If you only do one fall maintenance project this year, make sure your home is well insulated. You’ll save energy, boost comfort, and protect valuable home systems. Use these tips to upgrade home insulation in your Indianapolis area dwelling.
Attic Insulation
Unfinished attics lacking insulation will eat up your energy budget. Fiberglass rolls are a practical insulation option that are installed between and on top of floor joists. Cut insulation to fit into irregularly shaped spaces. Don’t cram insulation or it loses its R-value! Other insulation materials include the following:
- Loose-fill cellulose delivers higher R-value per inch and has better sound-dampening properties than fiberglass.
- Spray-in foam installed by a professional is the most efficient choice, but it is also the most costly of the three.
Wall Insulation
If you’re not sure if your walls need insulation, bring in your HVAC technician to perform a heat gain/loss evaluation. If you find that you do need wall insulation, spray-in foam is the most practical option. You don’t have to tear out drywall to install it. Only a few small holes are drilled, and the insulation is sprayed in. Spray-in foam expands to form-fit the entire wall interior.
Basement
Insulating your basement helps prevent pipe freezing, lessens heat gain/loss of air ducts, and allows you to store more items without worrying about freezing temperatures. Attic walls may be insulated with rigid foam insulation. Insulate the under-side of the floor with the same. Because of susceptibility to mold and mildew development in damp basements, fiberglass insulation is not recommended.
Crawl Spaces
If the floor of your home’s crawl spaces is earth, install a vapor barrier using polypropylene or polyethylene liners. Alternately, you can line your entire crawl space — floor, walls, and ceiling (the underside of your floor) to mitigate mold and pest problems.
Ductwork System
The air ducts are essentially an element of the living spaces. The duct channels carry heated and cooled airflow to your home. Uninsulated ducts in an unfinished attic, basement, or crawl space are subject to extreme heat gain/loss. Insulate these ducts with rigid foam insulation.
For more information about home insulation in the Indianapolis area, contact Mowery Heating, Cooling and Plumbing today.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Brownsburg, Indiana and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).
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