Home insulationDoes it seem as though everywhere you turn there is some new information about home insulation that makes you wonder if your home is insulated properly? You aren’t alone. The entire topic is enough to make most people confused. Understanding the lingo alone – R-value, heat transfer, cellulose, etc. – can make your head spin. To try to simplify home insulation a bit, let’s discuss the basics – why your home needs it, how to find out if you have enough, and what happens if it needs more.

 

  • Why have home insulation? Home insulation is needed to keep hot air where you want it. That means keeping your furnace-heated air inside your home during the winter and that hot sun-derived heat outside your home during the summer. Home insulation stops or at least slows down this heat transfer.
  • Do you have enough? If your utility bills are higher than you think they should be or you find that your heating and cooling equipment is struggling to maintain a comfortable temperature, you could need more home insulation. The best way to know for sure is to contact a home insulation contractor for an assessment of your home’s energy efficiency. They will not only tell you if your home needs insulation, but where it needs it most.
  • What if you need more insulation? Even an existing structure has plenty of ways to increase the amount of home insulation. Sometimes this entails removing existing home insulation and replacing it with a better product. There are advancements in home insulation technology that can make even homes built a few years ago not as efficient as they could be now. If you do forego upgrading your home insulation, know that comes with a cost too, in the way of high utility bills, higher HVAC repair costs, and a shortened lifespan of the equipment.