I went for the sound-dampening underlayment when we redid our roof last summer—mostly because my bedroom's right under a huge oak tree. Honestly, I got tired of waking up at 3 am thinking squirrels were tap-dancing on my ceiling every time an acorn dropped. 😂 It did help noticeably with noise, but if you don't have a similar squirrel nightclub situation or noisy neighbors, probably safe to skip it and save some cash. Insulation though...definitely worth it.
Did you notice a big difference with insulation in energy bills, or mostly comfort? I've been debating upgrading mine...my attic feels like a sauna in summer, wondering if it's worth tackling both at once.
"my attic feels like a sauna in summer, wondering if it's worth tackling both at once."
Honestly, if your attic's hitting sauna-level temps, insulation alone won't fully cut it. Upgrading insulation definitely helps with comfort and shaving a bit off energy bills, but pairing it with proper roofing ventilation is the real game changer. I dealt with this last summer—thought insulation was enough, but nope...still roasting upstairs until I added ridge vents. Now it's noticeably cooler and my AC isn't working overtime. Worth considering doing both together if you're already up there anyway.
"Honestly, if your attic's hitting sauna-level temps, insulation alone won't fully cut it."
Totally agree with this. Had the same issue a couple years back—thought I'd just beef up the insulation and call it good. It helped some, but still felt like a sauna up there by mid-July. Ended up installing soffit vents and a ridge vent to get proper airflow going, and that made all the difference. Temps dropped noticeably, and my AC didn't have to run nonstop anymore.
If you're already thinking about upgrading your roof, tackling ventilation at the same time makes sense. It's one of those things that's easier (and probably cheaper) to do while you're already working up there anyway. Plus, you'll feel the improvement right away...no more sweating buckets every time you go upstairs to grab something out of storage. Definitely worth considering doing both together if you can swing it.
Good points, but before you jump into vents and insulation upgrades, have you checked your attic sealing? A couple years ago, I had similar heat issues and found out the main culprit was actually air leaks around recessed lights and attic hatches. Sealing those gaps with foam and weatherstripping made a surprising difference. Might be worth checking that first—could save you some cash before going all-in on roof upgrades or new ventilation.
