Due to the country-wide economic circumstances that are being felt by nearly every household, people have become very careful in their spending habits especially in the area of home renovations. Everyone is attempting to find ways to save money including in home improvements.

A good way to save money is to make sure the house is energy-efficient. One way to be sure of this is to improve heating and cooling loss through the attic/roofing area. It is important that a homeowner be informed about the need to properly insulate the housetop of a building before making any choices. Following is some information about roofing insulation and how to make the best selection in this area.

Reducing Heating/Cooling Costs

This barrier that is installed in an attic actually is a silent way of contributing to comfort inside any building. It helps maximize the amount of heating and cooling that must be provided to maintain an appropriate interior temperature; it will reduce a significant amount of the overall electricity and/or gas bill. How beneficial is it to save up to 13 percent on winter power costs and save even more on the summer power costs! It is a proven fact that the proper installation of energy efficient insulation under a roof has an amazing immediate effect on energy bills.

When renovating or remodeling, many homeowners focus their entire budget on visible items such as carpets, fixtures, etc. As important as aesthetics are, some of that budget should be diverted to ‘unseen’ items that again can increase the energy-efficiency of the entire building; effective roof insulation is one of those items. Of course, this will not have visible results and add to the "wow factor" of the house. Since it does increase the comfort level, energy efficiency, and reduction of outside noise, it should make it a more-than-adequate reason to be a significant priority of the entire budget.

Purchasing the Best Type of Insulation

Purchasing only the best type of roofing insulation will result in greater energy efficiency. The material selected is usually laid between the support rafters underneath the plywood sheathing. There are two common types from which to select: traditional fiberglass and foam. Foam seems to be gaining popularity in the market today.

The foam board version is stapled to the sheathing. Right on top of the foam board, the roofing materials are laid and installed. When installing the fiberglass type, workers should wear masks, hand gloves and long-sleeved shirts for safety precautions. This prevents small glass fibers from getting inhaled into the lungs or getting onto the skin, causing allergic reactions or other health problems.

Foam can also be blown-in or sprayed into the same attic area and is a great option when space to install rolled sheet versions is minimal.

Fiberglass insulation comes in the form of rolls or ‘batts.’ In addition to the fiberglass versions, there are also: mineral/rock and wool; fibers from plastic; and fibers from natural sources such as wool and cotton versions available in rolls.

The lack of roofing insulation or poor installation of the selected material can cause a house to be drafty and cold or alternatively very warm. The workload of the heating system or furnace is increased in order to maintain the desired room temperature during winter; it is similar circumstances with the air conditioning unit during summer months. With the proper installation under a roof of this protective material, the desired room temperature can be maintained at much less of an energy cost. Updating this important feature of a roof could be the best money-saving feature added to a building, even though it will be an invisible improvement to almost everyone but the homeowner.