Insulating your attic is a big step toward keeping your energy bills low. It also helps to keep your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. But installing insulation yourself isn’t as simple as it seems. It’s messy, dangerous and time-consuming.
The Right Tools & Materials
Insulating your home can be an expensive, time-consuming and dangerous project. It doesn’t have to be that way if you do it right. One of the biggest reasons people don’t DIY attic insulation is they don’t have the right tools for the job. The wrong tools can lead to unnecessary fatigue, mistakes and waste. And depending on the type of insulation you use, you may also need to seal small holes around plumbing pipes and vents. Fill these with caulk or expandable foam spray. This is a good way to keep moist air from leaking into your attic and freezing inside the walls. If the gaps are larger than 3 inches, you can stuff fiberglass insulation into them to increase their R-value. If you’re going to attempt this DIY, you’ll need to make sure you’ve done your research and know how to install the insulation properly. This is because if you do it wrong, your insulation may not be as effective or it could damage the building.
The Experience
Attic insulation is an important part of any home. It can improve energy efficiency by lowering heating and cooling costs while keeping the home comfortable. However, installing attic insulation is a complex task that requires experience and specialized tools. Unless you’re familiar with all the ins and outs of insulation installation, you should leave it to a professional. In addition, removing and replacing your own insulation could put you in violation of building codes. This could negatively impact the sale of your home and cause you to pay fines or fees. Another major problem with DIY attic insulation is the risk of fires. This is because insulation may contain paper or foil that can easily catch fire if it’s not treated with flame retardants.
There’s a good chance your home doesn’t have enough insulation. If you built your house or renovated it, it’s likely that it doesn’t have enough to keep you comfortable and save on energy bills. This is especially true if you live in an area with cold winters. In these cases, poor insulation can lead to ice damming which can cause serious issues on your roof and gutters.
High Energy Bills
High energy bills are one of the biggest signs that your home is under-insulated. A home that is under-insulated forces the HVAC system to work harder to keep the home at even temperatures. If your energy bills are climbing rapidly, it’s time to investigate what might be causing it. A qualified home energy assessor can do a thermal scan of the walls to determine how well your home is insulated.A good insulation solution can be expensive, but it’s an investment worth making if your home is not well insulated.
Uncomfortable Temperatures
If your floors, walls, and ceilings are cold to the touch, you likely need more insulation in your home. Insulation stops heat and air from escaping through gaps. Another sign that your home is under-insulated is that you’re feeling warmer in one room and colder in others. This could mean that your heater isn’t keeping you as warm as it should, or that it’s not delivering enough energy to keep all parts of your house at the same temperature. Frozen pipes can also be a tell-tale sign that your home is under-insulated. If your exterior walls are poorly insulated, it can lead to pipes freezing and then bursting, which can cause thousands of dollars worth of damage.
Cold Drafts
Besides being uncomfortable, cold drafts can also cause your energy bill to skyrocket throughout the winter months. These can come from windows and doors that are not properly sealed. Insulation is a thick material that protects your home from the cold air outside. Usually, the amount of insulation required by code is enough to keep your home comfortable and save you money on energy bills, but if it isn’t, you might want to consider investing in additional insulation. You can check your windows and doors for drafts by looking at the caulking around the wood frames or the glazing that holds glass windowpanes together. If you notice cracks, it’s time to fix them. You can also stand near a door or window and feel if cold air is making its way through the cracks.
Uneven Temperatures
If you notice that some rooms are consistently warmer than others, this could indicate that your home is under-insulated. Often, this can occur when blown-in insulation settles over time or if the ductwork isn’t sized correctly. Another sign of a poorly-insulated home is ice dams during the winter. When heat rises from the roof, it melts the snow and turns it into a dam of ice that can wreak havoc on your siding and gutters. Similarly, if your pipes aren’t properly insulated in the crawl space or walls, freezing winter temperatures can cause them to freeze and burst. This can be a major pain and cost you money.
Noisy Rooms
If your rooms are noisy and you hear echoes of everything from the TV to the vacuum, your home may be under-insulated. This can make your room a stressful place to be, and can even negatively affect your health. Your home may also be noisy if you have rooms with hard surfaces like walls, floors or doors that can cause reverberation and noise transfer. Adding sound-absorbing materials or products should definitely help!
Insulation slows down the flow of heat by blocking it from entering or escaping your home. This keeps your home more comfortable in both winter and summer and lowers your energy bills. Insulating your home also helps you stay healthier and prevents the buildup of mold indoors. Similarly, insulation also helps to keep outdoor contaminants out of your home, such as pollen and dust.
Energy Savings
Insulation keeps your home warmer during the winter and cooler during the summer, which can save you money on utility bills. It also decreases the number of times your heating system has to work hard. Insulating your home is one of the most effective ways to make your house more energy efficient!Homes with poor insulation and air leaks can cost up to 15% more to heat and cool than homes that are properly insulated. Getting rid of air leaks and adding insulation to your attic, floors over crawl spaces and basements can make an enormous difference in your energy bill. Insulation comes in many different materials, including fiberglass, cellulose, and spray foam. It’s a simple home improvement that can pay for itself over time.
Increased Comfort
Insulation helps to keep the temperature in your home at a consistent level, regardless of the time of year. This ensures that your family’s comfort levels remain high while your heating and cooling costs stay low. Insulation also reduces drafts and air leakage in your home. These drafts can be uncomfortable and lead to energy loss, contributing to lower heating and cooling bills. You can add insulation to your home in a number of places, including exterior walls, ceilings/attics, foundation and windows.
