There’s more than one way to insulate a house

Heat loss from your home[/caption] Insulating your home is the perfect way to shed off a lot of energy consumption and significantly reduce the cost of your bills. It is important to have good insulation along with a moisture vapor barrier to prevent loss of heat and cool air and also to prevent condensation issues. According to Consumer group ‘Which?’ unfilled cavities in the walls of your house are responsible for 35pc of heat loss from the home. Which means higher energy consumption to keep your house warm and hence, higher bills?

The most important place of the house to add insulation to is the attic and also the basement. One way to insulate your attic is by peeling the roof away and adding spray-foam from above. Although this is an expensive process, if combined with an effective vapor barrier you will get the most out of this insulation due to raised R-value. You can also go the extra mile and remove the roofing material and sheathing and replace it with a new roof. This would not only make an effect barrier but also a structurally sound roof.

Another effective method is by erecting a stud wall inside the exterior walls. This is augmented with an external cladding material which is made of veneer or brick that protects the stud wall system. You could also add extra insulation between the studs to increase the thermal performance. You can opt for a stud wall insulated with spray foam which would be costly, but would yield a higher R-value. Another option is a non-stud insulated wall with polystyrene foam panels covered with drywall. This also yields a good R-value. On the other hand, a foam-insulated wall would be a good idea but would have the lowest R-value. For any of these insulation techniques, you need to either install a vapor barrier material or make the foam panels as tight as possible.

A cheap way to insulate your walls is simply by drilling small holes into the external wall and blow materials like granulated mineral wool fiber or polystyrene beads into the cavity. This effectively keeps the sun’s heat from entering into the walls keeping your house cool. Another method is by adding further insulation to already insulated walls to maximize cost-efficiency. Besides increasing the insulation, you can also install draught excluders in windows and doors and also a set of heating controls on the boiler to control home and room temperature. There are ways to increase energy efficiency. You can also opt for double-glazing and draught-proofing to help save money. These installments can all assist in achieving maximal energy efficiency at your home. Although some people complain that too much insulation can lead to problems like lack of ventilation, but insulation definitely can be beneficial and many governments even encourage home owners to install such installations inside their homes to preserve energy.

Another great method to insulate your home is using Batt insulation. These pre-cut panels are used to insulate floors, walls, and ceilings and come in materials like fiberglass, rock or slag wood. This is a popular as well as an inexpensive way to insulate your home. These panels which also come in a flame-resistant variety which are ideal for basements are very effective if they are tightly fitted with no gaps. Companies like John Manville (JM) insulation offer a larger variety of insulation options with a variety of materials from you to choose from. Roxul insulation also offers insulation which is environmentally friendly and economical.

Another place in the house which requires insulation is the crawlspace. These areas are often ignored and are responsible for a large amount of energy loss whether it is a loss of heated air or entrance of heat into a cooled room. Fiberglass insulation batts or rolls are economical choices for insulation. This insulation should be installed with a proper vapor barrier and ensure that the insulation fits tightly for maximal efficiency.

You can find these as well as many other economical and efficient options for insulations at Owens Corning, JM insulation / Johns Manville. You can choose options for insulation that would best suit your house as well as your pocket. Although sometimes this can be an expensive investment, but the returns, in the long run, are numerous. Not only do you protect your home from mold and mildew but long term bills reduce significantly and you home will be maximally energy efficient.