Does Attic Insulation Lower Energy Bills in Texas?

Ask anyone in San Antonio what their biggest utility cost is and the answer is the summer AC bill. A lot of that bill is heat coming through the ceiling from the attic. Insulation is the thing standing in the way, and in many homes it is not doing enough.

Why the attic matters so much here

On a 100°F afternoon the air in an attic gets far hotter than the air outside, because the roof deck soaks up sun all day. That heat pushes down through the ceiling into every room. The insulation on the attic floor slows it down. If it is thin, compressed, patchy or wet, the heat gets through and your AC has to remove it, hour after hour.

How much insulation you should have

The U.S. Department of Energy recommends attic insulation of R-30 to R-60 for San Antonio's climate zone. R-value is a measure of resistance to heat flow, and it adds up with depth. Loose-fill insulation that has settled to a few inches is often well under R-20. A quick way to check: if you can see the tops of the ceiling joists across the attic floor, you are short.

Add more, or start over?

• Add insulation when what is there is dry, clean and simply too thin. New insulation goes on top of the old. Our current coupon takes $500 off residential attic insulation (minimum 1,000 sq. ft.).
• Attic restoration makes more sense when the old insulation is contaminated by rodents, water damage or mold, or when it is so compressed it is not doing much. We remove the old insulation, clean and treat the attic, and install new. The current coupon takes $1,000 off attic restoration (minimum 1,000 sq. ft.).

Ducts and insulation together

Most San Antonio homes run their air ducts through the attic. Leaky or dirty ducts in a 130°F attic lose cooled air before it reaches the rooms. That is why we offer to clean the air ducts and insulate the attic on the same day: you fix both halves of the problem in one visit.

Start with a free inspection

We use a thermal camera to show you where heat is coming through the ceiling, then inspect the attic itself. Both inspections are free, and so is the estimate. You see the problem before you spend anything.