With all of the DIY information available on the internet, it’s easy for homeowners to become overwhelmed. We live in a technological era where information overload is a common complaint for online consumers. Insulating your home correctly and using the best materials available is incredibly important for anyone who wants to maintain their home on a long-term basis. Insulation does so much more than just keep the house warm in the winter.
The Benefits of Professionally Installed Insulation
First, it’s tempting to try to do installation yourself, but so many things can go wrong that it’s best to leave it to a professional. If it is installed incorrectly, insulation can create just as many problems as it solves. Gaps or spaces, using the wrong type, buying a low quality brand to save money, and not attaching it correctly are just some of the potential issues homeowners face when they try to attempt insulation installation themselves.
When you hire a certified professional to do the job instead, there are many benefits of insulation. Installing insulation is a skill, not just an odd job that can be done by anyone. Companies that specialize in insulation have had years of experience where they have refined their skill and know what works best. When done right, it has many advantages that help to keep your home at its best.
The roof of your home is one of the first places that needs to be insulated, because 25% of heat escapes through the roof. The problem with natural heat is that it always wants to spread to the coldest areas. This is why insulation in general is so important. The heat that is keeping your home comfortable and dry is trying desperately to escape so that it can spread heat to colder areas. This means that anytime the outside environment is colder than inside your home, you are essentially trying to keep heat prisoner. Insulation does exactly that!
Aside from the fact that it keeps heat inside where it should be, insulation helps you saves money on your utility bill. When heat gets to escape freely, your house will be too cold for comfort, so you will inevitably spend more money trying to keep it at a comfortable temperature.
There are other less obvious benefits of insulation too, however. Did you know that, when correctly installed, it helps to extend the life of your air conditioners or furnaces? It also contributes to the environment by reducing the use of fossil fuels or gases which escape into the air every time you use your HVAC system.
One other extra benefit of insulation is that is acts as a seal for your house. It’s like caulk on a much bigger scale. Less bugs, less dust, and less air contaminants.
Now that it’s clear that insulation improves our overall quality of life, how can we ensure we choose the right one? Who do we go to to find the very best? What are the types of insulation, and what are the best types for your home? Let’s find out:
Types of Insulation
Before making the call to book a professional, you should do some research to find out what type suits your home and overall location best. Blanket insulation is the most common type. It’s the type that is a pale yellow color and is often made of fiberglass. This is also the type that can irritate your skin if it is exposed when you touch it. While it’s a tried and tested form, there are advancements being made in the construction materials industry that encourage homeowners to think outside the box when it comes to insulating their home.
The Best Insulation
One of the top insulation brands for your home is undoubtedly brought to you by GAF, America’s largest roofing manufacturer. They have a top-quality insulating product known as ‘EnergyGuard Polylso Roof Insulation’. Made of organic materials that include glass facers, this insulation board is bonded to a core of isocyanurate foam. With its high insulation value and FM approval, this insulating board is also lightweight and has excellent dimensional stability.
When tested for water permeability, the EnergyGuard scored top when compared to many standard insulating materials. Its water permeability level is very low, meaning that even if your roof gets a leak there is little chance that it will spread to any ceilings or interior walls. With standard insulation materials, roof leaks go right through and can cause internal damage to your home.
Choose the Right Siding
There is no sense in investing in good quality insulation if the outside of your home is in disrepair. The main purpose of it is to essentially seal your house from the external environment. If there is wear and tear, imperfections, or poor quality material siding decorating the outside of your house, it can really impair the overall positive effect of the insulation system.
Because of this, it’s essential to ensure that you give your home the care it deserves. This is the place where you and your family eat, sleep, and spend time together, so it’s worth investing in. James Hardie offers the best siding on the market and also has some insulating products including the Hardiewrap weather barrier. The Hardiewrap weather barrier is tailored in accordance with the climate of where the homeowner lives, so you are guaranteed additional protection that corresponds to the weather in your particular area.
For the outside, James Hardie siding is exceptional in terms of its durability, quality, and aesthetic appeal. One of the products, the Hardieplank lap siding, is the most popular brand of siding in America. The sheer number of people who choose Hardieplank lap siding is a testament to its timeless appeal as a construction material.