Saturday 20 December 2014

Things to Consider When Installing Attic Insulation

Having the right level of attic insulation in your house is definitely one of the most important considerations in keeping your energy costs low. Attic insulation protects from the cold in the winter, and also keeps the cool in during the hot summer months. What considerations factor in towards making your attic a well insulated place?
Examine first the type of attic insulation you have. Many older houses have what is referred to as batt insulation. That's the kind that comes in large rolls, and is typically colored pink or yellow. The insulation is spread out in the attic, generally between the wooden beams. The other kind of insulation is called blow-in insulation. Blow-in insulation is typically installed by professional contractors, as they have the correct equipment to do the work. Small bits of insulation are mechanically wind blown into the attic, creating the blanket across the attic floor. You will generally find this kind of insulation in new houses.
There are of course good and bad with either batt insulation or blow-in insulation. Batt insulation, when installed properly provides an equal R-Factor through the attic. The R-factor is the measurement of the overall performance of the insulation, and is also called the thermal performance. It measures the resistance of the flow of heat. Batt attic insulation that is properly installed will give you a uniform R-Factor through the entire attic.
Alternatively, blow-in insulation is propelled into the attic with a machine. While it is very difficult to blow it in uniformly through the whole attic, the result is a variable R-factor in that space. As long as the installation is done thoroughly, and the necessary minimum number of inches sits on the flooring of the attic, the insulation will do the trick. This makes the issue of a non-uniform R-factor a non-factor overall.
The money involved with batt and blow-in insulation is of course another factor to consider. Usually batt insulation costs less to buy, but your time is something to consider as well. Lots of time is needed to correctly add insulation, or replace the existing insulation.

When adding attic insulation, you of course have to have the right equipment, including proper clothes, lots of time, and plenty of patience. Alternatively, you can always contract the job out for a little more money, and have a blow-in insulation job completed in just a few hours without as much trouble.

Friday 5 December 2014

Home Insulation and What You Need to Know

Home insulation is important for houses in this age of high energy cost. Home insulation helps to reduce the cost of utility bill in terms of low energy usage. Moreover, it also boosts the values and livability of houses. Therefore, home insulation is especially a must for houses that are more than 10 to 15 years old which tend to be not insulated when they were built 10 to 20 years ago. Even if they were insulated at that time of construction, the insulation technology or the material might not be as good as today's technology. Therefore, it's better for you to replace or remodel the insulation if they were installed a decade ago.
The first step to installing home insulation is to identify areas of the house that need to be insulated. The general guideline here is to look at places where there is contact or leak between the interior of your house and the outside world. A good example of this scenario will be the window. During the winter, when you open the window, you can feel the cold air from outside tends to rush into the house. It's the same in the summer where the heat will enter the house once the window is open. When this situation happens, heat loss or heat gain is occurring.
One thing to remember is that heat exchange is not restricted to just the window and the door. It also happens at places that are intact such as the wall, ceiling and the roof. Even though the wall, ceiling and the roof is a poor conductor, heat loss and heat gain will still occur. If there is a crack in the wall or a hole in the ceiling, heat loss or gain will be accelerated at a faster rate. Therefore, we need insulation to reduce or better eliminate completely the rate of heat loss and gain. With that being said, areas such as the walls, ceiling, basement, attic and the roofs are the critical areas that require to be insulated.


Once you have determined the insulation areas, next step is to choose the insulation material and types of insulation. Some common insulation materials that are affordable to most households are fiberglass, wool, paper, wood and cotton. The more expensive material is the popular polyurethane that is used in spray foam insulation. The polyurethane can cost up to several times more than the conventional materials such as fiberglass, wool and cotton. New and non-conventional insulation materials are being developed constantly in the market.
Insulation Material Manufacturer

Home Insulation Guide - Calculate How Much Insulation You Need

Home insulation process is applicable for converting any areas of your home resistant to heat loss. Whether it is attic, floors, windows and doors or floors of the house is catalyst to heat loss, seal the draughts with appropriate insulation methods. Even when you are using air conditioning appliances, costly and artificially conditioned air will be lost due to lack of insulation in your house. Insulation when added in right proportion retards natural tendency heat to move from warmer place to cooler region leaving and also entry of cold air into the house. Similarly, properly insulated house keeps the scorching heat off the house. The amount of insulation needed by your property differs from one property to another and also depends on the climate. Do you know how much home insulation your house needs?
Measurement of Home Insulation
One needs to decide what type of insulation and in what proportion it is needed. The best possible way to know that is by calling utility professionals who provides information through "energy audit". They take complete assessment on availability of draughts in the house and the area should be sealed with insulation treatment. Efficacy of any type of insulation is measured through R-value or resistance value of the material used in insulation. Home insulation materials vary in their R-value or heat resistance provided by every inch of thickness.

