subject: Insulation: Effective Home Improvement Measure [print this page] In order to minimize the unnecessary heat loss from your home, you can opt for insulation. It restricts the heat flow and results in making the house cool during summers and warm during winters. Majority of the energy is used for maintaining optimum temperature within the house through heating and cooling appliances. The maintenance of pleasant temperature within the house results in reducing energy consumption for the heating and cooling purposes. Hence, proper insulation helps in making the house comfortable, and subsequently results in reducing the power costs.
There are different insulation options available, which you can choose depending upon the type of insulation required. The insulation requirements vary from one place to another with respect to the place where you live. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the International Energy Conservation Code provides recommendations for the level of insulation required in various climatic zones. Insulation also acts a vapor barrier and prevents unnecessary decay caused due to condensation and moisture. Different insulation materials have different R value, and higher the R-value better is the insulation offered by it.
Green insulation is increasingly being preferred by homeowners as it is natural, renewable and environment friendly. The increased use of green insulation is due to the rising awareness among people to lower down the carbon footprint. Moreover, these insulation material are safe to use as they do not have pose health or environmental hazards, as compared to their non environment-friendly counterparts.
Among the various green insulation options available, Cellulose insulation is mostly preferred by the homeowners. This green insulation option is preferred as it is efficient, affordable and easy to install. It is generally used in attics, walls, and floors through blown-in process which evenly fills in the irregular gaps as well.
Another popular insulation option is the fiberglass insulation, though its not a green insulation. It substantially reduces the energy required for heating and cooling, thereby reducing power consumption. Fiberglass insulation is used for pipes, roofs, walls, floors, air ducts and other areas of the house. Moreover, it is naturally non-combustible, which is not the case with cellulose, which needs to be treated with fire retardant chemicals.
Hence, depending upon your budget and the insulation required as per the local energy code, you can choose amongst the two most popular insulation material, viz. cellulose and fiberglass insulation.
