Insulating your home can reduce your heating and cooling costs. It can also make your house more comfortable and increase the longevity of your heating and cooling system.
The average home has a large number of gaps and cracks that contribute to heat loss in winter. These gaps may create drafts and cold spots in your home that can cost you a lot of money.
To save money, energy and money in the long run, you should inspect your home to find these leaky areas. A good HVAC professional can pinpoint leaks and help you determine the best way to address them.
Using insulation to decrease heat flow is the most effective way to reduce your energy bills and improve comfort. Insulation helps keep the heated air inside your home where it belongs and prevents cold air from escaping through leaky areas.
There are a few different types of insulation, including mineral fiber (such as fiberglass and rock wool) and batts and blankets. The type of insulation you need depends on the area you plan to insulate and its R-value.
The R-value is the amount of resistance that insulation provides to heat flow. The higher the R-value, the more efficient it is.
Installing new insulation can be an expensive endeavor, but it can pay for itself over time by reducing your energy bills. It's a great idea to insulate your attic, as well as all walls and floors that are exposed to the outdoors.
Be sure to seal up all air leaks before adding insulation in these areas. This will prevent the heated air from leaking out of your home during the winter.
Gutter cleaning can also impact home insulation in several ways. Clogged gutters can cause water to overflow and seep into the walls or roof of a home, leading to moisture buildup and potential damage to the insulation. This can result in reduced energy efficiency, as moist insulation is less effective at regulating temperature and can lead to increased heating or cooling costs.
Additionally, if gutters are not cleaned and water is allowed to accumulate, it can create a breeding ground for pests, which can also compromise home insulation. Regular gutter cleaning especially by hiring a professional gutter cleaning service such as Gutter Cleaning Evansville can help prevent these issues and maintain the integrity of a home's insulation.
If your house has an insulated attic floor, be sure to insulate the access doors as well. Keeping the attic floor insulated will prevent heated air in your living spaces from flowing into the attic during the winter and cold air from escaping into your home during the summer.
You should also insulate your water pipes if you live in an area that typically freezes, as this can lead to costly water damage and even flooding. You can insulate pipes using precut foam tubes or pipe insulation made of fiberglass batts that you wrap around each pipe.
A common place for insulation is the ceiling, but it is important to insulate ducts and vents as well. The space behind a duct can also be insulated to prevent cold air from entering the duct and freezing.
It is also important to insulate the attic floor and joists, as this can help to reduce heat loss from your attic and make it more energy efficient. Be careful where you step in the attic and remember to use a hammer and nail when adding new insulation.
You can make a list of the places you want to insulate by looking at Figure 1. If your home is new, it should have insulation installed to the recommended R-values. If not, consult your builder or your contractor about installing insulation.
