July 25, 2018
You know the feeling: You’ve been inside all morning, prepping for the day with breakfast, coffee, maybe answering a few emails. Then, when you’re ready to hit the road, the sunglasses go on and you open the door – when that oppressive Texas heat envelopes your torso like a sweater inside of a sauna.
This year’s Texas-sized temperatures have Pflugerville reaching the triple digits yet again, and it’s going to take more than sunscreen and sunglasses to keep comfortable, especially indoors. If you’ve been looking to find respite from the Texas heat in your Pflugerville area home, but your cooling system has been letting you down, Hill Country Insulation has few tricks up our sleeves to keep your home a comfortable safe haven this summer.
What’s Happening In Your Attic?
It is easy to place the blame for your sweaty home on your air conditioning system, since that is where the cool air is supposed to come from. But did you know that you can prevent heat from entering your house in the first place, by properly insulating and ventilating your attic?
Insulation is the barrier that prevents the heat transfer that happens through your home’s walls. When the summer sun heats up the air in your attic, it is your insulation that keeps that heat away from the inside of your home. That hot attic air is not only a threat to your home comfort, but it can cause damage as well. Without a properly ventilated attic space, you run the risk of excess moisture developing into mold or causing structural damage. This is where proper ventilation comes into play. The cooler you can keep your attic, the better!
Air Sealing: An Attic’s Best Friend
The next step in keeping your attic in the right condition (not just for the summer heat) is making sure all the gaps and cracks in your home are air sealed. Not only will hot air creep into your home through the holes in your attic hatch, recessed lighting, or other electrical and plumbing penetrations, but your cool conditioned air can also escape out of those same holes.
These are some signs to look out for to determine if your home is in need of air sealing:
Drafty rooms
Rooms that are hotter or colder than the rest of the house
Excessively high cooling or heating bills
Dust, particularly in rooms located directly below the attic
Wall Insulation
As we discussed earlier, insulation stops the transfer of heat in your home. This is true for both your attic and the exterior walls of your home.
In the winter, under-insulated walls can be responsible for up to 35% of your home’s heat loss, which in turn means that your walls are also letting heat into your home come summer time. Properly insulating the walls of your home with the professionals at Hill Country Insulation means year round-comfort and efficiency for your home. The list of benefits includes:
Monthly savings on your energy bills
Greater home comfort
Reduced reliance on your home cooling system
Less frequent HVAC repairs
Longer lasting HVAC equipment
There are many steps you can take towards keeping your home a little less muggy during the inevitable Texas heat. Finding the right solution for your home starts with a home efficiency energy audit, with a Hill Country Insulation professional. This process will pinpoint the areas your home is most in need of upgrades and get you all the information you need to make an informed decision about keeping your home comfortable.
Your Pflugerville Summer Comfort Experts
If you’re feeling the heat this summer, it’s time to take action. Your home should be a place that you and your family can depend on as a relaxing oasis from the blistering temperatures outside. You can’t do anything about the sun, but you can do something about your home. Call the experts at Hill Country Insulation to schedule your energy audit today!