It’s Not Too Late…To Insulate
Some homeowners may think that just because the winter has already arrived, your home is as prepared as it’s going to be for the cold weather, snow, and ice. The truth is, none of us know when spring will truly arrive – but we sure are enjoying the warmer temperatures! A project such as insulating your home can still provide value this season – a lot of it. Why waste 3, 2, or even 1 month of unnecessarily high energy bills? Here’s how you can still get your home insulated properly ASAP.
Insulating the Attic
The easiest type of insulation to have installed when it’s already cold is in the attic. This is a worthwhile project for a number of reasons:
- Most homes are not equipped with the upgraded R-Value recommendations for the attic. This is especially true in older spaces where 7-9” used to be considered an adequate amount of insulation but has since been upped to 14”, especially in our cold Minnesota climate.
- Warm air rises and thus a poorly insulated attic can be a very considerable source of energy loss. The combination of proper R-value in your attic as well as fans circulating in the opposite direction to force the air downwards can save you 5 to 7 degrees on the thermostat realistically.
- The attic is a very easy access point. It’s non-invasive to climb into the attic and spray the proper amount of blown-in insulation to help keep energy costs low for the rest of the winter.
Other Convenient Insulation Access Points
The attic is an important area to insulate because heat rises. It is hardly the only spot for insulating your home that can benefit from an increased barrier against the elements though.
- Basement Ceiling Joists – an often overlooked insulation spot is 1st floor joists. If there is an unfinished basement or a crawlspace below, that cold air will creep up into a kitchen, dining room, etc. lowering the temps and kicking on the furnace. The mesh of cold and warm air will also create condensation which eventually becomes mold.
- Gaps – a home energy inspection from your local energy provider is a worthwhile investment. There are ‘under-the-radar’ areas of your home that could be leaking heat and energy including around windows and doors, outlets, chimneys, and more.
Home Insulation Wherever You Need It
Of course it’s also viable to insulate interior wall cavities if needed. It might not be the most convenient project to access an interior wall that is drywalled, painted, trimmed, and hung with pictures but it’s worth it if warranted. Old and/or poorly constructed homes sometimes aren’t insulated on exterior walls at all. Others have a very thin layer that didn’t have to adhere to any building codes and Energy Star ratings in the 1950s. Either way this poor insulation in such a crucial area of the home could be costing literally hundreds of dollars a year in unnecessarily high utility bills.
Don’t delay any longer. Feel free to give Snap Construction and Affordable Insulation a call and we can help devise your Minnesota insulation upgrade strategy for insulating your home.