Healthier Home, Healthier Planet
Insulation is a smart way to save money and help the planet. It also can improve the overall health of your home by helping keep allergens, dust, and toxins out of your living space. In addition, it helps maintain a comfortable indoor temperature that decreases the chances of you getting sick. And that’s a big deal. It also helps prevent mold from growing, which can lead to mildew and odors in your home. And because insulation reduces heat loss and improves your home’s energy efficiency, it’s also an effective way to reduce the carbon footprint of your home. In fact, if all homes were properly insulated worldwide, we could cut greenhouse gas emissions by 293.5 billion pounds per year, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. It’s an easy upgrade to make and one that will pay for itself in energy savings over time. But before you do, be sure to choose the right type of insulation for your home.
More and more homes are opting to become more energy-efficient. This not only saves money on the electric bill but also helps to reduce the home’s carbon footprint and thus aids in the fight against climate change. Insulation helps reduce the heat that leaves your home in cold winter months and prevents excessive heat from entering your home in hot, humid summer months.
For a home to be more energy efficient, it needs to be properly insulated. As a building contractor, it’s important to be informed about the best insulation options for new build homes and the benefits that each of these hold.
To measure insulation, the R-value is calculated. This refers to how resistant the specific insulation is to heat and its ability to either keep heat in or out.
Types of insulation you should know
1. Batt insulation
Batt insulation consists of fiberglass and mineral wool, also referred to as rock wool. This type of insulation was originally produced in large rolls, but today this insulation is pre-cut into standard industry sizes.
Batt insulation is the most widely used insulation to seal walls, attics, and ceilings. It is also one of the more cost-effective types of insulation that can make a great option for a DIY project. This type of insulation has an R-value of between R-2.9 and R-3.8 for every inch of thickness.
2. Spray foam insulation
Spray foam insulation is made from either liquid latex or polyurethane foam. Essentially, spray foam is sprayed on cracks and crevices in walls and other hard surfaces. The spray foam then expands and sets in the crack, filling it up perfectly. There are two types of spray foam:
Closed-cell foam
Open-cell foam
Between these two options, closed-cell foam is far denser. It has an R-value of 6.2.
3. Blown-in insulation
As the name implies, blown-in insulation is blown into an area that requires insulation, using a very specific machine. Another name for blown-in insulation is loose-fill insulation. The material is paper-like and is made of fiberglass, cellulose, or rock wool.
This type of insulation is ideal for areas that require additional insulation, tricky areas, or areas that require additional attention. The R-value depends on the material it is made of and ranges between R-2.2 and R-3.8.
4. Vapor barrier insulation
Vapor barriers are used to prevent moisture from entering your home, even if there is insulation. It is typically made of polythene and placed between the cavity and inner masonry skin, on the warmer side of the structure.
5. Foam board insulation
Foam board insulation is a firm structure. This type of insulation is used to reduce the heat that is conducted through wood or roofs. These foam boards are typically made from one of three types of material:
Polyisocyanurate
Polystyrene
Polyurethane
These insulation boards are ideal for interior or exterior insulation. The R-value of these foam boards ranges between R-4 and R-6.5.
6. Radiant barrier insulation
Radiant barrier insulation reflects heat away from the home. It is made from one of three types of material, including:
Polyethylene
Kraft paper
Foam board
This material is further covered by a reflective material such as aluminum foil. This type of insulation is both budget-friendly and ideal for DIY projects.
Regardless of the size of your home, you need a properly insulated attic that will help regulate the temperature and keep your energy bill down. When it comes to your attic insulation, you have different choices. What is the best attic insulation for homes? If you are looking to insulate your attic, here are the pros and cons of the different attic insulation:
Fiberglass Batt Attic Insulation
It is one of the easiest ways of attic insulation. However, this method also has disadvantages you need to consider. One of the main disadvantages is that this method requires many vapor barriers to protect the insulation from moisture. Moreover, this type of insulation has lower resistance than others.
Spray Foam Attic Insulation
This method is more expensive than the previous fiberglass insulation. It is made of polyurethane and is sprayed directly to the area that is being insulated. It is perfect for filling the gaps and cracks, and it resists mold and mildew. However, there are also certain disadvantages of this method. One of the main downsides is the cost. Spray foam attic insulation is two to three times more expensive than any other traditional type of insulation.
Cellulose Attic Insulation
Usually, this type of insulation comes from recycled paper or wood, making it a sustainable and green product. Unfortunately, there are certain concerns related to this insulation method. One of them is that cellulose insulation is treated with a significant amount of anti-flammable chemicals, which means that cellulose presents a certain risk of a fire hazard. However, it is more durable than other insulation types and is quite affordable.
Mineral Wool Attic Insulation
This type of insulation has been popular in Europe and Canada and is currently getting a resurgence in the United States as well. It is generally more expensive than other methods, but it has certain advantages. Mineral wool is perfect for blocking outside noise from coming into your home. However, it has one very dangerous disadvantage: Inhaling mineral wool is toxic and may even cause cancer. Therefore, you should proceed with extreme caution.
Ace Insulation Inc. – Unwavering Quality and Excellent Performance
If you are looking for an expert in insulation in Sacramento, CA and other nearby areas, Ace Insulation Inc. is the company you should contact. We specialize in different types of insulation and are focused on delivering quality services and products. Our professionals have over 100 years of combined professional experience, and we have been serving clients since 2011.
If you have any questions about our company or the services we offer, feel free to visit our website or give us a call.
><
Areas Served
Proudly providing residential and commercial insulation installation to Petaluma, CA and the surrounding areas including:
Certificate of Approved Applicator from SWD, approved to install quik-shield polyurethane foam and coating products in residential and commercial applications according to the standards and guidelines as set forth by SWD Urethane
