Unless you're fortunate enough to live in a new, green home that was built with energy efficiency in mind, chances are that you are paying more in energy bills than you should. Heating and cooling costs can be drastically higher in homes without proper insulation. This means more wasted money for you, and a larger imprint on the environment.
Fortunately, insulating your home is, in most cases, easier than it sounds. Many types of insulation can be tackled as do-it-yourself jobs, while others require the knowledge of a professional insulation contractor. Either way, the small investment you'll make initially will very quickly pay for itself in lowered heating and cooling costs, as well as a more comfortable home.
Why is Insulation so Important?
Given the hidden nature of insulation, it's often one of the last things homeowners think about when planning home improvement projects. This is unfortunate, since it's one project that can save a very significant amount of money. Just how much money?
That all depends. The age of your home, the typical climate in your area, and how well your home was insulated in the past all play a role. A very old home in an extremely cold area which hasn't been insulated since its initial construction, for example, is likely losing its owner a great deal of money every year. On the other hand, a relatively newer home in an area with a moderate climate may be more efficient.
Nearly every home, however, can benefit from adding insulation. A staggering fifty to seventy percent of your home's energy is used for heating and cooling. Surely you can imagine the financial loss if this energy is being wasted! Not to mention the negative impact on the environment. Insulation is not only a great money-saver, but it's a fundamental part of living an earth-friendly existence.
Energy Loss Hot Spots
While it's advisable to insulate your entire home, there are several spots which are notorious for energy loss. These should be tackled first in most cases, before moving on to other areas of the home. The edges of concrete slabs should always be insulated well, as should the interior door to your attic. The attic itself should also be insulated, as well as any floors which are directly above unheated areas such as basements or crawl spaces.
Asbestos: A Dangerous Obstacle
Perhaps the most important step in any insulation project, whether DIY or professional, is asbestos detection and removal. Asbestos is a material which was one very popular in construction for insulation purposes. However, this substance has been proven to be very hazardous, causing a particularly dangerous type of cancer.
If your home is older, or you spot a substance you think may be asbestos when in your attic or basement, don't' hesitate. Call a professional hazardous materials contractor or insulation contractor. Specialized training is required to safely remove asbestos, and it should never be attempted by amateurs.
Depending on the amount of asbestos in your home and where it is located, you may have to spend a few nights with friends or at a hotel while the substance is removed. While this may be inconvenient, it is vitally important for your health and the health of your entire household. Once the dangerous asbestos is removed, you can proceed with your insulation project.
Plugging Air Leaks
Before you begin any insulation project, it's a good idea to search for air leaks in your home. These leaks can play a very major role in energy loss, and plugging or sealing them before you insulate can boost the insulation's performance significantly.
Common places for leaks include doors and windows, attic stairways which pull down from the ceiling, electrical outlets, fireplaces and chimneys, the holes cut for ducts and pipes and the areas surrounding shower and tub inserts. The methods for plugging and sealing these leaks vary. Consult a contractor or read up on the subject before attempting to seal them yourself. An experienced insulation contractor can also seal these leaks for you prior to installing installation.
Determining Your Recommended R-Value
A good insulation contractor will be very familiar with the recommended R-value for your area. However, if you plan on tackling some areas of insulation on your own, be sure to contact your local utility company or the Department of Energy. This will let you know how much insulation your home needs to be considered energy efficient.
Considerations for Different Types of Insulation
Installing Blanket Insulation
Perhaps the most common and familiar type of insulation is known as blanket or batt insulation. This type of insulation comes in rolls, and is traditionally made of either fiberglass or rock wool.
- One of the most popular features of blanket insulation is ease of installation. If you're working with an area such as an attic or basement with standard stud-and-joist walls, ceilings or floors, installing blanket insulation is extremely simple. All you have to do is unroll the insulation into the desired spaces.
- Most rolls are already cut to fit standard stud-and-joist spacing, so there's no cutting involved. You can lightly affix the insulation to the wall or ceiling, but most experts consider this unnecessary for little-used areas.
- Be sure not to pack blanket insulation too tightly. For example, if you are trying to attain the proper R-value and need two thicknesses of blanket insulation to reach it, don't simply smash them together.
- The air pockets in insulation are the biggest source of its efficiency, and squashing them flat will reduce effectiveness. Lightly place strips of blanket insulation on top of each other to maintain these air pockets.
Installing Loose-Fill Insulation
For adding insulation to existing construction in areas which aren't as accessible as open stud-and-joist construction, loose-fill insulation is the current popular choice.
- This type of insulation must be installed by professionals, since it is usually blown or raked into place using specialized tools and machinery.
- There are many options for materials when it comes to blown-in or loose-fill insulation. Polyurethane foam, cellulose, fiberglass and rock wool are the most common options.
- Consult your insulation contractor to determine the most appropriate material for your home, based on R-value recommendations and other individual considerations.
- Due to its ability to fit in irregular and small spaces, blown-in and loose-fill insulation is very popular in retrofitting. Retrofitting refers to adding insulation to already finished areas. These methods allow an area to be made much more efficient without drastic measures, such as tearing down a wall.
Installing Reflective Insulation
Reflective materials are another popular do-it-yourself choice for unfinished areas such as attics and basements. These materials reflect light and heat, and are available as cardboard, film or paper with a foil covering. You can also find foil-covered polyurethane bubbles for use in irregularly shaped or smaller areas.
Installing Rigid Insulation
If you're taking on a large remodeling project or adding on to your home, you may want to consider the use of rigid insulation materials.
- These thin boards are specifically designed to function as building materials and insulation at the same time, making them excellent choices for the earth-conscious homeowner.
- They're also usually most cost efficient than separate building materials and insulation.
- Ensure that you purchase and correct materials for your area, follow all fire-safety regulations, and place vapor barriers in the correct positions to avoid hazards.
- Rigid insulation can be difficult to work with, and for this reason most homeowners choose to enlist professional insulation contractors. The extra expense is worthwhile, since rigid insulation usually provides a high R-value for a relatively thin piece of material, especially when compared to blanket insulation.
Finding the Right Insulation Contractor
As you can see, there's a lot to think about when taking on an insulation project. This is one reason why many homeowners leave this type of project to the professionals, especially if anything more labor-intensive or intricate than simple blanket insulation is required.
Thankfully, finding a qualified insulation contractor couldn't be simpler. Gone are the days when you had to take your chances with names from the phone book, or rely on the advice of friends and family. While these aren't bad methods (recommendations are always valuable), they don't' offer the speed and simplicity of home-improvement websites.
Hiring your insulation contractor at TrustedPros is simple, fast, and efficient. Our contractor search allows you to locate trusted professionals in your area, and the project posting feature helps you acquire free estimates from multiple contractors. Moreover, you can use the Hiring Guide and TrustedPros Forum to make sure your project runs smoothly and ends successfully.
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