Insulation provides heat flow resistance for your home and lowers cooling and heating costs. This is done by utilizing materials that slow both convective and conductive heat flow. Proper insulation of your home decreases the flow of heat by providing an efficient heat flow resistance.
We'd also been having major problems recently with our insulation (definitely letting heat out) and so did a search to find insulation specialists near me and on doing that got it improved hugely, so it's always worth checking that.
A frequently asked question is if insulation improves the
value of a property in La Crosse, is it something that property developers or
existing homeowners should consider? Do you need the help of a La Crosse insulation service provider?
In this post, we’ll delve into how can home insulation boost
your property’s value in La Crosse.
Beat the Heat With A Lower Cost of
Energy Bills
Many of La Crosse homes’ heaters work overtime to keep up
with the bone-chilling winter weather. During the summer, though, things take a
significant turn. You might feel that sometimes it seems that no matter how
much you run your AC all day, your home just won’t keep cool. Because of these
instances, your residential air conditioning and heating system have to work a
lot, which means paying a hefty price tag for energy consumption.
For these reasons, the number of homeowners searching for
ways to cut down on energy expenses is dramatically increasing. So, if you’re a
homeowner who’s looking for something to help you in your day-to-day expenses
while increasing your home’s value, a home insulation system, like attic
insulation, is perfect for you.
Here are some of the benefits that you can get from attic
insulation:
Prevent the heat from escaping
through your roof:
How does insulating your attic can help you? You might have that question in
mind upon reading this. The reason why it needs insulation is that when the
heat rises, it heads to your attic. If there’s inadequate or improper
insulation in your attic, then chances are you’re losing a significant amount
of heat through your roof.
Regardless of the weather, attic
insulation can help:
If your home doesn’t have proper insulation, outside heat can enter it quickly.
Likewise, the heat easily escapes during the winter if it lacks insulation.
Insulation has tiny air pockets that
can trap the hot air during cold weather, while also trapping air before
spreading it during warm weather. Insulation helps your heater or AC run less
often and consume less energy.
Determine the exit points of your
energy: Most
insulation service providers utilize infrared imaging to accurately see where
your home is losing energy, which is usually around windows and doors. Exterior
wall installation, air sealing, and attic insulation come into play to help you
minimize the energy lost.
Increase Your EPC Rating
More homeowners are noticing that homes with higher EPC
(energy performance certificate) rating quickly sell compared to those less
energy-efficient ones. Insulation systems, like solid wall insulation, could
increase your EPC rating by two whole bands, something that you can consider to
increase the value of your property aside from other upgrades, like adding a pool to your home.
Here are some of the reasons why you should consider
external insulation if you’re renovating a home for sale or a property
developer who’s looking to mark a higher price tag for your next offer to
customers:
Solid
wall insulation is an excellent way to increase the value of a property while
saving from the installation cost. Since external insulation receives a
substantial subsidy from the government through grants, it’s now possible to
get one as a homeowner for a lower fee.
It’s
an investment that many homeowners are already doing, which means that you have
to keep up if you want to make your property appealing in the market.
Homebuyers are now carefully looking at the features of a property that would
help lessen the ownership expenses, and external insulation is one feature they
would want to see.
The
installation of EWI is possible without the need to strip the property of its
original look and details. Detailing and ornate reveals can add to a property’s
value, so the last thing you would want is for the EWI installation to destroy
them.
Fortunately, you can ask your
insulation service provider to leave the details in place or replicate the
original look up to 100%, depending on your preferences. This way, you can
preserve the unique value of the property and add more to it with a higher EPC
rating.
Make Your Property More Comfortable
Lowering a property’s utility bill, and increasing its
energy efficiency are not the only factors that affect a buyer’s decision to
pay more. Most homebuyers also look for overall comfort when looking for a
house. While it’s possible to provide comfort by either sealing the air or
installing proper insulation, you should not complete one without the other.
Air sealing goes hand in hand. When done right, it brings
many benefits to the homeowner. Below are some of the spots where air sealing
should focus on:
Windows and doors: As already mentioned, these areas
are where you lose a lot of energy if your home doesn’t have a proper air
sealing and insulation system installed.
Chimneys: The next spot to direct air
sealing is your chimney. Check if there’s a flue or if it closes tightly to
keep the warm air from flying out. Open it for fires, but make sure to close it
immediately when the embers die out.
Plumbing and electrical penetrations:
Anywhere a wire or pipe goes out or in a house and then penetrate
through a wall creates a draft. Adding gasket covers to your light switches and
outlets is an essential consideration to seal the air from these big holes in
your wall.
Baseboards: The junction between your floor
and wall notoriously create drafts. Sometimes the coats of paint are enough to
cover this, but if you notice that there’s no sealing between the plaster and
the baseboard, go ahead and paint it.
For more significant energy savings and home comfort that
prospective homebuyers would love, air sealing and insulation are two essential
upgrades that you should complete together.
We’ve talked a lot about how can insulation boost your
property’s value and provide overall comfort. At this point, you might have
already realized the importance of insulating your home.
Types of Insulation
If you’re already thinking of getting an insulation service
provider, take a pause and check some of the types of insulation that you can choose
from below:
Blanket insulation: This is the most common type of
insulation as it’s widely available. This type of insulation comes in the form
of rolls or batts. The primary materials for this type of insulation are fiber
glasses or flexible fibers.
