Improper insulation in your home means that your hard earned money is leaking from your house. Not good! Seal that leak up and protect your money! Not to mention that proper insulation will keep your house cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter with less energy spent from your furnace and air conditioning systems.
How insulation works is by stopping the air flow from exiting and entering your house, giving you better control over the temperature inside. As we all know, hot air rises which is why proper insulation in the ceiling and attic is so important, though hot air will also seep from the walls, going wherever the cool air is. During the summer, hot air will try and get inside and insulating the floors is as equally important.
The proper insulation depends upon several factors: how much do you need, what type of climate do you live in, what space is available for insulation, what is the accessibility of the insulation space, and how much you can afford.
When you go to purchase insulation, the government requires that the labels be clearly marked so that the consumer can read the label and determine the quality as well as any fire hazard, safety, and health issues associated with each brand and type.
There are several types of insulations: the blanket type, which comes in batts or rolls, loose-fill blow-in which is best for odd shaped areas or fill-ins, foam, rigid, reflective, and radiant.
To determine how much insulation you need, or to determine if you need more than what you already have, the Department of Energy offers a Zip Code Insulation Program, which can be found here: http://www.ornl.gov/~roofs/Zip/ZipHome.html. This program will give you an estimate on how much you will need and how much you will need to spend (approximately).
You can also hire a home energy auditor to do an insulation check. The auditor will be checking many factors, including factoring in if anybody is home during the day, checking what the thermostat’s average setting is during the summer and winter, factor in how many people live there, and what rooms are used the most. When hiring an auditor, make sure the auditor will be using a calibrated blower door, make sure they will do a thermographic inspection, and contact the Better Business Bureau to see if the companies you are considering have any complaints against them. Also check with the Chamber of Commerce to check the company’s standing. The Department of Energy website (http://www.eere.energy.gov) has further information on hiring a home energy auditor.
Insulation is one of those necessities that will cost money at first, but will save money in the long run.
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