Assess Your Home Insulation and Make Improvements Before Fall
When a homeowner thinks about home insulation, he or she is often concerned with its ability to keep the heat outside during the summer and, to a lesser degree, the fall. The reality, however, is that insulation is always a concern, even during the winter months when it's imperative that you keep the heat inside. Checking during the fall to make sure you have the correct amount and type of insulation in your home will work wonders on your energy usage and, in turn, your utility bills. Where to Check Your InsulationInsulation is located in various places around your home, including your basement, attic, walls, etc. Insulation can even be located in your floor. Its primary objective is to create a barrier within the walls, floor, and ceiling that keeps heat or cold from leaking inside or outside. The problem is that many homes don't use the correct kind of insulation for their needs.Evaluating Your Insulation NeedsIn order to insulate your home properly, you're going to need to evaluate each room. The first thing you need to learn is R-value. This refers to the degree of resistance against heat flow of a certain type of insulation. Knowing the recommended R-value in our area is essential if you're hoping for maximum protection against heat loss. The other part of the equation is the type of insulation involved. There are a number of different types, such as flexible rolls, foam, rigid and reflective.How can you tell which type of insulation to use and its required R-value? You can typically find information online or even by visiting your local hardware store. However, much of that may be too generalized. What you should really do is hire a professional HVAC technician who has been efficiently trained and can perform an energy evaluation to determine how to maximize the insulation's efficiency.For more expert advice on home insulation or other home comfort issues, please contact the experts at Air Assurance. We've been serving the needs of the Greater Tulsa Metropolitan area since 1985.Our goal is to help educate our customers in the Tulsa and Broken Arrow, Oklahoma area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). Image courtesy of Shutterstock