The home is properly-insulated to get optimal energy efficiency from the roof down to the foundation. Particular areas of the property need home insulation, such as:
- Insulate attic access door. You have two types of attic spaces that need insulation, such as:
- In an unfinished attic space, insulate over and between the floor joists to seal the living spaces. If the air distribution happens in the attic, consider insulating the rafters for air distribution moving into the conditioned space.
- In finished attic space (with or without dormers), there are three ways to do so:
- Insulate between the studs of the knee walls
- Insulate between the rafters and studs of the roof and exterior walls
- Insulate ceilings with unconditioned spaces.
- Extend insulation to the joist space to decrease the airflow.
- Insulate all the exterior walls, including:
- Walls between unheated garages, living spaces, shed roofs, or storage areas
- Foundation walls on the ground level
- Foundation walls in the heated basements
- Insulate floors above the unconditioned spaces. It is particularly in unheated garages and vented crawl spaces. In other floor areas, you can insulate the following:
- In a room cantilevered beyond the exterior wall
- Slab floors built on the ground
- Foundation walls of the unvented crawl spaces
All these are the areas where a home insulation system is installed or applied.
Attic insulation
Batt or Loose-fill insulation is installed in the attic. It is usually less expensive than batt insulation, providing better coverage when installed properly. There are different types of insulation applicable to your home. If you have enough attic insulation, you need to measure the insulation thickness. If less than the equivalent of R-30, you can benefit by adding more. Before the insulation, air leaks must be sealed, and make roof and some necessary repairs.
In the conditioned part of the house, remember to insulate and seal the air in the attic. Insulate and seal the air in any knee walls. Additionally, if you are remodeling or building a new home, ensure any attic decking provides additional platform or storage space for a cooling or heating unit or hot water tank raised above the ceiling joists leaving the room for adequate insulation.
Duct insulation
If ducts in the home are in an unconditioned space, it needs to seal and insulate them. If you are building a brand new house, place the ducts in an unconditioned space to prevent the energy losses associated with most duct systems.
Exterior wall insulation
If the attic has enough insulation and is properly air-asled, the home still feels cold and drafty in the winter or warm in the summer. It is more expensive and requires an insulation specialist or contractor for the installation plan.
Installing insulation at home is the wisest idea to save energy costs.
