An Insulation Contractor Can Help Improve Your R-Value

What is your R- value? Many people do not know what this means, but if your pocket book is feeling the pinch of the colder weather already than perhaps the quality of your insulation - and thus your R-value - is not high enough. Winter has yet to make its real appearance and some homes are already seeing their utility bills in the hundreds of dollars. When winter really does hit, and the temperatures fall into the single digits, affording to keep your furnace running will cost you a pretty penny.

But it does not have to be that way. Hiring a professional insulation contractor is one of the best ways to make your home warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Oftentimes, people do not think about what is going on inside their walls. Many people assume that their home is as efficient as it can possibly get. However, if there is no insulation or inadequate insulation your home will be drafty and cold. But there is a perfect solution to this common problem.

There are still many people that are unaware that adding insulation to their attic structures, floor joists, and wall cavities will make their homes much more efficient. Hiring an insulation contractor will help to identify the places in your home that are in need of some insulation. An insulation contractor can also help to identify what kind of materials should be used for each space that you are looking to make more energy efficient.

Today's methods of insulating a home are not that much different than that of long ago. However, the materials that an insulation contractor uses are much different and varied from structure to structure. Since technologies in energy efficiency are much more advanced than years ago, the materials that are used today are of the highest efficiency ever produced. So it stands to reason that even if you have insulation in your home, it may not be doing the job it should or could be doing.

In the past, most materials that were used were fiberglass stuffing. This did a pretty efficient job and still does. But there are more options today. When it comes to filling a wall cavity or attic space there is a material for every job. Homeowners should know that these materials are truly site specific. While fiberglass may be good for wall cavities, there are newer materials that will perform a lot better in certain spaces.

A professional and experienced insulation contractor knows what types of materials are best suited for each space. For example, there is foam both rigid and in the form of a spray. Spray foam and rigid foam is excellent for attic spaces, ceilings, and basement floor joists. Fiberglass can still be a great choice for walls; there are other choices for your wall cavities. These can range from recycled cotton from blue jeans to environmentally friendly treated newspaper. The newer materials have a higher R- value, which is what you want when your goal is to make your home warmer.