How Much Insulation?

One of the first things that you’ll need to do when you start to remodel your home is find out what kind of insulation was used and how much is in place. These factors will help you to determine how much needs to be added. There are several factors that you’ll want to look into and of course one of these is taking note of the places with no insulation at all.

Air leaks are another factor that need to be taken into account when you’re deciding to improve the energy efficiency of your home. Although you might think that they only occur in older homes, air leaks are also common in newer homes were the construction crews have cut corners to save on costs. Older homes also have materials that deteriorate over time and this factor contributes to air leaks as well.

Air leaks affect the amount of money that it takes to run a home and the occupant comfort inside the place too. Poorly fitting window sashes and cracks around the frames are major contributors, and even a very small crack can allow a surprising amount of air into a home. But the whole thing works both ways as well. Considerable air leakage also occurs from inside the home to the outside. Here leaks can occur around plumbing and heating ducts and all the other things that can penetrate walls, ceilings and floors. Adding insulation is not always the perfect fix—in many cases the insulation will not fix the leak.

Most insulations are made up of open fibrous materials that are not the best at stopping leaks, and while rigid insulation does provide a better seal, it would be best to caulk around an area to completely seal up all the air leaks. In these areas, foam insulation does the trick best. As well, using a house wrap prior to a new siding installation, provides a good way to seal leaks between the sheathing panels.

One of the best things that you do here is look for the Energy Star label. This notice was developed by the United States Department of Energy and the United States Environmental Protection Agency to highlight those products that save energy. By choosing the products with these labels, the consumer will be getting the things that will help them save money on their utilities bills and help to make their homes more comfortable. There are several of these products that are available for residential construction and other areas that fall under this banner include lighting, cooling systems and other products such as windows.   

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