Blanket insulation is suited to
floor joists, rafters or attic trusses, and wall studs, with standard spacing.
Concrete block insulation: Building the walls and foundations
of homes require the use of concrete blocks, and you can insulate them in many ways.
Installing insulation internally or externally over the surface of the blocks
is more effective.
Placing exterior insulation allows
containing the blocks’ thermal mass possible within a conditioned space, thus,
moderating indoor temperatures.
Rigid foam or foam board: It’s possible to use this type of
insulation in almost all parts of your property. Foam boards are useful in
attic hatches, basement wall interior sheathing, and exterior wall sheathing.
The thermal resistance that it
provides is double the resistance that other insulating materials give.
Insulating concrete forms: These are poured concrete wall
forms that remain with the wall assembly. High thermal resistance is achieved
with this system, which can reach around R-20 – making your property an ICF
home will still make it look like a traditionally-built stick home even if
constructed using concrete.
Blown-in and loose-fill insulation: This type of insulation contains
small particles of foam, fiber, and other materials. The tiny particles in this
insulation type conform to spaces without disturbing finishes or structures.
Because of its ability to conform, Loose Fill Insulation Installation is ideal for retrofits as well as locations where installing other types of insulation is difficult to achieve.
Reflective insulation systems: Unlike other insulation types,
reflective insulation works through radiant heat reflection. You can usually
find this insulation type installed in attics - reducing heat gain during
summer and lowering cooling costs.
Thermal insulation materials,
cardboard, polyethylene bubbles, plastic film, and kraft paper are reflective
aluminum foils that reflective insulation incorporates.
Rigid fiberboard insulation: When insulating air ducts in your
property, fibrous board insulation becomes very useful. If you’re also looking
for insulation types that have the ability to withstand high temperatures,
rigid fiber is worth checking out. It’s thickness ranges from 1 inch up to 2.5
inches
Sprayed-foam insulation: This type of insulation uses
liquid foam that insulation service providers either spray, inject, or pour.
Insulating and reducing air leakage under floors, attic surfaces, and walls.
Sprayed-foam also produces R-value
that’s higher than other traditional insulating systems with the same
thickness.
Structural insulated panels: These are insulated structural
elements that are prefabricated for use in roofs, floors, ceilings, and walls
of buildings. They provide uniform and superior insulation when you compare
them to more traditional methods of construction, with energy savings that can
reach up to 14%.
SIPs, when appropriately installed,
also achieves more airtight dwelling, making a house more comfortable and
quieter.
Depending on your goals and preferences, those are the different
types of insulation systems that you can choose to install in
your property. Always check if the insulation type you’re planning to get suits
your property’s needs.
Places To Install Insulation
Now that you already have an idea about how home insulation
can boost your property’s value and the different types of insulation that you
can install based on your current needs, let us try looking at some of the
spots where you can install insulation at home:
Unfinished attic spaces: Insulate unfinished attic spaces
over and between floor joists to seal off the living spaces below. If you
observe that the air distribution takes place in the attic space, insulating
the rafters would be the ideal step to move the air distribution into a
conditioned space.
Duct insulation: seal and insulate the ducts in
your home if they’re in an unconditioned space. Placing the ducts in a
conditioned space when building a new house is ideal so that avoiding of duct
systems-associated energy losses are possible.
Cathedral ceiling insulation: Insulation of cathedral ceilings
allows ceiling temperatures to be close to the temperature of the room,
enabling you to achieve an evenly-distributed temperature throughout the house.
There should also be a space between the ceiling of your home and the roof deck
to allow adequate ventilation and insulation.
The use of sufficiently large
rafters, scissor truss framing, and truss joints would help you achieve proper
insulation for your cathedral ceiling.
Exterior wall insulation: You’re wondering why your home
still feels cold and drafty despite having proper sealing and enough insulation
in your attic? Chances are it is your exterior walls that also need some
insulating.
Insulating your exterior wall is
very useful, especially during La Crosse’s cold winters. If you’re planning to
replace your home’s exterior siding, consider insulating it at the same time.
Floors above unheated garages: Installing insulation above
unconditioned garages should also be part of your plans, make sure to seal all
possible air leakage sources that you can find.
Minimize contaminant danger coming
from gardening supplies, solvents, paint, and car exhaust is the added benefit
of this strategy – preventing the contaminants from traveling into the conditioned
space.
Foundation insulation: If you properly insulate the
foundation of your property, you get to reduce heat costs, prevent moisture
problems, random infiltration, insect manifestation, and keep rooms more
comfortable. In new construction, construction techniques that provide both
insulation and foundation structure are things that you should consider.
It’s not enough to just install insulation in your property.
It’s essential that you also find the correct spot for your insulation.
Conclusion
A properly insulated home improves the property’s ability to
cool and heat. It’s also some of the best upgrades that you can do as a
homeowner to add value to your property. When you improve insulation, saving
energy is possible since it’ll allow you to decrease the demand for your
cooling and heating systems, thus, cutting on utility costs too.
These are the exact things that potential home buyers look
for, energy efficiency and lower energy bills. If you’re a homeowner or a
developer who wants to put a higher price tag over your property, then
insulation should be part of your to-do-list.
