♂️ So if adding insulation is step 3, what’s step 2?
- Deal with any areas with NO insulation.
👉 If you have attic access inside your living space —> that is your weakest link.
👉 If you have any voids in the insulation, address that next.
- Sometimes a contractor will move batt insulation to access a wire or pipe and forget to put it back.
- If you have storage in your attic, the plywood sitting on the ceiling joists needs insulation underneath it.
NOTE: You only need to focus on attic area above your living space — areas above the garage aren’t a concern.
✅ For your Smart Homeowner list
- Installing a basic attic tent will make a HUGE difference.
- To find voids, you can inspect visually or hire a pro with an infrared camera.
Best,
Travis