Did you know that roughly half the money you spend heating your home goes to waste because of poor insulation? Proper insulation will ensure your home is a comfortable temperature throughout, which will help to lower your energy bill. Updating your insulation this fall will also result in a happier and healthier home for your entire family. Stay cozy and comfortable this fall by updating your home’s insulation before winter arrives.
What is insulation?
Most simply put, insulation is any material that is used to fill the little gaps and crevices of your home where air can escape. This insulation material acts as a barrier between the warm air inside your home and the cold air outside. There are many different kinds of insulation yet they all serve the same purpose: to create a barrier between your home and outside elements.
How does insulation work?
Heat naturally flows from warmer areas to cooler areas. During the cool winter months, the warm air inside your home will try to find its way outside. Insulation prevents the warm air from escaping outside and keeps it inside your home. Insulation does this by keeping tiny pockets of air trapped inside the material, which helps to minimize the amount of heat that passes between the inside and outside of your home. This means that your home will stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer because the air is not flowing freely between the inside and outside.
5 Benefits of Insulating Your Home
1. Lower Energy Bills & Energy Consumption
A big reason to update your insulation is the significant impact it will have on the amount of energy your home uses. Did you know that Canadian homes contribute to over 40% of the nation’s total greenhouse gas emissions? Much of this is due to homes not being properly insulated and using more energy than is necessary to heat and cool them. By adding insulation, your home will become much more energy-efficient, something that is equally great for your wallet and the planet.
Insulation will help to keep your home warm and comfortable all winter long. This is because the insulation helps to ensure there is no warm air that escapes outside. By keeping more heat inside your home, this decreases the number of times the heat has to turn on. The less energy your home uses trying to keep itself warm, the bigger the savings will be on your next energy bill. If you’re ready to start saving money and helping the planet, connect with an insulation installation expert now.
2. Prevents Mold and Damage
A leaky roof is an issue no one wants to deal with. A leaky roof coupled with mold is an even worse issue. When your attic is not properly insulated or your annual roof maintenance is ignored, problems start to form. One of the biggest problems is mold growth. As your roof ages, it will naturally form cracks and little holes. When left untreated, these holes will continue to grow and let rain and snow trickle into your home. If left for long enough, the wood in your roof’s structure will begin to rot and mold will start to grow.
Having an added layer of insulation creates a moisture barrier that keeps unwanted water out of your home. It is also much easier to remove old, damaged insulation and replace it than it is to replace your entire roof. If you have concerns about your roof, it’s always best to have it inspected by a professional roofer. Ask them about insulation for your attic and if they recommend it for your situation. Adding a bit of insulation now could end up saving your roof in the long run.
3. Healthier Home
Living with mold and not realizing it can lead to a number of health issues. Mild symptoms such as coughs and headaches can lead to more serious issues such as chronic bronchitis and other respiratory illnesses. Insulation will also help to keep allergens and pollutants outside of your home. Having fewer irritants in the air could also lead to fewer asthma attacks for any asthmatics living in your home. By adding insulation you’re taking a step towards preventing these illnesses in your home.
4. Increased Comfort
Is your basement boiling but your bedroom is freezing? Do you have to add or take off layers depending on what floor you’re on? If so, the addition of insulation could really help with this problem. Adding insulation will help to ensure the temperature is more consistent throughout your home. Never again will you step out of your cozy warm bed onto a shockingly cold floor. Keep things comfortable on every floor of your home by adding insulation to your home.
Insulation can also help with soundproofing and noise pollution. Whether the noise is travelling from floor to floor, or from outside to inside, adding insulation to your home will help drown out the sounds. Soon enough your home will be quieter and a consistent temperature from floor to floor. That’s a lot of increased comfort just by adding some insulation.
5. Added Value to Home
Adding insulation is a great way to increase your home’s overall value. When you’re ready to sell, any amount of money you put into insulation will return tenfold. This is because adding insulation will result in a more efficient home. Potential home buyers will pay more for a home that is energy efficient than one that is not. Because you already had the work done, it’s one less thing for them to do. They also get the added benefit of moving into an already comfortable home. This means that your small investment in insulation will not only make the time you’re living in your home more comfortable, you’ll also be able to see a return on that investment when you’re ready to sell.
From creating a more energy-efficient and healthier home to saving money and seeing returns on your investment, adding insulation is a quick and easy way to increase the overall comfort of your home. There are many different types of insulation and a number of places it can be added to throughout your home. To find out what the best option is for your home, be sure to speak to an insulation installation specialist.
Article updated November 7, 2019.
