Insulation acts as barrier to heat gain and heat loss. This is particularly true in floors, walls, ceilings, and roofs. In most homes, insulation is the most cost effective and practical way to make your house energy efficient. By insulating your house, you’ll keep warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Insulation helps you save up to 40% in cooling and heating bills. Moreover, it may reduce condensation at home. This goes miles in providing health benefits through a reduction in dampness and mold.

Signs of Insulation Problems

Here are some of the signs that indicate your house has insulation problems. At the first sight, it’s time to call hire a professional.

• In the summer
• Mold growing in basement
• High cooling costs
• Uncomfortably hot inside air
• Ineffectiveness of an air condition system
• During winter
• Mold growing on walls
• Higher than normal heating costs
• Cold floors
• Walls cold to touch
• Uneven heating levels within the house

Why Insulation is Important

Half of the energy people use to cool or heat their homes leaks out without insulation. Increasing insulation levels in your house will not only make your home energy efficient, it also makes it functional and sustainable. By insulating your home, you’ll be able to enjoy the following benefits:

• Improve your comfort in your house
• Save money substantially on energy bills
• Reduce reliance on cooling and heating systems
• Lower greenhouse gas emissions – Insulating your home cuts down carbon dioxide emissions by close to 780 million tons every year. This is an equivalent to an annual electricity use of more than 90 million homes.
• Reduce energy use
• Other types of insulation can ensure your home is soundproof.

Where to Add Insulation

Unfinished attics and basements are the two main areas that any homeowner ought to primarily focus on when adding new insulation. The best part is that no demolition is needed. For utmost comfort and substantial savings, experts recommend R-values of 20 in the basement, 50 in the ceilings and 12.5 on walls.

Once the three areas are taken care of, focus should be shifted to doors and around windows. Of great importance to note is that improper insulation can bring more harm than good. That is why it is extremely important to hire a contractor to handle the work professionally.

Adding more insulation in wall cavities that have high air leakage rates can result to condensation problems in walls.

Invest to Improve

Investing in your home through insulation pays off for many years to come. Make sure you get an energy assessment before commencing any insulation work – you don’t want to go to all the trouble of adding additional insulation only to find you’ve missed major areas or problem spots. Don’t make all the work be for not! A proper energy assessment prior to renovations will ensure the job can get done right, the first time. By preventing heat from escaping, and from entering the home, during winter and summer respectively, you’ll be able to make your house more comfortable, and energy efficient, year round.

Conclusion

The right insulation system does three things. It saves you substantial amounts of money, makes your house more comfortable, and reduces the amount of energy you use. Insulate your doors, windows, floor, walls, and roof today. Your life at home will never be the same again.