Why Insulate Your Attic?
If it never occurred to you to check your attic to see if it is properly thermally insulated, here are some good reasons to go and do that right now. 
Because if you don't, you could be wasting a lot of money on energy you don't need to be consuming!
Living in a nice house with all the modern creature comforts that are available can be a wonderful experience when everything is going along smoothly. As long as your income is easily keeping pace with all your outgoings, everything is rosy and life is just dandy.
Then one day out of the blue someone knocks on your door and asks you if your attic is insulated. If it is, that's fine, but what if it isn't?
Why would you want to insulate your attic anyway? And what kind of insulation would you need if you discovered it wasn't and you wanted to?
You Should Insulate
It's quite amazing how many homeowners have no idea whether their attics are insulated or not or even why they should be. It's just something that tends not to cross a whole load of minds.
The notion of operating an economical household was never a really important factor in days gone by. Well, those days are over and energy has become expensive so if it isn't insulated, you could be wasting hundreds of dollars each year in heating or cooling power bills that are literally escaping through your roof!
This in itself is a darn good reason to do something positive about it and plug that gap in your outgoings that you don't even know about. The cost of installing attic insulation is soon recouped by the savings in power bills which are ever on the rise.
What Kind of Lining?
So what kind of insulation should you have in your attic? Well, there are several types, but what you should aim for is something that will create the maximum thermal barrier to prevent the most heat loss in winter and the greatest heat prevention in summer.
A radiant barrier insulation installation coupled with fiberglass inlay is the most effective combination and needn't cost the earth to install. There are plenty of places to buy it from such as large hardware stores or it's even possible to get it delivered from an online store.
Even just opting for a fiberglass or rockwool loose lay or sheet lining is a good place to start as this can raise the R value of your roof space considerably. Aluminum foil lined sheeting is another great type of radiant barrier that is relatively easy to install.
Indoor Temperature Comfort
When installed, your attic thermal barrier will make your home feel a lot warmer in winter while you can turn the heating thermostat down and save energy along with the cost of that energy you won't be using. In other words, you're home will require fewer units of electricity or other fuel to maintain a warm and comfortable temperature because more of the heat your home's system generates stays inside because it's not leaking to the outside through your roof.
In summer, the benefits are reversed in that the thermal barrier will help to prevent your home from heating up unnecessarily. It reduces the load on air conditioning, again saving energy and costs because the cool air stays inside and allows your AC system to work less hard to maintain that comfortable cool climate inside.
It really is a win-win situation to have your attic properly insulated and what's more it is kinder to the environment. So if you haven't already and that someone comes knocking on your door asking if you have yours insulated or not, you will be able to answer with confidence and send them on their way without being made to look a fool!
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