Home Insulation and Its Importance (Regardless of Where You Live)

It's not uncommon to find homeowners who live in temperate climates laboring under the mistaken notion that home insulation is only important to those who have to deal with extreme temperatures. While it's true that those who are forced to run their central air conditioning (or the heater) 12 months out of the year are going to find the most benefit from stuffing their attic with the pink stuff, there are few homes that couldn't find advantages in sealing things up tight. Energy costs can soar quickly when much of your bought-and-paid processed air is escaping through the roof. Here are some things you need to know.

Do You Need More?
This is one question many homeowners struggle with. Having home insulation installed is a no-brainer. Unless you have never had the slightest interest in heating or cooling your house, it is a necessity. But how do you know if you have enough? While taking proper measurements is the best way to determine the answer, you can eyeball it in many cases and get pretty close to the right answer. Go up to the attic and take a look at the puffs of pink fiberglass. Do they rise to the level of the floor joists or above? If not, you may need to think about adding more.

How Much More?
Again, this is a difficult question to answer, but you'll have some help on this one. One of the best ways to know is to hire some trusted home insulation contractors to come out and give their opinion. Of course, when you're dealing with a company that is also trying to make a sale, the advice can't always be taken as impartial. Therefore, it's a good idea to know how to make the determination on your own. The best method is to use your climate zone's R-value recommendations. This will tell you what thickness is advisable for those who live in your area. From there, you can measure what you have and determine how much you need to add.

Types
Most homeowners will simply add the same home insulation to their attic as what is already present. While this is the easiest decision to make, it isn't necessarily your only option. Some homeowners prefer to add the blown variety on top of the batt variety or vice versa, as the case may be. Of course, if you do decide to add spray foam, you'll definitely want to hire a professional contractor to do it.