Insulation La Crosse: Reasons Why You Need Home Insulation in Wisconsin

Home insulation is installed for a wide variety of reasons, such as protection from heat or cold inside the home, soundproofing, added privacy, and saving money on electricity bills. That’s why it’s worth investing in home insulation. Also, it adds value to your home property should you decide to sell your house in the future.

In this post, you’ll learn the details of why you need home insulation. This way, you can make a better choice with regard to the type of material and insulation application options available.

Insulation for a Soundproof Home

Having a soundproof home is like entering a quiet and safe haven. The complete silence far from the outside environment gives a sense of calmness or relaxation. If ever you reside in a city area where traffic and street noises are unbearable, soundproofing your home through insulation is a good idea.

Just imagine not hearing much shouting, horn, barking dogs, neighbor’s chats, and many other external noises. Home insulation is truly a lifesaver, most especially if you have a baby or young children who need to take a nap or sleep sound at night for faster growth and development. Surely, stay-at-home moms don’t want to worry about environmental noises awakening a sleeping baby or toddler, which could lead to tantrums.

In your next home renovation project, contact a trusted and reputable insulation expert, like Insulation La Crosse, to help you with soundproofing insulation. By doing so, you’ll be guided accordingly on what’s the best type of soundproofing insulation material to buy. Soundproofing or acoustic insulation is a sound barrier, which prevents the transfer of sounds between the interior part of your home and the home exterior or outdoors.

Here are the good-to-know facts about soundproofing home insulation:

• The type of soundproofing insulation you’ll need highly depends on many factors, such as the materials used.
• Acoustic materials can be used on floors, ceilings, and walls. It will provide you a more peaceful environment so you can rest, sleep, or study peacefully.
• The different types of acoustic insulation materials include sound insulation, such as rock wool, mineral wool, or fiberglass. Studio foam or acoustic foam comes in pyramid-shaped foam that can be installed on the ceiling or walls. Acoustic panels or boards are decorative because they come in various colors and patterns. On the other hand, acoustic fabrics are used in studio blankets or theater curtains while the floor underlayment is put under hardwood or tiled floors.

Home Insulation Makes Your Home Energy-Efficient

Every homeowner wants an energy-efficient home, and why not? An energy-efficient home means saving more money in your pocket than wasting it on wasted electricity due to air holes or leaks on the walls, ceilings, or floors.

Here are some home insulation tips to make your home more energy-efficient:

• Air seal your attic and make sure that outside air doesn’t get into the house. You can do this by adding insulation or installing insulation to the attic, walls, and ceilings. Use caulk to make sure that the windows and doors are sealed properly to prevent air leaks and cold drafts while keeping the warm air inside during winter. Meanwhile, cool air is trapped inside the home for a more comfortable temperature during summer.
• Revamp your windows because they are a source of heat loss. You can replace aluminum frames or get multiple pane windows that are argon gas-filled, which serve as an effective insulator.
• Insulate all hot water lines and make your home more energy-efficient. It will prevent these lines from quickly cooling off in between uses.

Insulation Increases the Resale Value of Your Home

A home with properly insulated walls greatly and efficiently improve the ability of your home to heat and cool. Home insulation is one of the best ways to add greater value to your property. Many home buyers are now aware that insulation is an important consideration when buying a home or moving to a new place.

Here are the advantages of a well-insulated home for sellers and buyers:

• Both the seller and the buyer save money. It is because a well-insulated home will save on electricity bills for home buyers, and sellers save money on the client’s demand for insulation before buying a home.
• Help save the environment by saving electricity or “going green” and saving on carbon expenditures to produce electricity. Saving energy will help reduce carbon use from coal plants that generate electricity.
• Buyers get to enjoy the privacy and more quiet living space made by a well-insulated home (which will be discussed further below).

Insulation for Greater Privacy

With the soundproofing that home insulation provides, you’re pretty confident that whatever you discuss inside the home will be kept confidential. Also, you can do whatever you want, like holding a home party without disturbing other people.

With greater privacy, you’ll have a peace of mind that nobody listens to your conversation, most especially those important matters that need major decision-making. Whether you have a baby who frequently cries at day time or night time, your neighbors won’t hear it loudly or perceive it as a problem.

Insulation to Avoid Heat Loss

About 35 percent of heat is lost in a home that is not insulated through the wall and around 25 percent of heat is lost through the roofing system. On the other hand, the remaining 40 percent of heat is lost through windows, doors, and the floor. Always remember that a home that is better insulated will be losing less heat. It only means that homeowners don’t need to run their heating as much as saving money on electricity bills.

By insulating your home, it will help reduce energy consumption, thus lowering your fuel bills. Also, insulation can help alleviate damp, thus making your home a healthier place to live in. When it comes to choosing the best insulation to avoid heat loss, the easiest measures you can install are cavity wall and loft insulation.

