Does your house feel cold even though the heater seems fine and running constantly? Then you probably need better home insulation.
Heat loss through the walls, ceiling, and other areas could be severe if the insulation is inadequate. As a result, your heating system gets overworked, and your energy bill skyrockets. With proper insulation, you can reduce your heating and cooling costs by over 40%!
What are the different ways to insulate your home? Below are the five main areas that you should target for insulation.
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Wall Insulation
Let’s start with the part of the house where most of the heat can escape through. About 35 percent of all heat loss takes place through the walls.
Depending on how old your house is, you can have two types of walls: cavity walls or solid walls.
Most modern houses have cavity walls, meaning that there are two walls with a space in-between. Cavity wall insulation involves filling up the gap with insulation material, typically spray foam.
If you have a house built before 1920 or so, then the walls are likely solid. Insulation is generally more expensive. It entails adding a layer of insulation on the inside or outside of your home.
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Loft or Attic Insulation
Loft or attic insulation is one of the most efficient options to save energy. Insulation is simple and easy to DIY, and inexpensive. All you need is a roll of insulation, such as mineral wool or glass wool, and a full day to lay them out. But if you have a budget, it is best that you get help from professionals in attic insulation Ottawa to ensure that your insulation is 100% effective and high quality.
According to the Department of Energy, if the insulation thickness is less than an R-30 equivalent, adding more could help you. R-30 is about 11 inches of fiberglass or 8 inches of cellulose.
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Floor Insulation
About ten percent of the total heat is lost through uninsulated floors. For drafty floors, you can use a silicone sealer to seal gaps between floorboards or skirting boards.
If you have wooden floors, you could get the installers to fit insulation on the subflooring. How thick is subfloor insulation for best results? Several factors determine the subfloor thickness, including joint spacing, vertical spacing, and underlayment.
You can have concrete floors insulated during replacement or by building rigid insulation on top.
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Windows and Doors
The gaps where the windows and doors join the walls let air and heat seep out. You can patch these “holes” on the exterior walls with putty or sealer. You prevent another 25 percent of heat loss by sealing up the air leaks and cracks around the window and door frames.
Consider replacing single-glazed windows with double-glazed or even triple-glazed models. As air is a poor heat conductor, having gas-filled spaces between the glass improves heat retention.
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One of the Lesser-Known Ways to Insulate Your Home: Hot Water Tank
Newer models of hot water heaters are likely already insulated. But if you have an uninsulated tank, make it cozy by wrapping it in 80 mm of an insulating blanket.
Doing this measure reduces heat loss by about 75 percent! You also get the benefit of keeping the water hotter for longer and get savings in water heating costs.
Keep Your Home Warm
Now that you know of several ways to insulate your home, you can minimize heat loss and save on energy bills. You’re also doing your part to protect our planet by making your home more energy-efficient.
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