Hiring an Insulation Contractor to Improve Your Home

There are numerous reasons to hire an insulation contractor to improve your home, the most obvious of which include saving money on your monthly heating and cooling bills. These bills are far from fixed, meaning they have a tendency to rise through the years, even when your usage stays the same. If your usage isn't staying the same (and homes tend to get less efficient as they get older), you could be spending far more on your energy costs in a few years than you are now. You are probably already spending too much. Here are some other things you should know about getting your home properly insulated.

Benefits

As stated, the number one benefit to hiring an insulation contractor is the difference it can make in your energy bill. For the average American home, nearly 70% of all energy costs go towards heating and cooling. When you aren't properly insulated, this figure can rise. Of course, reducing your energy costs is only one of the benefits. Another is controlling moisture levels in your home. This can be a big help when it comes to improving indoor air quality, avoiding mold, and keeping bugs away. Many homeowners have also found that it makes a fine soundproofer, so if you're tired of being unable to sleep due to birds and crickets chirping outside, this could be your solution.

Types

An insulation contractor will usually be able to offer several types, each of them offering their own benefits. If you are only interested in the thick rolls of fiberglass material, you may even be able to do the job yourself, provided that you have a safe attic to move around in and take the proper precautions to avoid the irritation that can come with working with these materials. Of course, the rolls leave gaps, whereas some of the other forms -- such as spray foam -- do not. Spray foam should always be installed by a professional and, if you want the job done right, you should consider letting a professional do the rolls as well.

Effectiveness

If you want to have a tighter grasp on what you're looking for when choosing between various insulators, you'll want to become familiar with the R-value rating system. This is how the effectiveness of the material is measured. Generally speaking, the higher the R-value is, the more expensive the material will be. Talk to your insulation contractor about the R-values of the various materials they offer and determine at which level you can get the job done.