When it comes to insulation and energy-saving, there are a lot of options for you as an individual or business. Next to converting to solar power, insulating your property is one of the best ways to save energy and money. Combining solar power and quality insulation creates a hyper-efficient internal environment. Since we know it’s a win-win to save while reducing emissions, we wanted to review some of the most popular insulation types and give you tips on how to choose which one is right for your needs.
What Is Insulation & Energy Saving
All insulation is designed to accomplish the same goal: to reduce temperature loss or increase into or out of your house. It is commonly applied inside the outer walls and roof of a structure. Insulations can be made from different materials such as polyurethane, foam boards or foam blocks, cellulose fiberglass, foil-faced kraft paper, plastic film, polyethylene bubbles, or cardboard. There are many different kinds of insulation and methods of applying it, and some are more efficient than others. However, any insulation is better than none, and having some installed will result in energy savings.
How Does Insulation Save Energy?
Some people may be hesitant to spend money on high-quality insulation, but the investment will pay off in energy savings. The cost of upgrading an attic might range from $1,000 to $2,000 or more. Insulating your house is wise. A better-insulated house will make it more comfortable. It will be quieter too.
The EPA predicts that by adding insulation in attics, crawl spaces, and basement rim joists, the average homeowner may save 15% on heating and cooling expenses (11% of total energy costs) – about $200 per year for most people.
In colder areas of the country, like zone six and seven, savings can be as much as 20%. The average cost of most insulation types hovers around $0.20 to $0.50 per square foot, allowing you to do the math to see how long it would take for your house’s insulation to pay for itself after upgrading.
In addition, well-insulated homes frequently command a greater market value. According to recent research, there is generally a positive return on investment when it comes to the value of your home after installing insulation. Plus, you may be eligible for tax incentives to assist pay for the upgrade, however, these are subject to change, so it’s wise to consult with a professional tax preparer about current regulations.
What Types Of Insulation Are Available?
Blown-in insulation
This insulation is usually made of fiberglass or recycled paper. It’s blown or sprayed into place. It’s good for places you can’t reach, like the attic or wall cavities that are closed off.
Insulation batts
These are pre-cut pieces of fiberglass or rock wool insulation that are available. They may be used in floors, ceilings, attics, and walls.
Insulation rolls
Insulation rolls are similar to batts, but they’re available in longer lengths (usually 20-40 feet). This insulation type is perfect for attics, floors, and other applications requiring longer runs.
Foam board insulation
Polystyrene and polyurethane-based rigid panels are used in this type of insulation. It may be used to insulate almost any part of your home, particularly the exterior walls beneath your siding.
Spray foam insulation
Spray foam insulation is used in homes, offices, and other buildings to fill gaps between floorboards and ceilings. Latex or polyurethane spray foam may be applied to help seal around windows and doors or with specialized equipment in basements and crawl spaces.
Where Is Insulation Most Effective?
When it comes to insulation, there are some areas you should keep in mind:
- Ceiling, attic
- under the floor
- walls
- windows, including the frames.
These four areas form the ‘thermal envelope.’ The thermal barrier between heated areas and the outside environment is known as the thermal envelope. Consider it like a full coverage that protects the interior of your home from the elements. The easier it is to maintain a warm house, the more effectively insulated your thermal envelope is.
The type of insulation you use and the way it’s installed in your house will influence the sorts of insulation available, as well as how it can be placed.
A polythene blanket on the ground underneath the house may be useful in homes with a suspended floor. This stops damp, chilly air from evaporating off the ground and entering the home, making it drier and simpler to keep warm.
There will be little or no extra insulation required with some construction methods, such as polystyrene concrete formwork, SIP, and straw bales.
What Insulation Is the Most Energy-Efficient?
If you’re starting from the ground up and constructing a house, Insinuating Concrete Forms (ICF) are the way to go. It’s the most efficient method of building insulation (during construction) into your home’s structure.
Spray foam, however, is typically the most energy-efficient option when renovating a pre-existing property. Loose-fill cellulose or fiberglass are also very efficient and can be sprayed into existing buildings.
When it comes to putting or improving insulation in your house, choose the one with the most suitable R-value that is appropriate for your needs. The R-value tells you how well the specific type of insulation will keep heat in or out of your property. When planning for insulation also consider the age of your home, its construction materials, and where it is positioned.
How Do You Know If Your House Is Well Insulated?
There are a lot of ways to verify this, including:
- Do a touch test: The touch test is a simple way to check for insulation. On a chilly winter day when it’s raining, go all over your house, touching the inside ceilings, walls, and floors. They should all be warm and not hydrated. If the drywall and paneling in these rooms are warm and dry, that’s an excellent indication that your home is well insulated.
- Do a comfort test: It is not good when the air conditioner cools unevenly. The result of this is that some rooms will be too cold and others too hot. Insulation will solve the problem. Return vents and ducts are important because they make the environment even. Without them, some rooms will have air conditioning and others won’t. Insulation is also important because, without it, the air out of your house will leak out. You can tell if you have good insulation in your house if all the rooms are comfortable even on hot or cold days.
- Call an insulation pro: The simplest method to determine if your home is well-insulated is to hire an expert insulation contractor to examine your flooring, ceilings, and walls. These companies have the right equipment for this job. They will usually do a free inspection to either confirm you have good insulation or inform you how much it will cost to properly insulate your place.
How Do You Know If Your House Needs Insulation?
- High energy bills: Savvy homeowners can record their energy spendings. You can use this info to identify if you need better insulation in your home. Look at your energy bills from the last few years and see if there are any increases that are not explained. Sometimes, when homes get old, the insulation in your attics and walls settle or deteriorate, resulting in heating and cooling costs going up. The change happens slowly, so you may not notice a difference in comfort in the rooms that are affected. But records of your energy bills might show a different story.
- Water leaks in the winter: Do you have water seeping into your attic during rainy seasons, or when it rains do your windows leak? When temperatures drop, poorly insulated walls and windows allow cool air as well as water into your house. Any indication of water leaking or cool drafts are telltale signs that your insulation is inadequate.
- Touch and comfort test failures: Remember the touch and comfort tests we reviewed from the previous section to see if houses were properly insulated? The reverse is also true. If you find wet and damp drywall or paneling, this means that your insulation is not working well.
Conclusion
One of the best ways to save money on your heating and cooling bills is by adding insulation. It’s also one of the easiest, cheapest energy-saving measures you can take. Whether it’s blown-in cellulose or spray foam insulation, there are plenty of options for homeowners looking to improve their homes’ thermal performance.