Any new homes that are being constructed have pretty high standards that must be met for energy efficiency. But, that can't be stated for more mature homes. The simplest way to make an older home more energy efficient is to use insulation. This may not be straightforward to do with the external side walls, but can be done easily with blown-in insulation in the attic. This will certainly make your household warmer in the wintertime, and also cooler in the summer. If you live in a very old house, you may simply have newspapers in your wall for insulation.
Nowadays, with all of the environmental concerns, insulation has become a discipline all by itself. Materials used for insulation are given an R-value, which is used to decide the degree of insulation needed in any given environment. Very cold areas have to have a considerably higher R-value, than places with moderate temperatures. One of the best products to be observed for lowering heating costs is blown-in insulation. There are a large number of benefits to having blown-in insulation versus the traditional fiberglass insulation including energy efficiency, how it can be used and installation.
Right now there are five excellent reasons to have blown-in insulation, the first is that it is adjustable. You can manage how much insulation you will need thus varying the R-value. If you need to have an R-value of 15, you just simply blow a specific amount of insulation, in the event that you need a higher R-value, just add more insulation. Another reason to choose blown-in insulation is that its usually produced from virgin materials so there's definitely less chance of getting allergies. A third good reason is that blown-in insulation can create a tighter seal since it can easily fill cracks and pockets of vacant space. The installation is quick, and considering that everything is filled in, it is very energy-efficient.
Newly framed houses should have an easy time installing blown-in insulation. All that is done is staple a netting over the exterior wall studs, then cut a few little holes, stick in the hose, and pack the wall cavity. The material blown in sticks to the studs, and totally fills all of the empty spaces. Protect the wall surfaces using a vapor barrier, and drywall and you are done. To blow in the ceiling insulation, you drywall the ceiling first, then ascend into the attic area and blow it in. Its more difficult with older dwellings for the reason that the wall covering will need to be removed. Once the wall covering is removed, the steps are pretty much identical. For those who have a very old house, without any insulation, you can just cut a hole in the wall, and blow it in, then cover up the hole.
To begin with, the price of blow-in insulation is more expensive, however it is much more efficient as an energy saver. With the reduced heating costs, and also a more comfortable living, using blown-in insulation makes a lot of sense.
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