5 Signs Your Portland Home Needs More Attic Insulation

If your Portland-area home feels drafty in winter or stuffy in summer, your attic is often the first place to look. Here are five signs it may be time for a top-up.

1. Your energy bills keep climbing

Heat rises, and an under-insulated attic lets it escape straight through the roof. If your heating bills are higher than your neighbors’ for a similar home, thin attic insulation is a common culprit.

2. Rooms upstairs are never comfortable

Hot upstairs bedrooms in summer and cold ones in winter usually point to an attic that isn’t holding temperature. The recommended level for our climate is R-38 to R-60.

3. You can see the joists

If you look across your attic and the insulation is level with or below the wooden floor joists, you’re almost certainly under-insulated.

4. Drafts and uneven temperatures

Air leaks around can lights, attic hatches and plumbing penetrations let conditioned air escape. Air-sealing before adding insulation makes a big difference.

5. Your insulation is old or damaged

Insulation flattened by age, or damaged by rodents or moisture, stops doing its job. In those cases removal and replacement comes first.

Not sure where your home stands? Learn about attic insulation or book a free inspection — we’ll measure what you have and tell you honestly whether a top-up is worth it.