Most homeowners know the importance of having insulation in their home. But the most important question could be a difficult one for most; where should I be putting my home’s insulation? We’re here to give you the five most important places to put your home’s insulation to make sure that your home stays warm (or cool) during the harsh summer and winter months here in New England.
Attics
The most commonly-known (and one of the most important) places to install insulation is in your attic. When heat rises, it can go right up to your attic. And if there isn’t any insulation to keep that heat, it will expel right through the top of your house and outside, costing you more on your energy bills. Covering this whole area is very important— especially, those hard to reach “nooks and crannies” that could be letting heat out without you even realizing. Making sure your attic is insulated properly is key to keeping your family warm. The most common type of insulation, known as “loose fill insulation” is a great option, as it can get into those hard to reach areas without any problem. If you have “knee walls,” or vertical walls in your attic, make sure these are properly insulated in the wall’s interior as well. Your attic access point alongside these walls should both be air-sealed, too.
Side walls facing the exterior
Walls that face out towards the harsh outdoor weather need to be equipped with the proper insulation in order to keep that weather out of your home. Especially with winter approaching in the next few months, it’s crucial to make sure the walls that will face snow and cold air will properly protect your home from the cold. The best way to insulate these walls would be to use a blow-in kind of insulation with a dense-pack technique, to make sure there is a sturdy and sufficient amount of insulation between your home and the outdoors.
Floors over garages or porches
Rooms that are placed over uninsulated or weather-affected areas will carry this same weather up into that room unless properly insulated. This can make the room colder or warmer than the rest of the rooms in your house, depending on the season, and can make living in that room just a bit more uncomfortable than it should be. Having a room above a garage or porch needs insulation in the floor to prevent any of the outside weather from creeping in from below. This can save you money on your bills, and make that one room more usable for you and your family in the long run.
Cathedral ceilings
Cathedral ceilings can make it hard to properly heat a space. And as heat rises, if those ceilings aren’t properly insulated, that hot air will go right outside instead of flowing back down to keep you and your family warm. Along with this, insulating these ceilings will also even out the temperature in your home, so there aren’t any colder or warmer spots in the rooms with higher ceilings. The best insulation to use with these is foil-based batt insulation because it is permeable— this is important for houses without attics. And similar to attics, it’s important not only to insulate these ceilings, but to ventilate them properly as well. Due to this, insulation has to make room for vents and other such openings so that air can properly flow both inside and out.
Edges of windows and doors
Having cracks in your windows and doors can also let the heat that you’re paying for escape out into the cold. This not only prevents you and your family from living comfortably, but also dramatically increases your costs and the money you spend on your energy bill each month. To prevent any unnecessary energy usage and to insulate your home yourself, quickly check your home’s windows and doors to make sure that they are properly weatherized. And if you do find any cracks that could let any of your home’s heat out, caulk them with sealant so there is a layer of protection between the harsh outdoor weather and the temperature you want to live with inside.
Best Option
Call Revise to help properly insulate and seal your home for the incoming winter. We cannot stress enough how important insulation is to keeping your heat inside of your home. With poor insulation at the root of your problems, it will be hard to keep your home energy efficient and cost-effective with your bills in the long run. That’s why we’re here to help. As Mass Save® partner, we can offer you up to 75% – 100% off of your potential insulation costs. That way, we can bring you and your home the insulation it needs for you to save big this upcoming winter. While you’re in the process of doing your home’s fall checkup, call us at (800) 885-7283 and schedule an appointment with our energy professionals so we can make sure that you and your family will live comfortably and energy efficiently this fall & winter.
