Properly insulating a home one of the fastest methods to lower your energy costs . According to an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) review A well-informed homeowner can potentially reduce their expenses by up to 20 percent compared to an average U.S. household. heating and cooling Costs can be reduced significantly just by effectively sealing and insulating their home.
The key, naturally, lies in having knowledge! Insulation work constitutes a complete profession, requiring considerable time and experience to perfect the associated techniques. Nonetheless, you can make significant progress right from the beginning by merely steering clear of typical errors that could ruin your insulation endeavor.
Here are five common mistakes to avoid when insulating your home.
Neglecting to Air Seal
Insulation acts as a shield that reduces how quickly heat moves into or out of your house. However, this doesn’t always stop airflow. Uncontrolled air passing through areas like those without conditioning to parts with conditioning can negate much of the effort put into setting up insulation.
Isolate zones near window areas And seal exterior doors using caulk. unfinished attic look for openings where electrical wires pass through bathroom fans And lighting. Utilize fire-resistant caulking to seal off airflow, allowing your insulation to perform optimally.
Blocking Air Flow
We just talked about sealing up air flow From within the house, however, another frequent error during attic insulation involves blocking the ventilation flow meant for air circulation. roof ventilation . Many homes have soffit or wall vents designed to allow air to enter the attic and pass out through vents on the roof. This air flow prevents humidity issues in the attic and lengthens the life of the roof.
This is especially common with soffit vents, as they can be easily overlooked when insulating an attic. A great way to avoid this misstep is to use vent baffles — pre-shaped channels designed to allow air to move freely from soffit to roof vent . (One example is this Durovent Rafter Ventilator 70-Pack. )
Spending Time and Money Pulling Out Old Insulation
numerous do-it-yourself enthusiasts start their insulation installation project by grabbing old insulation . It’s a reasonable assumption, but it makes a huge mess and is often more aggravation than it’s worth.
The initial factor to think about is the era of your house. During the 1950s and '60s, asbestos was frequently utilized in construction materials. blown-in insulation . Asbestos is safe when left alone but can be extremely hazardous if disturbed and kicked into the air. Similarly, vermiculite was used as insulation in many attics into the 1990s. Although not hazardous on its own, most vermiculite was sourced from a mine contaminated by asbestos.
If you suspect your attic may have these materials, it’s vital to do your research and consult an expert before proceeding. A good starting point are these EPA overviews on asbestos and vermiculite .
Once you’re comfortable that there’s no asbestos risk, asses your existing insulation. Old insulation is a little like a threadbare blanket: It may have holes and tears, but it doesn’t hurt anything and will still help keep you warm when you wrap yourself in a new layer.
That doesn’t mean all old insulation is good. To continue our metaphor, if that old blanket is soaking wet or moldy, it’s not worth keeping. If your standard insulation has gotten wet from a leak or has evidence of rodent activity, then it’s worthwhile to pull out that section and start fresh.
Overstuffing
If a little fiberglass insulation is good, then cramming in as much as you can is even better, right ? Unfortunately, it’s not that easy.
Fiberglass insulation functions because the fiber threads create countless tiny air pockets. Those pockets are what slows temperature change, not the fiberglass itself. When you pack in and compress fiberglass insulation, those air pockets are squeezed shut, making the fiberglass insulation less effective.
Stopping Short
Finally, the biggest error often committed by do-it-yourself enthusiasts during insulation work is failing to be sufficiently comprehensive.
Just as we noted earlier, insulation stands as an independent craft. Although installing some batts of insulation might appear straightforward, achieving proper installation requires considerable accuracy and careful consideration to ensure that the insulation forms a reliable shield.
Insulation work that has gaps and voids is still preferable to having none at all, yet it falls short of achieving the level of energy savings provided by a correctly installed job. Therefore, be patient and consult sources such as Family Handyman to ensure you're executing the task accurately.
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