What are the benefits of using blown in insulation in your home?

Today, the majority of new houses that are being built include pretty high standards that need to be attained pertaining to energy efficiency. But, that can’t be said for older homes. The number one way to make your house more efficient energy-wise is to add insulation. This is not easy to do with the exterior side walls, but can be done easily with blown in insulation in the attic. This will make your house warmer in the winter, and also cooler in the summer. If your house is very old, you may have nothing but newspapers in your walls for insulation.

Particularly nowadays, with all of the environmental concerns, insulation has become a science all by itself. Insulating materials are given an R-value, and this value is used to determine the amount of insulation needed, depending on the area of the country you live. Very cold regions require a much higher R-value, than places with moderate temperatures. One of the best products to be discovered for lowering heating costs is blown-in insulation. There are various benefits for using this type of insulation over the standard rolls of fiberglass insulation, such as where it can be used, energy efficiency, and how it is installed.

Of the top five reasons for using blown-in insulation, the first is that it is adjustable. You can vary the R-value by how much insulation you choose to use. Blow in so many inches for an R-value of 15, and so much more if you would rather have an R-value of 38. Another reason for using blown-in, is that most products use virgin materials, that have lowered the chance of allergies. A tighter seal can be gotten with blown-in insulation, because it fills all of the cracks, and empty spaces. The installation is fast, and since everything is filled in, it is very energy-efficient.

Installing blown-in insulation is easy on a newly framed house. All that is done is staple a netting over the exterior wall studs, then cut a few little holes, stick in the hose, and fill up the wall cavity. The material blown in sticks to the studs, and completely fills all of the empty spaces. Cover up the walls with a vapor barrier, and drywall and you are done.  To blow in the ceiling insulation, you drywall the ceiling first, then climb into the attic area and blow it in. Much more difficult on an older home, because the wall covering will have to be removed first. Then the procedure is pretty much the same. If you have a really old house, with no insulation, you can just cut a hole in the wall, and blow it in, then cover up the hole.

To begin with, the cost of blown-in insulation is more expensive, but it is much more efficient as an energy saver. With the lower heating costs, and a more comfortable living, having blown-in insulation makes a lot of sense.

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