A properly insulated home signalises a protected and safe-kept home from a plethora of potential negative mishaps. What’s more, having an adequately insulated home means that you would have a comfortable home and at the same time, save lots of money on your energy bills. No matter if you opt to do a thorough home renovation, or do a slight makeover, adding resistant insulation will both upscale the value of your home and keep it warm and safe-proof. If you are thinking about insulating your home, here is everything you need to know about home insulation.

Insulation 101

Home insulation means inserting or adding quality insulation material that reduces heat loss or heat gain by providing some specific barrier between your home and the material. Insulation is, basically, the material that traps warmth inside your home when it’s cold outside. By doing this, it actively decreases the amount of heat entering your home when it’s warm, thus helping you save thousands of dollars on energy bills. And the best thing about insulation is that it’s ecologically friendly and lucrative in the long run.

Where to insulate?

There are certain features of the home that should be insulated more than others for starters. Even if it would be advisable to place insulating material all around the premises, insulating some parts is still more beneficial than none.

• The attic: It’s of utmost importance to place attic spray foam insulation in order not to let the heat escape. Attics tend to be the most vulnerable places due to weather hazards and heat rise, so insulating the attic should be the top priority.
• Exterior walls: Exterior walls are second to be hit, after the attic. The harsh and severe outdoor temperature and unpredictable weather won’t affect you inside if you were to place quality insulation material. What’s more, insulated exterior walls would reduce airflow and keep internal temperatures comfortable.
• Interior walls: The greatest benefit of interior wall insulation is that it helps reduce energy bills because it contributes to reducing air transfer between rooms.
• Floors: By adding insulation to flooring, you ensure a steady and warm home temperature throughout the entire ambient. This is utterly beneficial in multi-level homes as it reduces noise pollution as well.

Insulating materials

Warm air always moves from a warm place to a colder one and vice versa. Depending on the materials used for insulation, your home would transfer heat and conduct it adequately through walls or roofs. Some of the most popular, effective, and used insulating materials are fibreglass, mineral and glass wool, plastic foam, natural fibres, cellulose, rigid boards, denim, polyethylene, etc. Some insulating materials are better than others in terms of minimizing heat transfer through radiation, convection, and conduction. For instance, foam insulation boards are eligible the most as they allow slow conduction through roofs and walls, whereas mineral wool is naturally moisture-resistant and won’t mold easily which some homeowners prefer more. Once you choose what best suits you according to effectiveness and finances, after consulting with the professionals, you would know what insulating material works best for you.

Inspect the insulation R-Values

Another vital thing to know when you are about to insulate your home is the insulation R values. The effectiveness of insulation is characterised by R-values. It’s crucial to note that the higher the R-value, the greater the material’s ability to insulate. For instance, if the R-value is high, the performance of insulating material will also be high as the material would be more resistant to heat flow. Various materials have different R-values, plus, this can often depend on the brand of the fabric, so always check the R-value before deciding which insulating material to use and buy.

Take the environment and climate into consideration

Many people fail to comprehend the sheer importance of external factors implementing the insulation properties. You will most likely need a higher R-value insulating material to maintain a cozy and welcoming home temperature if local temperatures and weather are severe and cold. On the other hand, if you live in a mild climate with regular (and steady) seasons, insulation with a lower R-value might be enough, and so on. Different environmental impacts, as well as climate shifts, will similarly have a different effect on the insulation materials.

The much-needed insulation tips

In the end, unless you wish to form a safe envelope around a home, insulation ought to be installed inside any small or large barrier that’s found between heated and unheated areas. This includes sealing the holes. Amongst numerous benefits, placing attic insulation is the greatest and most productive thing you could do to protect your home and have warm premises. Therefore, insulating the attic should be the number one thing as it would give incomparable results, then you should move on to insulating the walls and ceilings, and in the end block and seal any crawlspaces, holes, joints, and similar.

Finding adequate insulation for your home might sound like a complicated and tedious task, but surely an inevitable one. Always consult with experts before you start with a home renovation project.