Here are the good-to-know facts about insulation to avoid heat loss:

• Roof Heat Escape: The escape of heat in the roof is prevented by installing loft insulation that is laid in sheets between the lost space’s joists. For loft insulation, the recommended depth is 270 millimeters. If ever you have less than this measurement, you’ll need a top-up.
• Wall Heat Escape: Small holes are usually drilled into the walls for cavity wall insulation. This insulation is pumped to fill in a cavity that forms a barrier. In that way, it will stop heat from escaping through the walls.
• Cavity Walls: You have cavity walls if your house was built after the 1920s. It’s also possible to determine if you have cavity walls through the brick pattern and the thickness of the walls. All bricks located outside are lengthways. For solid walls, they’re alternate lengthways and sideways. A cavity wall measures about 260 millimeters or 10.25inches.
• Solid Walls: You can also insulate solid walls. The insulation material is usually installed on either the outside or inside of your walls.

Insulation for Health and Safety

A cold home is an unhealthy home. If your house is cold for prolonged periods, damp, condensation, and mold growth may develop. It can lead to increased frequency of respiratory problems like flu, colds, infections, allergies, and asthma. Also, people who live inside a poorly insulated home may experience skin problems that would require filing a sick leave from work.

Severe health problems may develop, such as pneumonia, most especially among seniors or the elderly. In short, poor insulation can lead to higher health bills and your family’s health is compromised.

Safety should always be a priority when installing insulation. Here are some ways to insulate around obstacles properly and safely like a pro:

• Don’t just lay the insulation over a pipe or wire because doing so will just waste energy and compress the insulation.
• Split the insulation by starting from the end of the insulation to whatever is closest to the obstacle. Slip the half of the insulation (rear part) behind the pipe or wire, laying the other half in front to sandwich the object.
• When working with wall switches, electrical outlets, and electrical boxes, you can cut the insulation so that it will fit snugly around the electrical box. Professionals usually fill the void on the rear of the box using a block of rigid and thick polystyrene foam or an expanding foam sealant.

Insulation to Reduce Energy Consumption

Fiberglass insulation can help reduce a home’s energy consumption, which results in lower electricity bills. Also, conserving energy will contribute to a healthier planet. Installing fiberglass insulation should be done correctly, following all building codes.

Fiberglass insulation is a type of insulation that is easy to install, energy-efficient, readily available, and affordable. It comes in different types, sizes, and R-values, keeping your home comfortably cool during summertime and warm in winter.

The R-value of any type of insulation will tell its insulating value, which is a measure of an insulation’s thermal resistance, preventing the transfer of heat. It means that the higher the number of the R-value, the thicker is the insulation and the better is the insulation. The R-value would be influenced by the construction and the size of your home as well as your geographic area. For attic insulation, the standard R-value ranges from R-30 to R-40.

Fiberglass insulation is made of finely spun glass fibers which are a popular type of home insulation today. It comes in rolls, batts, or loose fill. Here are the different types of fiberglass insulation:

• Roll Insulation: It usually comes in long and rolled-up strips that can be custom-cut so it will fit existing spaces.
• Loose-fill Insulation: It is also called blown-in insulation is composed of fluffy fiberglass bits which are blown into place using a mechanical blower or easily spread by using the hands.
• Batt Insulation: This fiberglass insulation is like roll insulation which comes pre-cut in strips that are ready-to-install. Batts are quicker and easier to install because of the reduced cutting required.

Safety Precaution: When installing fiberglass insulation, it will expose the installer to fine glass fibers. This exposure may lead to skin irritation and lung and eye problems. That’s why if you’re planning to install DIY fiberglass insulation, you should wear a long-sleeved shirt, long pants, dust mask, gloves, eye goggles, and preferably, a dual-cartridge respirator. Prevent the sticking of the itchy glass fibers to your neck by sprinkling baby powder on the exposed skin and around the shirt collar.

Proper Home Insulation for Your Peace of Mind

Good home insulation is required for your health, safety, and convenience. You’ll not only save money from energy waste but also help the environment by conserving energy. Proper insulation will help safeguard your home against harsh elements that enter through the roof, wall cavities, and flooring.

In short, you’ll have peace of mind that your home is protected against too much heat or cold from the outdoor environment. Having a well-insulated home will make it a safer, healthier, and more comfortable place.

Save Money By Having a Well-insulated Home

As already previously mentioned, a well-insulated home will save you more money in the long run. Because energy is conserved, your heating and cooling system or HVAC system doesn’t work that hard or exert too much effort just to keep the desired temperature inside your home.

According to experts, you can save 10 to 50 percent on your heating and cooling bills by having a well-insulated home. If your house was built before the 1980s, you need to upgrade your insulation according to recent standards to save energy. Also, if you suspect lapses in your insulation or you need extra insulation, contact a professional insulation specialist to fix and upgrade your home insulation. It’s a good investment that will bring you long-term benefits.

Just imagine how much you can save by installing insulation in your roof, walls, and floors. Also, you and your family will enjoy the comfort that proper insulation can provide.

Conclusion

A well-insulated home is a more comfortable, safer, and energy-efficient home. Save money on energy bills because you keep the air inside your home and prevent outside air from entering the house. You’ll have a home sweet home where you can hold family discussions and even parties or special events privately without disrupting other people or your neighbors and vice versa.