Insulation Tips: Give your Home its Own Winter Coat
Helpful information from your friends at A B Home Inspections, Inc.!
Insulation Tips: Give your Home its Own Winter Coat: When you live in a place where winters are cold and summers are hot, it’s important to have effective insulation in your home.
In fall’s natural progression toward hibernation and all things cozy, preparation for your house is often forgotten. Insulation for the home can seem intimidating, but don’t let that stop you from digging deeper. You’ll find that proper insulation is key for superior home comfort and increased energy savings. Read on for some information on why your home may need its own new coat this winter to help you stay warm.
Why is insulation important?
Two words: consistency and savings. First, insulation helps keep your home at a consistently comfortable temperature. Second, insulation creates a more energy-efficient home, saving you up to 20 percent in heating/cooling costs, according to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). To put that in perspective, the typical U.S. home heating/cooling bill accounts for almost half of its energy costs each month – meaning you could save 10 percent of your overall energy bill.
What type of insulation do you need?
As for most things in life, it is important to know your options. Three of the most common types of insulation for home DIY are fiberglass batts, rigid foam panels (such as expanded polystyrene, or EPS) and mineral wool. Look below for the advantages and disadvantages of each.
Fiberglass
* Pros – non-flammable, inexpensive
* Cons – difficult to install properly without leaving gaps, which renders the insulation much less efficient; handling danger due to glass powder and small glass shards
EPS rigid foam panels
* Pros – excellent sound and temperature insulation; inexpensive; easy to install
* Cons – must cut pieces to fit around pipes, etc.
Mineral wool
* Pros – easy to install; flame resistant
* Cons – more effective when combined with other forms of insulation (meaning more work to install); higher price
For self-installation in your home, EPS offers many benefits other forms of insulation do not. Other forms of insulation (like fiberglass or mineral wool) require more safety precautions, like protective wear and training for proper installation.
“EPS provides the best insulating performance – ‘R-value’ – per dollar of any insulation,” says insulation expert Paul Kopelson, regional sales director for Insulfoam. “Other forms of insulation are challenging to install without leaving gaps and wrinkles that can cut the efficiency of the product in half. It’s important as a homeowner to know that your insulation will do what it’s supposed to, and do it well.”
What’s next?
Inhale confidence, exhale doubts. With your new knowledge of insulation types, a quick trip to a local home improvement store will arm you to better understand the options. Home improvement stores and lumber dealers stock a wide range of insulation products, including EPS options such as R-Tech insulation. Check them out, and get ready for a warmer winter. Your house (and your energy bill) will thank you.
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A B Home Inspections, Inc. has been providing Buyer’s Inspection, Commercial Inspection, Seller’s Inspection aka Pre-Listing Inspection, New Construction Inspection, 1 Year Building Warranty Inspections, Radon Inspection, Mold Inspection, Infrared Thermal Inspection, Roof Inspection, Plumbing Inspection, Installation Inspection and Electrical Inspection to home buyers and home sellers in Birmingham, Tuscaloosa, and the surrounding areas since 2000.