There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing, or so the saying goes. We wrap up with hats, gloves, jackets, and more to trap our body warmth and stay toasty when it’s cold outside. If any cold air gets in, we move around to stop those chattering teeth.
There’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing, or so the saying goes. We wrap up with hats, gloves, jackets, and more to trap our body warmth and stay toasty when it’s cold outside. If any cold air gets in, we move around to stop those chattering teeth.
Home insulation is like putting your favorite winter clothes onto your house to keep it cozy. The bonus of the home insulation wardrobe is that it can also help keep households cooler in the summer.
But it doesn’t stop there: a well-insulated building can save energy and dollars on utility bills. Some estimates put energy waste in the United States as high as two-thirds of consumed energy. We can help remedy that staggering energy loss with insulation work.
Whether you live in an older home or a new home, our guide explains how home insulation can improve its energy efficiency performance levels. That means you can save money on bills and burn less energy all the while helping in the battle against climate change.
What Is the Definition of Insulation?
The Cambridge Dictionary defines insulation as “the act of covering something to stop heat, sound, or electricity from escaping or entering, or the fact that something is covered in this way.”
It also goes on to describe insulation as “material that is used to stop heat, sound, or electricity from escaping or entering.”
We will concentrate on heat flows — heat loss and heat gains — also known as heat transfers. Let’s see how insulation acts as a barrier between your home’s internal living spaces and the varying outside temperatures.
How Can I Tell if I Need Home Insulation?
You can tell if you need home insulation if any of the following situations are familiar to you:
- You have high energy bills
- You have a cold home in the winter and a warm house in the summer
- Exterior walls and floors are cold to the touch when it’s cold outside
- To maintain comfortable temperatures, you have to continually run the air conditioning in the summer and/or the furnace in winter
- You can feel drafts
If you experience any of the above scenarios, it could be time for some home improvements to improve your home’s energy efficiency.
How Does Home Insulation Work in Winter and Summer?
Imagine a cold winter’s night with the heater on as you enjoy a cozy evening watching TV. There’s a considerable temperature difference between the outside and inside. For example, without insulation, heat transfers from your living room through the walls and is lost to the cold outside. This process is conduction.
Many building materials are good conductors of heat. That is why any insulating materials require low thermal conductivity, meaning they do not let thermal energy pass through them relatively easily. Insulation products need to be thermal insulators to prevent conduction from occurring.
Warm air rises thanks to convection, another form of heat transfer that can lead to heat loss. The attic is usually the highest point in a house, and that’s why it’s crucial to insulate attics.
In practical terms, well-designed insulation systems can help reduce a building’s dependence on air conditioning and heating systems.
Insulation helps keep cool air inside and warm air outside during summer, and warm air in and cold outside in the winter. So, let’s look at how to stop airflows affecting your home’s comfort and energy efficiency.
How Can I Make My Home More Energy Efficient?
The good news is there are some easy steps to a more energy-efficient home through insulation.
Simple steps include opening windows during warm weather instead of turning on the air conditioning. Always make sure all windows are closed when you start up any cooling or heating systems.
In summer, keep shades pulled down to stop the sun from adding to the heat in your home. Conversely, in winter, pull the shades up on sunny days and let its ray provide warmth. We’ve got lots more tips in our energy conservation guide.
Air leaks around doors and windows require blocking. Caulk, or caulking, is a relatively cheap and easy way to air seal doors and windows. Weather strips are useful, too. We recommend air sealing your home before looking at more significant insulation projects.
Insulation requires the air sealing of your entire home, including attic insulation, crawl space insulation, and basement walls insulation. These areas require knowledge of materials, DIY capabilities, and planning. If you’re unsure, ask a professional and qualified insulation contractor for advice and price quotes.
Important note: If you find vermiculite insulation in your attic, do not disturb it, touch it, or attempt to remove it. Vermiculite insulation may contain harmful asbestos, and you must contact a professional asbestos contractor to deal with the material.
Let’s look at the different types of insulation for other areas of a home. But first, we need to understand R-values.
What Does an Insulation Material’s R-value Mean?
R-values measure an insulation material’s ability to resist heat flow or its thermal conduction, also known as its thermal resistance. The higher the R-value, the more effectively that material insulates a building by improving its thermal efficiency.
There are three different R-values.
- Down R-values, or summer R-values, show how well a material stops heat coming into a building.
- Up R-values, or winter R-values, rate how well a material stops heat escaping a building.
- These are often combined to give a total R-value.
It’s not always true that a higher R-value will be more effective in every home. Warm climates demand different R-value insulation materials than cold climates, just as many people wear a variety of jackets for changing seasons.
A professional insulation contractor can assess your home and advise on the appropriate material R-values. We recommend getting several quotes before starting any work. The U.S. Department of Energy has an R-value map to help guide you on your home’s needs.
What Are the Different Materials Used in Home Insulation?
Every home is distinct and requires a bespoke insulation approach. All work must be well executed; badly-installed insulation won’t fulfill performance objectives.
There are organic and inorganic building materials used as insulators. The three principle materials are:
- Fiberglass: Also known as glass wool or glass fiber insulation
- Mineral wool: Can be rock wool (minerals) or slag wool (made from slag)
- Cellulose: Made from recycled paper, cotton, or sheep’s wool
These and other thermal insulation materials are applied in a variety of ways to provide thermal insulation.
