Increase your home energy efficiency – fatten your wallet.

Insulating your home

It’s a proven fact that 50-70% of your home energy cost is directly related to heating and cooling your home. Insulation and air leaks around door and windows are the main contributor to your home losing efficiency. Typically building codes cover the minimum insulation requirements. To make you home more energy efficient, you should exceed the minimum requirements.

Increasing your energy efficiency

When building a new home it is more cost-effective to add to the minimum insulation requirements during construction. Retrofitting your existing home is labor intensive and can be costly. The most effective way to increase the efficiency of your existing home with insulation is by adding to what you already have. Hiring an AC service company is your best option to add to your existing home insulation as experienced professionals will insure maximum energy efficiency.

Thermal resistance (R-value)

If you are a DIY and want to insulate your home you must know the recommended R-value. When selecting the right type of insulation to use in your home you will need to know the R-value required for your home set in local and state building codes. You can look up the required R-value to learn what type of insulation to purchase. R-value is a measurement of thermal resistance – the higher the R-value, the greater effectiveness.

Installation

When installing insulation do not stuff a void tightly as you are not increasing the energy efficiency you are actually decreasing efficiency. R-value is greatly decreased when insulation is compressed. Read the product label and follow the manufacturers instructions as this will help insure proper installation and increase the energy efficiency of your home. In addition to properly adding to and installing insulation in your home, remember to insure that all windows and doors are sealing. The total approach to properly insulating your home will insure increased energy efficiency and ultimately fatten your wallet.