We’ve officially entered fall here in Maryland. The temperatures are dropping, the skies are looking gray with rain, and the shorts and t-shirts are making their way to the back of the closet for the season. Staying warm during another beautiful fall here in Maryland means light sweaters and rain jackets when you venture outside, but what about staying comfortable inside your home as the temperatures drop? After all, home is where you spend most of your time.
The crawl space and attic are the two most often forgotten areas of the home; yet they could have the greatest impact on how comfortable your home is—as well as how much it costs to keep it that way. Total Home Performance has learned from a decade of experience in improving home performance in Maryland’s Eastern Shore Counties, and we want to share why your attic and crawl space should be considered an integral part of your home comfort!
The Odds Are “Stacked” Against You
When it comes to your home performance, you must see your home as an entire system. From top to bottom, your mechanical systems to your windows, each part of your house has an effect on how comfortable and energy efficient the whole home is. And understanding how a home operates begins with understanding what’s known as “stack effect.”
You may have heard the phrase “hot air rises,” but the truth is that heat moves towards cold air. When you have a leaky and under-insulated attic and crawlspace, the heat inside your home gravitates towards the unconditioned attic, and then escapes through air leaks that lead outside. This creates negative pressure which pulls outside air in through leaks in your crawlspace; and that introduces more unconditioned (and cold) air into your home.
Air Seal & Insulate Your Crawl Space & Attic
This is where attic and crawl space services from Total Home Performance come in to play. Our no obligation home energy audit will expose any inefficiencies that are affecting your home performance and comfort, including those in your attic or crawl space. Our home performance specialists can then remove any outdated or damaged insulation, inspect for mold growth or pest infestations, and then begin air sealing and properly insulating both spaces.
While in the attic, our pros will also make sure your ductwork is properly sealed in order to prevent any additional loss from your heating and cooling system. And in the crawl space, we can install a proper vapor barrier which prevents additional moisture from infiltrating your home.
What Happens After Crawl Space & Attic Encapsulation?
Sure, we’ve talked a lot of technical jargon. But the bottom line is, when you “embrace your crawl space” as well as your attic, you can stay more comfortable for less. The full list of benefits includes:
A cozier home in the winter
A cooler home in the summer
Increased energy conservation
Lower energy bills year round
Reduced furnace and air conditioner wear & tear
Crawl Space Encapsulation for Our Cool Eastern Maryland Weather
Don’t wait for the frigid temperatures of the ensuing winter—get a hold of the home performance experts at Total Home Performance and make sure your home is ready for the cool weather. And as an Energy Star partner, your crawl space encapsulation could qualify for money saving rebates!
The earlier your attic and crawl space are taken care of, the more you can save on your energy bills! We serve the all of Maryland’s Eastern Shore, including Kent, Talbot, Queen Anne's, Caroline, Dorchester, Wicomico, Somerset and Worcester Counties. So keep your home comfort controlled as Maryland gets cold, and embrace your crawl space!