How to Add Insulation for Year Round Comfort
Insulation acts to decrease heat transfer and significantly lower heating and cooling bills. Furthermore, adding or upgrading insulation makes homes cozier and warmer.
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Attic
Insulating your attic is an effective way to ensure a more comfortable home all year long. Uninsulated attics allow heat escape through, forcing your cooling system to work harder, increasing energy costs. Insulation allows you to turn down your thermostat for reduced costs while enjoying significant savings!
To effectively insulate an attic, begin by clearing and cleaning the space as well as sealing air leaks. This ensures a smooth installation process and increases effectiveness of insulation; you can purchase foam sealant at most hardware stores to help with this task.
Once your attic is prepared, choose an insulation material that suits both your climate needs and budget. Fiberglass batt insulation is an economical choice that works well in most attic spaces; its variety of R-values allows it to meet individual demands; opt for one with higher R-value for greater energy efficiency.
When installing fiberglass insulation, take care to place it between the joists. Also create barriers around fixtures, vents and wires in order to avoid damage from the insulation or any potential fire hazards. If adding recessed can lights to your system, be sure they are marked „insulation contact” or IC (insulation covers) so as to avoid potential fire hazards.
Radiant barriers, cellulose insulation and spray foam are other insulation options available to you. A radiant barrier is constructed from reflective materials and used to reflect off sunlight into the attic – helping keep it cooler during summertime. Cellulose insulation works great for hard-to-reach spots or irregular attic spaces; and both blown-in cellulose and spray foam offer superior air sealing and insulation in one step but must be installed by professionals using a blowing machine; both cost more than fiberglass batts but have faster returns due to lower energy costs.
Walls
Insulation helps keep your home warm in winter and cool in summer, as well as reduce energy costs by limiting heat transfer between rooms, making your home more comfortable year round.
Many older homes lack adequate wall insulation, leaving homeowners struggling with overtaxed heating systems and rising energy bills. Insulating closed walls reduces heat loss while simultaneously improving indoor air quality by restricting outdoor pollutants entering.
Insulating walls is possible using several methods, including fiberglass batts, FOAMULAR boards (XPS foam board), mineral wool batts, spray foam insulation or loose-fill cellulose blankets. The choice that’s right for each home will depend on its style, location and climate – including whether or not its walls open out onto an outdoor space.
Loose-fill cellulose insulation is an easy and safe option for existing homes, and installation with a blower is quick and straightforward. Beginning as paper that has been shredder, then mixed with boric acid for fire resistance and finally transformed into insulation material that can be blown through holes drilled either inside or outside your home’s walls for effective coverage. While more costly than other forms of insulation solutions, loose fill cellulose offers fast and cost-effective protection from cold drafts in walls or attics.
Installation of new insulation layers may seem like a do-it-yourself task for many homeowners, but proper preparation and materials selection must first take place for optimal results. Hiring an insulation professional will ensure your new layer meets building code requirements while eliminating pest damage or hazardous conditions and permitting proper wiring and plumbing installations – plus help make sure you make the most out of your investment by choosing appropriate insulation types that best suit your home environment.
Ducts
Air ducts provide efficient delivery of heated or cooled air throughout your home, creating comfort. However, leaky or uninsulated ducts can waste significant amounts of energy when heating or cooling homes – leading to higher utility bills and decreased comfort. Insulating unconditioned spaces like attics and crawlspaces improves energy efficiency, decreases utility costs and keeps homes more cozy.
Duct insulation works by minimizing heat transfer between heated or cooled air traveling through a system and its surroundings, and maintaining it within the conditioned space for as long as possible – thus maintaining consistent room temperatures, lowering HVAC load loads, and decreasing indoor noise levels.
Installing duct insulation is an inexpensive and effective way to make your home more energy-efficient, and reduce condensation or other moisture issues in uninsulated ducts that could lead to mold, mildew growth and damage to its structure.
Prior to trying to add insulation to your ducts, consider consulting with a professional who can conduct a detailed visual inspection and energy audit of your ventilation system, including recommendations on any leaks or problems in ductwork that require repair.
Those opting to do their own work should take extra care in measuring and cutting insulation before installing it, to ensure a snug fit around each duct with no gaps or air leakage. After applying insulation to ducts, make sure all seams are sealed using foil tape while tightly butting together any connecting sections of duct. Furthermore, avoid compressing the insulation, as this can lessen its effectiveness.
Windows & Doors
If you’re experiencing drafty windows or rising energy costs, some simple upgrades could make a substantial difference. From quick DIY solutions to long-term upgrades that provide years of comfort and savings, here are some effective ways to insulate windows and doors:
Caulking windows to keep out cold air during the winter can help stop drafts from sneaking in, making your home warmer and less drafty. Caulk is low-cost and relatively straightforward, making it an effective, quick solution. Door snakes offer another cost-effective option that works similarly – these weighted fabric tubes are attached at the base of doors to block drafts – these can be found at most hardware stores or you could roll up towels to seal drafts at their base.
Window insulation kits may provide a more permanent solution. With plastic film designed to cover windows and window sills, these kits can help reduce drafts. Available at most home improvement stores, this option may be great for those on a tight budget who wish to enhance the efficiency of their windows.
If you’re ready to invest in more permanent solutions, upgrade to double-pane windows or insulate your window frames with secondary glazing – which adds an additional layer to your current windows to help retain heat while keeping cold air at bay. While more costly, secondary glazing could lower energy bills. When upgrading windows contact a professional to discuss all available options.
Crawl Spaces
Crawl spaces often lack insulation and ventilation, allowing conditioned air to escape into the dirt floor of your home, leaving floors above it cold in winter due to limited heating reach. Furthermore, outside air can change temperatures inside your home and lead to pest, mold and wood rot problems within. Insulating crawl spaces properly with insulation panels can make all aspects of life more comfortable while decreasing energy bills as well as protecting against water damage under foundation.
Before insulating your crawl space, it is essential to address any potential sources of moisture by sealing leaks, clearing away standing water and fixing any leaking or broken pipes. Furthermore, remove all debris from the crawl space before installing a vapor barrier to keep out ground moisture. Insulation should be placed over the vapor barrier to help avoid ice damming in winter and deter unwanted pests from entering your crawl space. Vapor barriers may be made from materials like plastic sheeting or foil-faced polyisocyanurate foams. Depending on the ventilation of your crawl space, fiberglass batt insulation may be ideal; just be mindful not to block it as this could result in excess moisture build-up. In an unvented crawl space, however, rigid foam boards such as SilverGlo can help reflect heat into it and prevent moisture issues by having radiant liners installed for reflection purposes and moisture prevention.
Installing insulation in your crawl space should always be completed by a certified professional. They can install a vapor barrier, batting insulation and rigid insulation to make it more energy-efficient and comfortable for everyone in your house, as well as make sure there are no gaps that allow cold air in or warm conditioned air out of the space.