Home insulation is your best defense against freezing in your home in the winter or roasting in the summer. Insulating can be done quickly to make your HVAC unit work more efficiently and save you a lifetime of money.
What's the best way to keep your home and loved ones warm in the winter and cool in the summer? Home insulation. Many people don't even realize how important insulating their home is. Not only for their comfort but also for their monthly energy bills. Just how insulation does this is by making your existing HVAC unit work less strain and run more efficiently. And that helps you save money! And who doesn't want to save more money?
Other great reasons for home insulation other than improving your comfort level:
-A healthier environment
-Helps with the level of sound in your house (like from Grandma's TV!)
-Lower energy bills
-Creates a lifetime of saving of energy
The best locations to seal and insulate your precious home are the outer walls,
ceiling, windows, doors, floors and attic. These places will produce the highest cost-effective ways to help with your energy bills and comfort.
Today, to save even more money, people will often insulate their home themselves. But if you feel unqualified or lack time to do this, there are many reputable and affordable home insulation businesses which would be overjoyed to help you. A simple flip of the yellow pages will do.
Your first step might simply be to hire a contractor to diagnose just where air leaks are lurking in your home. He's got special tools for that job. Most of these leaks are easily felt since they tend to hang around windows and doors. But there are many secret places in attics, crawlspaces and basements where cracks and leaks run rampant wreaking havoc in your home and your budget.
So how do you say bye-bye to these hidden leak spots?
Generally, caulk or weather stripping will get rid of them. Can't you just feel your energy bill getting lower? It's a great feeling, isn't it! It's really important that you seal the leaks before actually applying insulation.
So, what kinds of home insulation materials are there out there? Well, there's fiberglass, cellulose, foam board and spray foam. All are equally effective in keeping you warm or cool.
You probably don't think much about your attic on a day-to-day basis, but it's probably the most important place in your house to be sure you have enough insulation. That's because there's an "envelope" in your attic. A what? That's what it's called. An envelope, or shell. Most of the heat in a home doesn't go up the chimney but out through the walls, floor and roof. And that makes your furnace or boiler take a break from working too hard.
It's been said that, "better attic insulation can lower your home energy use by up to 40%!" If you aren't shouting yet, you should be! Who doesn't want to save money?
