The DC Metro Area is expected to have a hotter-than-average summer this year , and we anticipate that the coming fall will also be warmer than usual.
Your house should be the one place you can find relief from the heat, but as many local homeowners know, as outside temperatures rise, it can be hard to keep the heat out of your home, especially the bedrooms on your second floor.
While your instinct may be to reach for the AC dial, it may be in your best interest (from both a comfort and financial standpoint) to take a look at your home’s insulation and air sealing instead—here’s why.
Why Your Bedrooms Are So Hot From June to September
The upstairs in your home gets so much warmer than the downstairs in the summer for a few reasons:
Heat rises from the lower parts of your home.
In the middle of a summer day, your roof is bearing the brunt of the sun’s heat. That heat is warming your roof and moving through it into your attic and the nearby upstairs rooms.
To prevent warm temperatures from getting inside your home, the best remedy isn’t to crank the AC—it’s to upgrade your home’s insulation!
Insulation & Air Sealing: NOT Just a Winter Benefit
The exact properties that help insulation keep you warm in the winter actually help keep you cool in the summer. Insulation slows heat from moving from one location to another. In the winter, it prevents heat from escaping your home. In the summer, it’s the opposite: insulation prevents heat from entering.
Air sealing is insulation’s partner in arms—it closes up holes and gaps where air (as opposed to heat) is able to enter and exit your house. Together, these two home upgrades can create an effective barrier against unwanted outdoor temperatures.
The Benefits of Insulation & Air Sealing for Your Home in the Summer
More even indoor temperatures—Insulation—especially attic insulation—helps create more consistent room-to-room and floor-to-floor temperatures in your home in the summer. This means you’ll notice far less of a difference between your first and second floors on a hot afternoon.
Lower cooling bills—Whether you have central air conditioning, heat pumps, ductless mini-splits, or window AC units, you’re wasting energy and money by running your AC in an underinsulated, leaky house. Proper insulation and air sealing lowers electricity use, and you see the difference in your monthly utility bills!
Less outdoor noise pollution—Many homeowners don’t think of insulation primarily as a soundproofing solution, but it can be! At Home Energy Medics, one of our specialities is solving problems with noisy homes through strategic insulation and air sealing upgrades. If your neighborhood is too noisy in the summer when everyone’s out and about, our team can help.
Take Advantage of Rebates & Tax Credits to Make Insulation Upgrades More Affordable!
Because insulation upgrades save energy and are better for the environment, there are incentives that homeowners in our service can take advantage of to lower their upfront cost, including:
Utility Insulation Rebates
Rebates for insulation and air sealing are often available through local utility companies, like Pepco and BGE (in Maryland) and Dominion (in Virginia). These rebates can equal thousands of dollars off your home upgrades, and Home Energy Medics is a participating contractor!
Federal Tax Credits
Also available are federal tax credits for a variety of home improvements that include insulation and air sealing. This tax credit is equal to 30% of qualifying expenses, up to $1,200 per year. As long as you owe federal taxes for the year in which insulation was installed, you can benefit! Tax credits can be taken in addition to utility rebates for even more savings.
Interested in learning more about making comfort and money-saving upgrades to your home this summer? The award-winning team at Home Energy Medics can help you assess the condition of your home, identify long-lasting solutions that will make your home more comfortable and affordable to heat and cool, and explain the rebates and tax credits you qualify for!