The UK Green Deal has been an attempt to get homeowners to switch over to green technologies in their homes, affecting the daily uses of utilities. However, the expense of switching over to solar and wind powers is often prohibitive, even with government subsidies to do so. In addition, many home owners are reluctant to take on the construction that is often necessary to install solar panels and their associated storage batteries. There is, however, a less expensive and intrusive way to save money with the energy rises that accompany cold weather. The simple addition of insulation to your home can make all the difference.
Why Insulate?
Hot air rises, so when you warm your home, the heat goes straight into the attic. You’ll probably have a nice warm attic space, even if the house is uncomfortably cold. That’s why your two-story house is always warmer upstairs – even in the summer, when you don’t want it to be. Insulation will block the transference of heat, keeping it in the room of origination. This not only makes your home more livable, it significantly cuts down on your utility bills. So whether you go with full blown insulation, or even just timber cladding on your home, you can keep the temperature perfect.
Blow-In Insulation
One of the greatest innovations for homeowners and for builders alike is blow-in insulation. No longer do you have to hire a contractor to come into your home and remove drywall or lathe and plaster to install betting. The contractor can remove a section of trim, drill a hole, and blow insulation into the dead-air space, insulating your home. He may also install the insulation from the outside by drilling through the brick, stone, or by removing exterior trims.
This type of insulation can also be installed in floors between stories. This can help to maintain consistent temperature throughout the house by keeping heat in the lower floors. Chances are, your kitchen and living spaces are in the lower floors of your home, and that’s where you spend most of your time in the winter. By installing insulation in the floor above you, the temperatures will be maintained, cutting down on your fuel bills. It will also allow you to set the temperature of your upper rooms as you wish, rather than having to deal with unwanted heat from lower floors.
Blow-in insulation can also be installed in the attic. Most experts agree that it should be extended to the eaves and across any overhangs. This makes blow-in especially useful, since it’s often difficult to reach those areas with batting.
Batting Insulation
Batting Insulation has been around for many years. The fiberglass kind is especially useful inside walls where there is no risk of physical contact, as it can be irritating to the skin. Some contractors will use a combination of batting and blow-in, using the blow-in for hard to reach areas and voids into which it is difficult to push batting.
A little advertised benefit of insulation is noise reduction. So, this winter, to control costs and have a quieter home, have insulation installed.
