Have you noticed that the weather is getting more extreme every year? According to experts, the trend of summers getting warmer and winters getting much colder than usual will continue. Making sure your home is protected from extreme weather will save you money on energy bills and make your home more comfortable.
According to some building experts, nearly 90% of homes don’t have enough insulation. If you have an older home, it may once have been well-insulated. But over time, insulation can break down or become less effective. Homes that are more than 20 years old should have the quality of the remaining insulation checked and may need some additional insulation to keep the house comfortable.
If your home is new or was built in the last 20 years, it’s possible that the builders didn’t put enough high-quality insulation into it when it was made. Advances in insulation technology and building code changes in the last couple of years mean that even if your home is newer, it still could lack proper insulation.
Two primary types of insulation are used in homes: fiberglass insulation and foam insulation. Most people are familiar with fiberglass insulation. That’s the insulation that comes in large sheets of pillowy fiberglass material backed by sturdy paper. Typically this insulation is put into walls, attics, and other spaces. It can deteriorate over time, and it’s not very energy efficient.
Fiberglass insulation doesn’t provide the kind of insulation your home needs in extreme weather since it only comes in sheets. It is challenging to install fiberglass insulation in small spaces or put it into an existing wall.
Foam insulation is a much denser type of insulation that is easier to install than fiberglass insulation. Foam insulation is sprayed into an existing wall, attic space, crawl space, or other space inside the home or garage. Once the foam is sprayed, it will expand within the area to cover the entire space with a thick layer of insulation. It can be sprayed into tight spaces like tiny crawl spaces, behind pipes, and into all the cracks and crevices in your home that used to be unprotected. Foam insulation may cost a little more upfront to install, but you’ll see a significant return on that investment with lower energy bills and longer-lasting insulation.
With the cost of natural gas, electricity, and heating oil going up and the temperature going down, investing in additional insulation will save you money and help you avoid the cold this winter. Call Anderson Insulation today for a free estimate for insulation installation in your home!