To go green, you have to make sure your home is well insulated. One of the first steps you should take when going green is to improve your home’s insulation, whether you are going to invest in solar panels, solar water heating, heat pumps, or any other green source of energy for your home. To go green, you need to start using natural resources that are not wasting energy. If you skip this step, you will end up spending more money on electricity. Poorly insulated homes require more power to heat and cool throughout the year.
One of the most efficient ways to save energy is insulation, and it keeps the entire house warm in the winter and cools the home more in the summer months. However, according to estimates by the Energy Saving Trust, in one year, a typical three-bedroom semi-detached house can easily save up to $310 on the electricity bills by having the loft and cavity wall insulation.
There is a reference guide, which will help you to understand the importance of home insulation. Besides, it will introduce you to the different measures which you can choose from improving your home’s insulation to making it as energy efficient as it can be.
What is Home Insulation?
The primary materials used to keep the house warm or cold during the year is called insulation. It helps to keep the desired temperature in your home all year round and protects it against excess heat in summer and cold in winter. A fully insulated house is very energy efficient and requires less cooling and heating during the seasons.
Insulation saves a significant amount of money; however, it depends on different factors like the type of insulation and the size of your house. It also depends on how old your home is, and if you will need to install more insulation to meet modern requirements.
You do not need a permit or detailed planning to install insulation. If you want to do it yourself, there are DIY kits at your local home and garden shops like Home Depot and Lowes. This is a small investment and will eventually payback, so it is a wise investment. Old houses in the U.S. need a lot of insulation work done; however, modern homes are built to excellent insulation standards and are often certified energy-efficient before being sold.
There are always improvements that can be made to your home when it comes to insulation. Therefore, you need to think of insulation as a way to keep the warm or cold air in your house. You can choose the parts of the house, which you want to insulate like, roofs, floors, walls, doors, and windows. Identify these areas of need and insulate them.
What Is Insulation Made Of?
Generally, good insulators consist of materials, which have a structure similar to wool, trapping tiny pockets of air. Insulation can come in the form of roll out wool, or spray foam. The types of insulation styles will vary, based on your needs.
Types of insulation:
- Wall insulation: Depending on your insulation needs, you can use cavity wall insulation and solid wall insulation to create that needed barrier in the walls of your home.
- Roof insulation: Roof insulation can come in different styles. Spray foam, spray wool, and roll-out insulation can all be used to insulate your attic space better.
- Window and door insulation: Dual pane windows are much better for insulating the interior of your home.
- Floor insulation: Floor insulation isn’t standard, but many high-end luxury homes have these features that keep the flooring warm and cold during the seasons.
