When considering energy-efficiency enhancements as part of a home remodelling project, increasing your home’s insulation will provide the best return on investment compared to other upgrades available on the market. According to studies, the average home’s heating and cooling system consumes 50% of its energy, which is even more than you think. With that being said, selecting the proper sort of house insulation for your remodelling will help you conserve energy at home throughout both the heating and cooling seasons. To understand more about this matter, here are the five types of insulation you should be aware of in order to save not only energy but also time and money in your house.

How Insulation Works

When individuals use their HVAC system to heat or cool their homes that aren’t sufficiently insulated, the heat finds ways to leave (in the winter) and enter (in the summer). Insulation forms a barrier between the interior and exterior of your home, which slows down and prevents the air in your home from leaving or the outside air from entering. Furthermore, when considering house insulation upgrades, you must think about the r-value of your insulation. The r-value of a material varies depending on its kind, density, and thickness. The greater the r-value, results in a better performing product.

1. Blanket Batts and Rolls

Perhaps the most common type of wall insulation considered by various homeowners, blanket batts and rolls are one of the types of insulation that you may install in your home. Blanket batts and rolls are primarily composed of fibreglass, however cotton, mineral wool, sheep’s wool, and plastic fibres are all other types of this insulation that are also available. Because the materials are intended to fit into the normal width between wall studs, attic rafters, and floor joists, this is one of the cheapest insulation types, and it’s a DIY-friendly product to install. If you do choose to install this insulation by yourself, you must be very cautious. Because fibreglass is a lung and skin irritant, you must always wear protective clothes and a mask when working with it.

Those who choose the roll insulation will need to cut it to the appropriate length using a utility knife. Don’t cut corners here because if you do, it will result in a number of problems.  Cutting insulation with caution and to the proper size has an impact on its functionality: Compressing blanket batts or rolls causes them to be less effective. Moreover, the R-values for standard fibreglass blankets and batts range from R-2.9 to R-3.8 per inch of thickness. R-values for high-performance (medium-density and high-density) fibreglass blankets and batts range from R-3.7 to R-4.3 per inch of thickness.

2. Spray Foam Insulation

Spray foam insulation is another common type of insulation that homeowners tend to choose. This type of insulation fills gaps and fixes leaks inside existing walls. With that being said, spray foam is best for adding insulation to existing finished areas in your home, as well as weirdly shaped or difficult-to-reach areas. For this kind of insulation to work, a  liquid polyurethane is sprayed into the wall cavity, where it expands and hardens into a solid foam. Homeowners can utilise pressure sprayed (foamed-in-place) foam insulation when dealing with a bigger area.

Spray foam is available in two varieties: open-cell foam and denser closed-cell foam. Closed-cell foam offers one of the greatest R-values of any insulation, often around R-6.2 per inch, but this does come with a hefty cost. The R-value of open-cell foam insulation is roughly R-3.7 per inch of thickness. If you are considering this type of insulation, you should think about  hiring a professional to install spray foam to boost the R-value of a home’s insulation. This is because the installation of this insulation type might be more difficult than just targeting and spraying. Determined DIYers, on the other hand, can complete this task on their own using a DIY kit.

3. Blown-In Insulation

Blown-in insulation is the 3rd type on the list of the most common types of insulation that homeowners often choose. This kind of insulation is installed by blowing a paper-like substance into the space to be insulated. Blown-in insulation  is frequently composed of fibreglass, rock wool, or recovered cellulose material (such as recycled newspapers or cardboard), and it may be tailored to fit practically any type of location—even with the most difficult constraints. With that being said, this insulation is best for adding insulation to horizontal spaces in your home.

R-values for blown-in insulation range from R-2.2 for fibreglass to R-3.8 for thick cellulose. Simple insulation work may be doable with a blower rented from a local home improvement or tool rental business, but for the best results, it may be worth considering hiring a professional.

4. Foam Board or Rigid Foam Panels

Foam boards are another great option for insulation that homeowners install into their homes. Foam boards and stiff foam panels are effective for insulating a floor, unfinished walls or an unvented low-slope roof. They minimise the amount of heat that is carried through wood, wall studs, and other structural parts of a home.

This form of insulation, which is often composed of polyurethane, polystyrene, or polyisocyanurate, is used by many homeowners as part of both exterior and interior wall covering. Everything from concrete foundation walls and basement walls to unfinished floors and ceilings may be insulated with foam boards. R-values for foam boards and rigid foam panels generally range between R-4 and R-6.5 per inch of thickness, showing that they cut energy usage better than many other forms of insulation on the market.

5. Rockwool

Rockwool, or mineral wool formed from extruded lava rock, is an excellent insulating material for ordinary wood-framed residential constructions. This material is created by spinning lava rock at high speeds, resulting in tiny strands of material similar to fibreglass. It is fire and moisture resistant, and it insulates against heat transmission and sound. This type of insulation is best for floors, walls and ceilings, so basically your entire home.

Although rockwool is more costly than fibreglass, it is just as simple to install. It is often sold in pre-cut batt rolls for convenient installation. It gives up to R-3.3 per inch of thickness, outperforming the majority of conventional batts materials.

Insulating your home is an investment that all homeowners should look into as it will save them both their money and the energy in their home. There are various types of insulation out there on the market, but there are 5 common ones that most homeowners tend to go with. These insulation types include blanket batts and rolls, spray foam, blown-in insulation, foam panels or rigid foam panels and rockwool. Each of these have their own special uses, so you must do your research on all of them in order to figure out which one is the best choice for you. However, installing any of these into your home is an amazing investment and if you are interested in them, talk to your local, trusted insulation services today to find out more about them!