How to Improve The Insulation Of Your Home
Mia Walsh How to Improve The Insulation Of Your Home Classic old houses may reflect charm and beauty, however, they are often inconveniently drafty, particularly during the winter season.
Unlike the present airtight houses, most old homes feature a natural ventilation system. Old homes breathe via air leaks and homes constructed before the 1960s weren’t insulated well.
Except if your house was constructed specially for energy efficiency, you will probably be able to save on your energy bills with the addition of more insulation.
Most old houses possess less insulation than houses built recently. However, the addition of insulation to new houses will also pay off within the next few years.
For determining if you have to add insulation, you will have to first check how much insulation you are already having in your house and where it is. A perfect house auditor includes an insulation check as a regular part of a complete home energy assessment. An energy assessment, popularly referred to as a house energy audit, helps you identify the areas of your house that require air sealing.
If you aren’t willing to opt for an energy assessment, then you can find out the following for yourself:
● Which areas of your house are properly insulated and which aren’t?
â—Ź What kind of insulation does your home have?
â—Ź The depth of the insulation and the R-value your house has
Why Is Insulation Essential For Your House?
There is a continuous movement of heat from a warmer to a cooler place implying heat is leaking from your warm home to the cold surrounding outside. Instead of staying in your house for keeping yourself cool or warm, a great amount of energy can be transferred through outside walls via hot and cool seasons.
This flow of heat can be minimized with the insulation of your walls to offer a greater heat flow resistance (R-value) to your house. The measure of how well an object can resist conductive heat flow is referred to as R-value. Higher the R-value, the better it is.
This implies that less amount of air leaks into the outdoors and more energy is being saved.
Types of Insulation For Homes
1. Blanket Insulation: This is the most common insulation type that comes in
rolls or sheets. While it is typically being made of fiberglass, it can be found in
natural or plastic fibers. Blanket insulation is sized to fit in perfectly between
the rafters and joists of ceilings and floors and the regular spacing of studs on
unfinished walls. Also, it is also comparatively inexpensive.
2. Blown-in Insulation: This insulation type features cellulose, recycled
fiberglass, or any other materials that are blown into space. Due to its loose
nature, this insulation type suits the current area without disturbing the
surrounding structure and is ideally suitable for renovations.
3. Spray Foam: Spray foam is a mixture of chemicals that expands into a liquid
foam that gets rigid once it cures. It behaves like an air sealant as well as an
insulator. This type of insulation requires highly experienced installers and is
also likely to cost more.
Tips For Improving Your Home Insulation
1. Roof Insulation: Insulating your loft to a standard depth of 27cm, which is
almost the length of a school ruler, is probably the easiest and most effective
way to keep heat in your home and stop it from escaping into thin air.
2. Draught Proofing: Chimney balloons, draft excluder brushes, and foam
strips avoid cold air from entering your house through the gaps present
around the letterboxes, doors, windows, and other holes in the building fabric.
These can fit in easily as they are available with self-adhesive strips. They are
an inexpensive option and create a noticeable difference.
3. Thermal Blinds and Curtains: Window treatments are a conventional part of
a house decor while decorating or renovating any space. One of the most
effective ways to block heat in a room is by installing wooden shutters or thick, thermal curtains.
These window coverings come in modern as well as contemporary designs with no compromise on style. Closing wooden shutters or drawing curtains at dusk is an excellent way of preventing the escape of heat through the windows. Similar way, an easy way of enhancing floor insulation is to lay carpets having an underlay with good thermal properties.
However, if you choose to go for a major renovation, then ensure to implement thermal insulation. Usually, most people start changing the décor of their house a few years after moving in. This is the perfect time for investing in energy-saving and insulation as a part of upgrading your house decor.
4. Double Glazing: Greater amounts of heat escape through the window panes. This makes double or triple glazing the most recommended energy-saving solution. Double glazing features a vacuum present between the glass panes
or is filled with an inert gas like argon to minimize the heat transfer from your
house.
Secondary glazing is an inexpensive and temporary alternative to double
glazing. This is a glass or plastic pane or sometimes a film â– â– â– â– â– â– in parallel to
the window. While secondary glazing is not very efficient, it does retain the original character of the window. This type of glazing is perfect for those staying in rented houses as it provides an instant fix to draughty windows.
5. Wall and Floor Insulation: Irrespective of how old your home is, the materials used, or the structure of your house, the walls can be insulated to avoid loss of heat. And, if you are having a draughty floor in particular, then filling the holes and use of rugs are instant solutions. But, if you are planning to alter the floor covers like laying of new carpet or renovating the rooms present downstairs, then floor insulation would be better.
Conclusion
The best part of insulating your house is that there are several inexpensive energy-saving solutions to prevent the loss of heat from your house. Most of the solutions are instant and easy.
Achieving energy efficiency, particularly with insulation, is a good way of saving energy and boosting your convenience at the house while saving on your energy bills.
Insulation keeps the heat in during the winters and keeps the heat out in summers. By insulating your house, you are also burning less fuel, which is good for the environment.
Decreasing our own demand for energy consumption is one of the best ways to tackle climate change and save our planet.