How Are Different Insulation Materials Used in Buildings?
One of the most common types of insulation materials is blanket and batt rolls. Large rolls of material are available in various widths to fit between wall studs and attic or floor joists. There are fiberglass batts, mineral wool batts, plastic, and natural fiber batts.
Batt insulation is one of the cheaper insulation materials, and many people carry out the installation themselves in existing homes. You should always take extra care with fiberglass insulation. Wear a long-sleeved T-shirt, a face mask that covers both your nose and mouth, and goggles to protect your eyes. This way, you can avoid accidentally breathing in any tiny particles or touching fibers that can cause unwanted effects.
Loose-fill insulation, also known as blown-in insulation, can fill attics spaces as well as wall cavities. Materials like fiberglass, cellulose, or mineral wool are blown into required spaces using a blower that gives loose-fill its name. Loose-fill is more adaptable than premade batts because it can be blown into irregular shapes or wall cavities.
Foam boards, or rigid foam, are apt for new constructions, insulating them in what is known as sheathing. As the board moniker suggests, large panels fit into open wall cavities during construction before being closed in by exterior walls.
Foam board materials include polyurethane and polystyrene, and they can also help with moisture control. Polystyrene insulation is relatively straightforward to install because the boards can be custom cut to fit the new building.
Silica aerogel boards are more compressed than other foam boards and can withstand very high temperatures. NASA has used silica boards on the Mars Exploration Rovers!
Insulation materials are constantly evolving as people look for more environmentally-friendly ways to insulate buildings. There are insulating foams as well as boards.
Do Spray Foams Make an Effective Insulation Material?
Spray foam insulation is popular in home insulation because of its high R-value and versatility. Foams are different from loose-fill insulation.
Spray foams come in a liquid state. Once sprayed into the desired area, such as attics or crawl spaces, they expand and fill spaces, blocking air leaks and wall studs. Foams can also be injected into wall cavities.
There are two spray foam insulation types: open-cell spray foam and closed-cell foam. Open-cell spray foam is excellent for insulating small and awkward spaces thanks to its light and flexible structure. Closed-cell spray foam is denser and more suited for sealed areas like wall cavities or wall studs.
How Much Does Insulation Save in Energy?
Space heating and air conditioning account for around half an average U.S. home’s energy costs. A well-insulated home can save homeowners up to 15% on heating and cooling costs through air sealing their home and insulating crawl spaces, attics, and rim joists in basements.
That saving equates to 11% of the home’s entire energy costs. In 2019, the average U.S. household’s electricity bill was $115 per month. This winter, people with gas furnaces are expected to pay $746 to heat an average-sized American home. The potential annual savings from insulation are substantial, even more so if you take time to look for the best energy prices.
How Does the Use of Insulation Affect Energy Usage and Bills?
A well-insulated building brings benefits in summer and winter. In summer, cool air remains in living spaces and warm air outside, reducing the duration and intensity of air conditioner use.
The reverse happens in winter; cool air remains outside and warm air inside. There is no need to turn the heating on for as long or as high. These actions result in lower use of energy-heavy furnaces and air conditioners, bringing energy savings and reducing carbon emissions.
Read more about the benefits of energy efficiency and conservation.
What Are Some Cheap Home Insulation Tips?
The cheapest and quickest home insulation tips involve plugging air leakage around doors and windows with caulking and weather strips. Both are relatively inexpensive and easy to apply and can make a big difference in keeping drafts out of buildings.
There is financial support available for homeowners and businesses that want to make their buildings more energy-efficient with bigger insulation projects. DSIRE — the Database of State Incentives for Renewables & Efficiency — lists incentives and rebates across the United States.
Can You Put Too Much Insulation in an Attic?
The short answer is yes. You can over-insulate an attic and, indeed, a building. Different climates require different R-value insulation materials, and constructions are the same.
Suppose you put too much insulation into an attic or building. In that case, you will spend more on materials and get less return on your investment (ROI). Attics and buildings need to ventilate, too, and their insulation performance can suffer with over insulation.
Should I Put Wall Cavity Insulation in My Home?
Wall cavity insulation is only suitable for homes with a gap between the outside and internal walls.
Before sealing the borehole with cement, professionals drill a hole in the outside wall and fill the cavity with the appropriate material. You shouldn’t carry out cavity wall insulation on walls that face driving rain or damp walls.
Incorrect installation, underfilling, or overly packed can affect performance and ventilation. Cold patches, mold, and dampness can all occur from poorly-executed wall cavity insulation work.
Make Home Insulation Top of Your Wish List
Home insulation benefits everyone, including the planet itself. Thanks to sound insulation, you’ll enjoy a warmer home in winter and a cooler house in summer. We recommend calling a few professionals and asking questions to give your home an accurate insulation assessment.
Moreover, your energy bills and energy usage will reduce, meaning fewer carbon emissions will enter the atmosphere. You can even switch to a renewable energy plan and double down on your green credentials.
Every little helps in the battle against climate change. It can even help keep some dollars in your pocket, whichever jacket you’re wearing.
Brought to you by amigoenergy
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