The R-value tends to differ in different climate and the pattern in which the building is constructed. In the mild climate, the right proportion for wall insulation and floor insulation should be R-11 while for attic insulation it should be R-19. Likewise, in moderate climate regions, R-19 is the right amount of insulation for floors and walls and R-30 is appropriate for roof. Buildings in the colder climate regions require wall insulation and floor insulation of R-19, about R-38 to 49 for ceilings area.

To calculate the required amount of home insulation on the existing layer of insulation, first of all you need to switch off the electricity of the house. You should also unscrew electrical outlet cover and place a hanger in the open space. Use hanger to measure depth available to lay the insulation to that space. At the same time, see what kind of insulation is added to the area by removing some insulation using the hanger. You can also call for an insulation survey company or professional to inspect and give you detailed assessment of the insulation you have and require.

Monday 1 December 2014

Basement Insulation - Enjoy Every Season in Your Home

Among the other insulators, basement is just one but very important. The function of basement insulation is keeping your home cooler in the season of summer and warmer in the winter. It is famous in the very hot or cold areas of the world. There are many tips and ways for basement insulation and to take use of it. The basement of a home can be a big source of heat loss and also to gain the heat. And it keeps that heat in control and makes use of it.
The method to do the basement insulation is, keeping the gap of 2 to 3 inches between the insulation and foundation. There must be a barrier of vapor behind the basement walls. And it should be done after checking or inspection. In different areas the thickness of the vapor barrier and space between two walls is different. Whenever you are doing basement insulation you have to keep in mind that any kind of evaporation or water can harm the insulation badly. There are many types of vapor barriers available in the market that reflects the heat traveling through the foundation walls, back between the spaces of insulation and basement. Any insulation you are buying, just remember to buy R-value insulation for yourself.

In freezing weather or in a hot summer you can enjoy in your home if it is insulated otherwise it will be too cold to sit. Basement insulation can disturb budget because it is expensive but it is one time investment and you enjoy the rest of the time and it is not more than the energy bill that you pay. So if you have an estimate between insulation and energy bills that you pay you will find that insulation is a far good. If you are insulating your home keep in mind to choose the best material. Otherwise insulation may work for the time but after some time the moisture and water will trap in and it will destroy the ceiling and floor and it will cost you a lot. Insulation is very expensive so many home owners avoid but in many countries and in America government help the people in basement insulation so that people do not find it too hard to get. So when you are insulating you home keep these things in you mind and you will get benefits of life.

Do You Need to Install Basement Insulating Materials?

If it ever happened that your house interior got as cold as the breeze in your lawn or backyard, your first reaction would be to turn up the heater. Then it gets cold again. Again, you turn up the heater a little higher. If you are not aware of the cause of the problem, you might end up wasting a great deal of heat energy. Consequently you will be paying an additional cost in your bill that your not suppose to. For all you know, the solution is simply to set up some basement insulating materials to reduce this chance.
Basements are often cold and damp because of its proximity to the soil outside. And since the earth is exposed to cold air, negative heat is transferred from the soil to your basement walls and to your basement ceiling. If you didn't get a basement insulating system installed, heat transfer travels fast down there. It's best to have your basement insulated.
Basement insulation is usually done best when repairing or when remodeling. Check on the cracks on foundation walls or sill areas. Investigate if there are leaks of unwanted air through your basement windows. Your ventilation should just be enough to keep the temperature in your basement balanced. Often, it is practical and economical to install basement insulating materials together with waterproofing.
Here are a few facts about why heat insulation is important in your basement:
1. Imagine the boiling point of water. Then imagine its negative equivalent. In winter and when the snow starts to melt, it gets very cold outside. If you miss out leaks on your basement walls, you can just imagine how your meat feels when subjected to a freezer. All the negative heat that comes in from the cracked walls. You don't want to freeze in your basement do you?
2. The ground or the soil is not an insulator. This means it doesn't protect your basement walls from dampness. A good basement insulating material is usually design for the foundation walls because this is in contact with the earth. The basement ceiling only gets cold because of the heat transferred from the walls becoming a damp air and on to the headroom surface area.

3. Thermodynamics. What this simply means is the transfer or displacement of heat. It is a branch in science that studies the behavior of positive and negative heat. Basement insulating materials are designed based on the principles of thermodynamics. That is how engineers learn how to innovate ways in solving problems about basement insulation and other air conditioning concerns.

The most important thing is to understand and recognize the need of a well-functioning insulating system. Another tip here is that it's best to do the installation right from the start. You don't want to go into trouble of fixing your heater when it's not even broken in the first place. Attend on this matter with high importance. Air leaks can cause unwanted shortage on your heating budget simply because repairs cost money. So go down to your basement and make sure all the cracks are sealed.