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!
When you want to improve your home, investing in new insulation is always a good idea. When deciding between various insulation options, radiant barrier insulation should always be considered. This is a unique form of insulation that offers various benefits but can also come with drawbacks. It is essential to evaluate all of the pros and cons of radiant insulation barriers to determine whether they are worth it or not.
Pro – Effective at Preventing Radiant Heat
One of the benefits of radiant barrier insulation is that it is an effective way of getting rid of radiant heat. As the name of the insulation would suggest, radiant barrier insulation is designed to get rid of and reduce radiant heat. This is heat that is directly created by the sun, and it can quickly heat your home, particularly if you are located in an area that gets a lot of hot sun. Due to this, it is an ideal way to keep your home cool and reduce air conditioning costs in southern and sunny cities.
Pro – Insulation Prevents Moisture and Pests
One of the challenges you can have with other forms of insulation is that it can be damaged by pests and insects or mold growth if it gets wet. This type of insulation is made of materials that will make it much more difficult for mold to grow and allow pests or insects to make a nest. This can help to ensure the insulation remains in good condition for much longer.
Con – Less Effective in Cold Climates
While radiant barrier insulation is a great option if you live in a hot and sunny climate, it might not be as effective in a colder area with less sun. Convective and conductive heat can cause your home to get hotter than you want, and radiant barrier insulation is less effective than thermal insulation when preventing this type of heat.
Con – More Expensive
Another issue that you may have with radiant barrier insulation is that it can be more expensive. While it effectively reduces radiant heat, the cost of purchasing and installing the insulation will be higher. Further, this type of insulation can accumulate dust and debris and may require some cleaning and other forms of care over the years to ensure it continues to be as effective as possible.
If you are looking for new insulation for your home, you will find there are various options to consider. Radiant barrier insulation has continued to be a popular option as it can help to insulate and protect your home. There are various factors to consider when deciding are radiant barriers worth it.
How radiant barrier works wonders in most homes around the country that have installed such systems. They have been in the market for a lengthy period and have already shown that they offer considerable benefits. So why consider radiant barrier?
1. Boost Thermal Efficiency
As earlier said, radiant barriers are designed in a way that they can help in reflecting heat. This is what helps in boosting the efficiency of the radiant barrier system. When you have such a barrier installed in your house, it means that there will be very little heat that will be able to penetrate your living space. The result is that your HVAC system will not have to work so hard to maintain the desired indoor temperature. This helps save a lot of money because you will not be using too much energy.
2. Reduces Heat Buildup
Another reason you should consider a radiant barrier is that it can help reduce heat buildup. When there is too much heat in an enclosed space, it can be quite uncomfortable and even dangerous. However, with a radiant barrier system in place, you can be sure that the heat will not build up to such levels because the system will reflect the heat away from the enclosed space.
3. Protects Against Fire
Radiant barrier systems are also quite effective in protecting against fire. The system reflects the heat away from the enclosed area. This way, the fire will not be able to spread and cause damage. Many homes have been destroyed by fires that could have been prevented if a radiant barrier system had been in place.
4. Effective in Hot Climates
Hot climates tend to be quite challenging when it comes to maintaining a comfortable temperature indoors. However, with a radiant barrier system, you can be sure that the heat will not be able to penetrate your living space. You will not have to worry about the indoor temperature becoming too hot. This is something that can be quite comfortable, especially during the summer months.
5. Does Not Attract Mold
Mold accumulation can be quite dangerous, especially for people allergic to it. Mold can cause many respiratory problems, and it can even lead to death in some cases. However, with a radiant barrier system, you will not have to worry about mold accumulation, as the system does not allow moisture to build up.
Conclusion
These are just some reasons you should consider radiant barrier insulation. If you have not been using such a system, then you should consider doing so. It can offer many benefits that can help you in several ways. Get in touch with a reliable company that can provide you with the best radiant barrier system for your home. Contact Ace Insulation Inc. for more information.
Most people understand insulation in traditional terms. If you ask them about it, they probably picture the big pink rolls available at home improvement stores, or they might also be familiar with either blow-in or spray foam options. Beyond that, they might not know too much about their choices.
There are other options that can insulate your home from the outside elements and help you save on your utility bill. Reducing heat with radiant barrier insulation is one such tactic; while traditional insulation absorbs excess heat, a radiant barrier will reflect it away from its surface.
Read on for more insight into how and where radiant barriers work and why you might want to explore this option for your home or business.
What is a radiant barrier?
At their core, radiant barriers are highly-reflective materials—picture a roll of shiny material, almost like aluminum foil but thinner. In order to be considered a radiant barrier, there are very specific criteria that must be met after being established by the United States Department of Energy. They must have a reflectivity rating of 90 percent or higher and an emissivity rating of 10 percent—numbers that ensure a high degree of efficiency. There are a number of different barrier products on the market that promise varying results, but all of them work on essentially the same principles.
How do radiant barriers work?
Radiant heat is warmth that transfers without direct contact with the source—think of how the front of your body is warm but the backside is cold if you stand by a campfire. You feel the heat transferring from the source, but you’re not making direct contact with the fire.
As the sun beats down on your roof over the course of a day, eventually the roof warms to a point where it starts transferring this heat to the inside of your house. This is where radiant barriers come into play. If applied properly, they can help reflect this heat back and away from your home’s interior so that it’s not subject to this excess warming. Finally, while reducing heat with a radiant barrier is the main goal, it is not just a benefit in warm weather. Radiant barriers help increase your insulation’s overall R-value, which also pays dividends in colder temperatures.
How to install radiant barrier insulation
Installing a radiant barrier is simple enough that it’s perfectly suited for most DIY-ers. The materials are available just about anywhere online or at home improvement stores, and the only tools that you’ll probably need are a staple gun and a pair of scissors or shears. Next you need to know where radiant barriers work. They’re usually installed either directly on the underside of your roof or on top of existing insulation—either way will prove beneficial.
Installing radiant barrier insulation should not be your sole plan for insulating your attic and home. Think of it more as a first line of defense that will serve to buttress your other insulation options. Reducing heat with a radiant barrier is a great way to cool down inside spaces in hot weather, which, in turn, decreases your cooling bills.
If your home’s insulation requires some rethinking or refreshing, then it’s time to call the pros at Ace Insulation Inc. We can help you with everything from radiant barriers to fire-stop insulation materials, so call us today for assistance.
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