You probably already know that if you have proper insulation in your home,
you’ll save on energy bills — there’s nothing groundbreaking
about that. The problem is, most homeowners, and even some home service
companies, don’t know the little intricacies that come along with
insulating a house. If you do it the right way, without cutting corners
or skipping steps, you can stay comfortable all year long without seeing
spikes on your bills each month.
Seal Bypasses First
If you plan on adding insulation to the attic, you really need to start
by sealing up air bypasses. Take a look around chimneys, plumbing vents,
wires and exterior walls and make sure there isn’t already air escaping there.
We recommend using caulk and/or expanding foam sealant to close any and
all air gaps you might find, and then you can move onto adding insulation.
Don’t Pass Over Areas
Think you can get away with skipping insulation in just 5% of the wall
or ceiling? You can’t. Even if you leave 5% of the wall or ceiling
exposed, you can decrease the entire area’s r-value by 20% or more.
It’s imperative to fill the entire stud cavity or joist from top
to bottom and side to side and if you have electrical wires running through,
split it so that half of the insulation goes in front of the wires and
half goes behind.
Ensure There Is Adequate Ventilation
It’s not simply enough to insulate attics or crawl spaces. You also
must vent them in order to let these areas “breathe” properly.
If you don’t, you could end up with moisture problems which could
lead to mold and other harmful toxins.
For more than 100 years,
Hero has delivered world-class plumbing, heating & cooling services to
the Twin Cities community. Call us today at (612) 324-1004.
