Do You Have Enough Attic Insulation to Keep Your Florida Home Cool This Summer?

Attic insulation isn’t just about keeping you warm. It’s about keeping heat where you want it: inside your home through the winter and outside through the summer. You might think that a well-insulated home would be stuffy and miserable through the summer months, but good insulation means that the air conditioner will work better at keeping you cool. If you need a mental model, just think of a cooler full of ice and cold drinks!

Because the hot summer sun pounds down on your roof all day, attic insulation is as important to your summer comfort as it is to your winter warmth. Good attic insulation and a reflective roof surface can combine to push away a lot of the summer heat. But how much is enough?

According to the EPA, Orlando is in Zone 2 for insulation recommendations. That’s about as hot as it gets, as the only Zone 1 spots in the U.S. are the Everglades, along with Hawaii and Guam. That means that the total insulating R-value (the measure of how well the insulation resists letting heat pass through) should be at least 30, but up to 60 if you really want the summer heat to stay out. If you’ve got an unfinished attic or a crawl space, you can use loose insulation or rolls of batting on the floor. For a finished attic, the attic insulation should be installed above the attic space.

Most insulation is rated with an R-value per inch, so expect to have multiple layers of insulation if you want to bring your attic completely up to R60. The type of insulation you’ll want to choose depends on your space requirements:. Loose-fill insulation, for example, is best in spaces where boards or batting won’t easily fit.

To learn more about attic insulation in your Orlando home, call us at Scott’s Heating & Air Conditioning. We can handle all of your HVAC needs!

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Scott’s Heating & Air Conditioning is a full-service heating and air conditioning company and a Bryant® Factory Authorized Dealer in Central Florida. Whether you need repair, maintenance, or installation of a new heating or cooling system, we provide efficient, cost-effective, and professional service. When it’s hot, call Scott!

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