If you do not have proper insulation, your home will be too cold in winter and too warm in summer. This can be very dangerous for one’s health, especially if one lives in a region with extreme weather. There are myriad ways to insulate one’s home, but the most effective is wall insulation. If you are on a budget and can’t afford to improve your home’s wall insulation, then you may be able to access a government grant that will pay for it for you.
This article will tell you how you can insulate your walls and some effective ways of insulating the rest of your home:
Benefits of Insulation
Insulation is an absolute necessity in all homes. There are lots of advantages to having it, including:
- Better regulated internal temperature during cold and hot weather;
- A reduction in the amount of money that you need to spend on energy;
- Improved external aesthetics, because your house won’t have any leaks or cracks;
- A reduction in your carbon footprint, which is particularly relevant these days;
- Acoustic insulation, which is especially useful if you live in a busy town;
- Fire resistance.
Hiring a Professional
If you live in an older house and don’t have modern insulation, then you may want to hire a professional. A professional can show you how to insulate walls without removing the drywall, which can be very useful, especially if you live in an older home and don’t want to damage its internal aesthetic. If you don’t want your walls to come down, then a professional team of contractors can insulate your house by:
- Blowing fibreglass or loose-fill cellulose into your wall cavities, by creating a hole. Blow-in insulation is a very effective type of insulation, that’s becoming very popular among homeowners. It’s simple, cheap, and straightforward. With this type of insulation, there is no need for taking down walls.
- External insulation is also very effective. Instead of going into your home’s wall cavities and filling them with insulation, a technician will be able to protect your home’s interior by covering its exterior with vinyl and aluminium siding, wood siding, or brick.
Other Methods of Insulation
Weatherproofing
Weatherproofing is a very effective method of insulating your home. You can buy weatherproofing strips, and apply them to any gaps in your doors, windows, or walls. If you cannot find weatherproofing strips, then you can use caulk. Caulk is just as effective, although it can take several hours to dry. This means that you need to keep pets and children away from it until it is fully dried. Weatherproofing will ensure that no cold [or hot] air can get into [or out of] your home.
Thermal Curtains
Thermal curtains are a great way to prevent cold air from getting into your home during the winter. Often, our windows are the primary way through which cold air enters and hot air escapes. This is especially true if you do not have double-glazed windows, which many older homes don’t. Thermal curtains are thick and heavy and make for a fantastic insulator. In addition to keeping cold air out during the winter, they can keep hot air out during the summer, allowing your room to retain your preferred temperature.
Door Snakes
Door snakes are a great way of insulating your home. You can put them down in every room in your house. You can buy some that attach to your door so that you don’t have to worry about putting them back in place every time that you want to open and close a door. Door snakes are very effective, and very inexpensive. They make for a great addition to your home’s insulation strategy. You can order them online or find them in most home supply stores.
Chimney
If you have an older home and have a chimney that you don’t use, then you need to block it up or plug it. This will stop cold air from entering or escaping your home. If you have an unblocked chimney that’s out of use, anything that you try to do in terms of insulating your home will be in vain, because air will come in through your chimney.
Attic
If you don’t have an insulated attic, then it’s time that you have yours done. An uninsulated attic can allow for air leaks. In addition, an attic that isn’t insulated can be settled in by birds and bats, who get in through holes in your roof. Attic insulation can be expensive, but it’s an absolute necessity.
If you want to insulate your walls, then you need to hire a professional. Everything else listed here [save for attic insulation], you can do yourself. Insulation is especially important if you live in a particularly cold region. An uninsulated home could potentially be very dangerous, especially for pets and young children.