Where to insulate in your home

What places should I insulate in my home?

Your house should be well insulated from the roof to the foundation for maximum energy efficiency. Insulation is advised to be added in new homes in several places, including:

• The external walls
• Flooring
• Attics/Ceiling
• Basements/Cellars

External walls are an excellent place to insulate

If your attic is well insulated and sealed, your property still feels damp and chilly in the winter or too hot in the summer. You may ask, what places in my house should I insulate?

The first place you may need to insulate in your home is the exterior walls.

This is pricier and usually requires hiring an installer. However, living in a frigid environment could be worth it.

Insulating the walls of a property, just like the attic, can reduce the energy used to heat or cool the area. As a result, there are significantly lower energy bills. Furthermore, insulated walls can provide owners extra privacy since they efficiently suppress sound.

Consider installing blow-in insulation in an existing home’s ceiling space, giving a greater R-value. It may also be installed on outer walls without causing too much disturbance to your home’s completed rooms.

Consider spray foam or wet spray cellulose insulation if you’re rebuilding and your wall cavities will be exposed.

If your wall cavities aren’t open, injectable spray foam insulation can be a good option. Blanket insulation, while not as effective as two-part spray foam at producing an air barrier, this solution could be a more cost-effective choice.

Floors can lose heat and cold air

Even though heat rises, hot air could still be lost through floors.

This is especially true for floors installed over unheated areas such as garages, cellars, or in older homes, just the ground.

Spray, blow-in, or specially designed underfloor batt insulation can keep the cool and hot air your air conditioning systems produce.

Sealing all possible sources of air leakage before you insulate floors above garages is advised. This technique also has the added benefit of reducing the risk of pollutants.

Finally, installing an air barrier to keep the insulation beneath the subfloor from being short-circuited by cold air from the garage is also advised.

Attics can be a weak spot 

The attic, or if you have a flat roof, is considered the most critical place in the home to insulate.

Having that heat escape via the attic throughout the winter will raise your energy expenses significantly. It’s one of the most important home improvement jobs you could consider.

Have you insulated your basement? 

Insulating your basement is important and can bring many benefits. It helps save money on heating, keeps your basement dry and comfy, and is good for the environment. When your basement is well-insulated, it keeps the heat inside, so you don’t need to use as much energy to stay warm.

Adding insulation to the floor of your unfinished basement not only makes your home warmer but also keeps the lower parts of your house cozy. A basement with insulation on its outer walls is called a “conditioned environment.” This means it’s controlled for temperature and humidity, making it more comfortable and preventing issues like mould.

Consider getting advice from experts to make sure your home is insulated well and enjoyable to live in.