With the right type and amount of insulation, you can minimize your heating and cooling bills, keeping your home energy-efficient and truly comfortable year-round. Home insulation works by reducing heat flow, which helps keep your interior temperatures right where you set them on the thermostat. Without enough quality insulation, heat continually transfers to cooler areas and keeps your HVAC system working overtime to keep up.
So, if you want your home to remain cool in the summer and warm in the winter, adding or upgrading insulation is the way to go. There is no one size fits all approach to home insulation, however, as every building has different needs. Luckily, you can use this guide to learn what your home might need, then give our team a call to see how we can help.
Common Types of Insulation
Builders use many different types of insulation for residential applications. From the climate to the building design, many different factors go into selecting just the right type. Where the insulation will be installed in the building matters, too, as not all varieties work in all spaces.
The most common home insulation types include:
Blanket
Blanket insulation comes in rolls and batts, commonly made from rock wool or fiberglass materials. The rolls and batts come in various thicknesses, which are designed to work in a wide variety of spaces. They are most often used between the wood framing materials in the walls, floor, and ceiling. Blanket insulation may have a paper or aluminum foil facing lining one side, acting as a vapor barrier and making the insulation easier to handle.
Blown-In
Also known as loose fill, blown-in insulation makes insulating hard-to-reach areas easier than ever. Made from cellulose or fiberglass, this insulation is used most often to insulate attic floors, though it can also be used for wall cavities and irregularly shaped areas. Installers use pneumatic equipment to fill the desired area to the ideal depth, if not a bit more to account for settling.
Spray Foam
Spray foam insulation is an innovative material used to fill in the small gaps around doors, windows, and vent openings. This product is made from polyurethane or latex foam that expands to fill the given space and sets quickly. Once it is dry, it can be trimmed down and covered in paint or stain to blend it in with the surrounding materials.
Radiant Barriers
Homes can use radiant barriers to reflect heat from sunlight hitting the roof. They are installed in the attic on the underside surfaces of the roof. Unlike other types of insulation, these insulating barriers only block heat from entering the building, not from flowing back out. They are typically used in hot climates for that reason, as they do little to improve energy efficiency in the winter.
Depending on your home’s unique factors, it may have any, or all, of these types of insulation. To determine what kind of insulation your home has, and how to improve it, you can partner with your energy efficiency experts in Dallas Fort Worth.
Best Insulation for Residences
When it comes to choosing the best insulation for residences, energy efficiency experts can definitely aid in the selection process. They know just which kinds of insulation will work in your walls, floors, attic, and other key locations. They will assess the current state of your home and all its energy efficiency needs in making that decision.
Each residence’s needs are different, so there is no way to select just one type of insulation for the whole home. In fact, many homes use several different types across their floorplans to achieve the highest energy efficiency rating possible.
Insulation Installation Techniques
The type of insulation you are using and its intended location will greatly influence how to approach the installation process. Installing fiberglass batts in the wall cavities requires removal and replacement of the drywall, for example, while blown-in cellulose may only need a few access holes when installed in the same area.
No matter the kind of insulation and installation location, there are some best practices to use during this process, such as:
- Always wear safety equipment, including goggles, gloves, and a respirator
- Use all the right tools for the job and never cut corners to save time
- Verify the insulation has the right R-value to match your energy efficiency needs
- Use vapor retarders wherever moisture might be a problem
- Fully fill the cavity with insulation to keep heat transfer from occurring
- Abide by all local building codes to ensure your safety and protect your investment
Your energy efficiency expert will always follow all the best practices when installing insulation in your home. You can trust them to complete the job to your satisfaction, as they work on optimizing the energy efficiency of your residence.
Best Practices in Insulation Removal
If the insulation in your home has become contaminated or just too old to function properly, you may need to have it removed and replaced. Without the right equipment, the removal process could prove tedious at best and hazardous to your health at worst.
For that reason, insulation removal is best left to the professionals, as they have all the right tools and techniques to get the job done right. These experts will use vacuums and other equipment to remove every last piece of old or contaminated insulation, readying your home for the installation process.
With the removal process completed in full, the air quality in your home will greatly improve and you will be ready to improve its energy efficiency with brand new insulation. You can then work with your team of experts to select the best insulation for your home and have it installed soon after.
Need Residential Insulation Services in Dallas Fort Worth?
Whether you need insulation installation or removal services, you can work with your trusted Dallas Fort Worth energy efficiency experts at Green Attics. You can give us a call at (214) 381-1704 to schedule your free energy audit and start learning about the insulation needs of your residence. We will provide our complete guidance and support, helping you improve the energy efficiency of your home and keep it comfortable year-round.
