Insulating Your Home

House insulation is an essential part of any new house or extension. House insulation works by keeping warm or cool air within the house, this in turn lowers the energy bills and adds comfort. House Insulation should be purchased based on its R value and what it is made of and not thickness or weight. House insulation also improves the energy efficiency of appliances in the house which means that they work more efficiently.

There are many types of house insulation available, including traditional fibreglass, polyester, wool, foam and cellulose. Also there are reflective aluminium foil insulation can reflect a large amount of the suns radiant energy that strikes a house making the effectiveness of the house insulation system better. Those who are interested in protecting the environment through using less energy are contributing by using house insulation. House insulation is a great way of reducing your energy consumption and carbon footprint, as well as double glazing and draught-proofing.

Types of Insulation:

• Wall and ceiling batts in: fibreglass, polyester, Wool, cellulose.
• Foil sarking
• Building foil building wrap
• Underfloor batts
• Foil batts
• Air cell blanket

Insulation: The R Value

Insulation slows thermal movement, allowing you to stay warm in winter and cool in summer. Insulation Performance: The Thermal resistance (R-value) of insulation materials or how well it stops thermal lose. The higher the R value of the insulation the more efficient it is. However the insulation must be suitable to your area. If you live in a fairly mild climate you do not need the highest level R rating and installing this will just cost more money without any more effectiveness. Also if the R rating is too low for a cold or hot environment your insulation will also be less effective resulting in more energy consumption.

Tips

Consider factors such as your climate, building design, and budget when selecting insulation R-value insulation for your home.

• Glass fibre batts are one of the cheapest, but will irritate the skin when installing it and can give off urea.
• Polyester batts are effective and will not irritate the skin or give off an odour.
• Wool are the best or a wool/polyester blend. They are very effective, sustainable but are more costly.
• Air cell type blanket is very effective but generally cost more than the other options.