What Type of Insulation Should Your Home Have?

The benefit of living in a consumer-based economy lies in the choice you have.

The problem with living in that same economy lies in all the choices you have!

…Get it?

The amount of choice available can be both good and bad.

But when you have the correct insulation, you have the best energy efficiency and soundproofing.

So how do you go about choosing insulation anyway?

Here’s some points to consider:

1. Who’s the Installer?

Yes. You can install insulation yourself.

But that pretty much limits you to batts.

Spray insulation requires the skill of a professional.

This is because spray foam insulation is made of two chemical components that need on-site mixing.

And you must adhere to strict ratios so the insulation is both safe and effective.

Plus, professionals know how to identify where in your home to actually add spray insulation.

You can also install “radiant barrier” insulation. This is a foil barrier you install in your home’s roof to reflect heat back out.

However, it’s difficult to install.

2. Cost

Batts are cheaper, but they’re less effective. While you pay less up front, you’ll pay more over the long term because of lost efficiency.

That kind of defeats the purpose of adding insulation, doesn’t it?

Spray foam costs more up front. But it insulates with much greater efficiency.

3. Location

Different types of insulation work better in various areas of your home.

In your attic, for example, you can use batts to fill the spaces between joists.

However, you can also use blow-in insulation. This type of insulation also works better to fill the tighter spaces in your attic.

Foam board insulation, which is highly effective, can be used on floors, ceilings, low-slope roofs, and unfinished walls.

If you need insulation in an interior or exterior wall in your actual living space, then you’d have to go with spray insulation.

Sometimes the location is the sole determinant of the type of insulation you can use.

4. Is it Difficult or Impossible to Add Insulation?

If all that’s not enough to consider already, you can use liquid insulation in areas where it’s practically impossible to add any other kind of insulation.

Liquid insulation goes on the exterior of your home just like paint.

Professionals generally don’t like to add insulation into walls (if they can avoid it) because they never know exactly what’s inside the wall.

So that’s a situation where liquid insulation may come to the rescue.

Bet you didn’t know there was so much to consider with insulation, right?

Well, now you’re a little wiser.

And you can use this information to make the right decision for yourself so you get the best energy savings possible.