Wall Insulation
Hot weather means racking up on the air conditioning bills, and cold weather means that youre going to be paying a lot to keep the heater on. Its potentially a lot of money down the drain (or ducts) when youre unsuccessfully trying to maintain thermoregulation. When turning on all the fans and putting the air condition on full blast, or turning up the heat and bundling up in blankets and sweaters isnt doing the job, you might want to consider installing insulation in your house. Wall insulation is a great way to keep out a lot of heat in the summer, and keep in a lot of heat in the winter because less heat is being transferred in and outits a win win situation.
But before you rush out to go buy some foam and fibers and hire someone to install it, there are some factors you have to consider. First of all, is wall insulation going to be effective in your home? Unfortunately, it seems like insulation is the least effective in helping homeowners that need it the most. If there are big gaps that are letting a lot of heat get in or go free, you can try to insulate but it wont be very effective. If your house isnt too full of gaps and reasonably keeps out air, then insulation will work very well. If your home qualifies as having wall insulation potential, then next you have to consider factors like climate, price, environmental impact and ease of installation, because these will determine what type of insulation material and method you choose to usethere will definitely be a trade off. The material that will best insulate your house is the kind thats the thickest and densest because this is the most heat resistant. However, this is also the most expensive so you might have to compromise.
The basic types of wall insulation are loose fill, batt and blanket, rigid board and spray foam. Batt and blanket uses mineral fibers and is the cheapest form of installation, but it can be difficult to install. Loose fill and spray foam both fill in little empty spaces and cracks using fibers or foam respectively, and they cost more than batt and blanket. Rigid board usually uses fiberglass, and it is very thick and insulating, but its the most expensive type of wall insulation. Each has its pros and cons that should be weighed before going forth with the insulation installation procedure.
