House Insulation - Vital Necessity


House insulation is not considered optional anymore these days due to the rising costs of energy used in heating homes. If the house is more than 15 years old, or if you are renovating, you need to consider insulating the whole property as part of the project.

According to the Department of Energy, today’s energy use goes mostly to heating and cooling homes in the U.S. most often, the cause is your attic, walls or floors which are under-insulated. You would then need to pay attention to your monthly energy bills.

Importance

Fiberglass insulation keeps your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter. The fact is that insulation resists the flow of heat. This heat energy is the one that flows out of the home in the winter and gets inside homes during summer.

Simply be reducing the movement of the heat flow, the properly insulated home will consume less energy for heating and cooling. The end result is reduced electricity bills.

Sound proofing

Aside from being an energy saver, fiberglass also acts as a sound absorber. When installed in walls and ceilings, it can result in the reduction of the transmission of sound from one room to the other or from the outside. Everyday noise is getting out of hand and people are starting to soundproof their houses these days.

A well-insulated home brings in an increased sense of comfort inside (less heat or cold and less noise) and it certainly adds to the resale value (should you want to put it in the market).

House areas

There are only a few areas that should be insulated in your house, although these are important areas that need insulation. To give you the best deals in your ROI (return on Investment) value, your attic and the walls need to be insulated.

The other areas that need house insulation include the ceilings with unheated spaces, basement walls, floors above vented crawl spaces cathedral ceilings floors over unheated garages or porches, knee walls, and in-between interior walls (especially the bathrooms), ceilings or floors for extra sound control.

Amount of insulation
 
The needed insulation for your home depends where you live. There are levels of insulation for different climate zones. Recommendations are based from the U.S. Department of Energy and the International energy conservation Code.

You can find out how much insulation you really need. Also learn some financial incentives available in each state for buying and installing insulation. 

R-value

The effectiveness of insulation is measured by RE-value. The R stands for resistance to heat flow. When the R-value is higher for a material, the greater the insulating power of that material.

Today’s insulation material makers usually print R-values on the bags or labels. In most cases, R-values are also printed on the facings of fiberglass batts and rolls.

Considerations

When you want to insulate your home, you need to think of the considerations before your decision of choosing your materials, for one. You need to think of the thermal performance and the installed R-value.

Next might be fire safety, moisture, air infiltration and environment benefits. House insulation is important for your comfort and even for your health in the changing seasons of the year.

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