Many people tend to neglect the fact a warm home is a welcoming home. Unfortunately, without proper insulation, the cosiness and warmth of home are scarce, so it’s more than vital to insulate our homes. By not letting air escape through the house’s windows, doors, and any other cracks and openings for that matter, you ensure having a comfortable, and above all, energy-efficient home. Adding insulation is one of the most important steps every homeowner has to implement to improve their home’s energy efficiency, comfort, and practicability. Hence, if you are uncertain how home insulation works towards improving energy efficiency in your home, here is a thorough guide that will help you out.
Home Insulation and its benefits
So, the first thing we ought to tackle is how exactly does home insulation work? Home insulation stops hot and cold air from going out of your home, plainly put. The process of insulation is quite simple, what insulation does is that it slows down conductive heat flow. Hence, by placing only quality insulating materials such as insulation4less has to offer you prevent heat from escaping in the winter and then blocking it from entering in the summer. No matter if you are doing a major home renovation project or you wish to perform some essential home remodelling, going for quality insulating materials is the way to ensure maximum effectiveness. Also, it’s important to determine the effectiveness of insulating material by calculating the R-value. The R-value represents the resistance to conduct the heat flow, and the higher the value, the greater the efficiency.
Home insulation and how energy-efficient it is
When you are looking for a way to upscale the value of your property and make it more energy-efficient, instead of buying fancy tech gadgets, you had better try out the insulation that will give you long-lasting benefits. Adding insulation in your home will prevent air from leaking through a window, door opening, and any other cracks. By going for insulation, you maximally prevent the heating system from overworking in the summer and at the same time ensure that the space is always warm. This contributes to energy efficiency for the fuller because all appliances consume less energy. Not only that, but quality insulating materials are sound-absorbent which means that they help eliminate and even reduce outside noises. Plus, besides helping evenly heat a home, by incorporating them into your home, you would also reduce the high humidity and drafts which also contributes to improving the air quality.
Best places to add installation
Even though adding installation throughout the home is the best way to ensure adequate energy efficiency, adding insulation one step at a time is also a useful strategy. You can start by insulating garage doors first because they tend to cause most air to escape. If your garage door shares walls with your home, replace it with an energy-efficient model. Next, the attic is the second most important area as attics tend to waste a lot of energy. Walls can form cracks over time, especially if the roof is not mended, allowing air to escape. And of course, if you have more money to spare, the safest, most lucrative, and energy-efficient way to protect your home is to insulate all the exterior walls. There are a plethora of reasons why insulating exterior walls is crucial for upscaling energy efficiency in your home. First, when properly insulated the outdoor heat cannot enter the house through the walls, and secondly, you retain perfect temperature all year round without losing any additional energy, consequently saving money. Lastly, as the lowest part of the house, cold can enter through the basement pretty fast, hence insulating the basement will provide extra stability in the living area.
The best insulating materials on the market
When it comes to major types of insulation there is an abundance of materials to choose from, depending on the purpose, effectiveness, use, and price. As insulation materials come in a variety of types, some of the common ones are the most effective.
- Mineral wool: Mineral wool is utterly resilient and it’s proven to withstand high temperatures and effectively block out sound as well. It’s fair to note that mineral wool is adequately moisture-resistant and has a unique ability to hold shape which makes the installation process faster and easier.
- Fibreglass: One of the interesting characteristics of this insulating material is that it’s thick, non-combustible, and has a high R-value. These properties make fibreglass a cost-effective and practical choice. Also, it can be bought in batts which makes the installation easier.
- Cellulose: If you were to choose this type of insulating material you opt for one of the most eco-friendly options as the material is made from recycled paper. Being completely fire-resistant, the popularity of this type of material escalated due to the fact that you don’t need to tear it into the walls to install it, instead add the insulation through a motorised blower.
- Rigid foam: Used mainly for insulating cement block walls in the basement, the pink or blue foam rigid foam boards are a fantastic insulating solution. The biggest advantage of this insulating material is that there’s no need to apply a thick layer to get a high R-value.
The role of home insulation in energy efficiency is huge. Besides protecting your home and keeping it warm, it helps homeowners save money on energy bills in the long run.
