Importance of Properly Insulating Your Home
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You’ve probably heard that cool or warm air can escape from your homes through cracks and openings in doors or windows. It is best to seal these cracks as soon as possible to help save energy and cut costs. There is also another way your home can lose heat and that is through conduction.
Simply put conduction is the transfer of heat from one substance to another. This is where insulation plays its part. A home is much more efficient when it is properly insulated.
Your insulation needs to be at least three inches thick, if it is less than that you should have its R-value increased.
R-value is a measure of thermal resistance used in the building and construction industry. You can check with your county building codes for the proper R-value for your area.
Before you go into the task of insulating your home make sure you have it inspected for air leaks first. Get the leaks fixed and then start with insulation.
You have quite a few different types of insulation to choose from, however most homes use fiberglass. Foam board is another type of insulation that is usually used when building a new home. If you’re not sure of which type of insulation is best for what you need, ask a professional.
Here is a short list of some of the most common types of insulation.
I mentioned fiberglass earlier and it is, without a doubt the most common type of insulation. Fiberglass is not only easy to install (basically cut and fit),and widely available, it is also very cost-effective. There is one major problem with fiberglass and that is it can cause irritation to skin and your lungs.
Our second type is loose fill insulation. This is also fiberglass insulation but instead of cutting and filling in the area, it is applied by blowing it into place. What’s good about this is that you can reach into tight spaces better that fiberglass. It can also be blown in walls and is easier to work with than fiberglass. On the other hand it is rather messy and the quality can vary. It can also possibly create large gaps over time.
Extruded foam insulation is solid and comes in flat sheets. It is pretty strong and easy to apply, also works well in basements. On the down side, it is very expensive.
Last but not least on our list is sprayed urethane foam. As the name says it is sprayed onto walls an forms a tough barrier that seals well. You can use it on all types of surfaces. You must have it installed by professionals.
So, there are some of your options that you can consider if you want to insulate your home. Once again consult with professionals before you start any work and take all necessary precautions. If you can’t handle the project let a professional do it. After you’ve completed this task you can move on to other areas of your home that need some improvement in energy efficiency.
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