Why You Should Insulate Your Home

A well insulated home can save you money! By keeping your home cooler in the warm weather and warmer during the cool weather, insulation will reduce your heating and air conditioning needs. In fact, you can save up to 80% of the heat or cooling that escapes from the house when you have properly insulated your home. It can also screen out some of the moisture and pollutants that might otherwise seep through your walls.photo of man installing panels of insulation in attic

What Are The Types of Insulation?

There are several types of insulation and each has a specific purpose, or works best is certain places.

Cellulose – this loose material can be installed through holes drilled into the outside of the home, which are then filled and closed.

Foam board – Good for insulating floors, ceilings and roofs because it can provide a high amount of insulation yet still be fairly thin. Must be covered by other materials for fire safety.

Blown-In – this is plastic, fiberglass or mineral wool insulation that is blown into the walls of a home. It is good for sealing cracks, and it sticks to the wood framing of the home creating a tight seal.

Blanket – Blanket insulation uses thin threads of fiberglass that comes in rolls of various widths so that it can be easily installed between studs or rafters. It can be used in floors, ceilings, and in unfinished walls. Many do-it-yourselfers choose this kind of insulation.

Where Should You Insulate? photo of someone measuring depth of pink insulation

There are several areas that are key to having a well-insulated home. They include:

  • Unfinished attic spaces and crawl spaces
  • Attic doors
  • Between the studs and rafters of all exterior walls and the roof
  • Above ceilings with open spaces above them
  • Between living areas and garages, sheds or other storage areas
  • Around ducts in open spaces that are not heated or air conditioned
  • Above cathedral ceilings

Most local homes are built on a concrete slab, so it may be difficult to insulate them. However, there are specialty types of insulation for this but it is best to have a professional install it as it can create an opening for termites or other insects.

Some homeowners insulate their garage doors, too. If your garage door did not come with insulation, and you regularly use your garage area for a work space or living area, you may want to add insulation. photo of a roll of insulation

When choosing insulation, select the highest R-value possible. The higher the R-value number, the better insulated your home will be.

Have questions about insulating your home? Give Patriot Roofing Services a call today at 904-413-7725, or contact us online.