You should improve your home’s insulation if you consider investing in going green. Do this before you buy solar panels and solar water heaters. As well as heat pumps and other green sources of energy for your home. It will ensure that you maximize the use of natural resources. You do not want to waste energy. A house that is not well insulated will cost you a lot. It will be expensive to buy a very powerful system to cover its energy needs. Insulation is an effective and efficient way to save energy at home. It keeps the house warm in the winter and cool in the summer.
What is home insulation?
Insulation helps you keep the desired temperature in your house. It protects it against cold in winter and excess heat in summer. It also reduces noise pollution. A well-insulated house is very energy efficient. It needs very little extra heating and cooling.
You do not need any planning permission for fitting insulation measures. It pays back so it is a wise investment. You can choose to insulate your roof, floors, and walls. As well as your windows and doors. The walls are the most important. The walls of a typical house lose around 30 to 40 percent of the heat. The roof comes in second, with 25 percent of heat loss. Windows and doors have 20 percent heat loss.
What are insulators made of?
There are different materials and qualities. Good insulators consist of products that have a structure like wool. It traps tiny pockets of air. Fabrics like cotton and hemp are great insulators. Strong curtains like these help in having a well-insulated home. Wood-based products like hardboard and wooden doors are also good insulators. It will help you keep your house warm. Spray foam solutions that are polyurethane-based are also available. You can use foam for roof tiles. It fills the gap. You can use the adhesive strips variant for windows and doors. You can use sealants to stop draughts through cracks and gaps.
Types of insulation
Here are four types you should be aware of.
- Wall insulation
- Cavity wall insulation – There is a gap between the inner and outer leaf of this insulation. The walls get holes from drilling. Then you insert an insulator and refill it with cement.
- Solid wall insulation – There is no cavity inside them. You can choose between internal and external insulation if you have solid walls. External insulation covers the entire facade of the property. Internal insulation is usually applied to inner rooms.
- Roof insulation
- Warm loft – This is right under the roof. It is more expensive than a cold loft. But it is a better insulator.
- Cold loft – This one is above the ceiling of the top floor.
- Window and door insulation
Double or triple glazed windows and doors is a must. It means having at least two panels of glass that are millimeters apart. Double glazing will protect you from the noise coming outside. It will keep your home warm and silent at the same time.
- Floor insulation
This is very expensive and depends on the type of floor you have. Insulators in modern houses are usually under the concrete floor surface. Older ones with suspended floors need more investment. A very good alternative for floor insulation is the use of rugs. It is inexpensive as well.
You can also contact insulation specialists. They will help you make sure you have a well-insulated home. Check and optimize your home’s insulation. Then you can give your home’s energy efficiency a final touch. You can apply some green energy systems. It reduces your household’s carbon footprint. It also saves you a lot of money because they pay for themselves.