Building energy codes are driving greater energy efficiency, which means tighter and better-insulated buildings. But a building built just to code is only meeting the legal minimum, not delivering customer value beyond that baseline. Designing and constructing beyond code—including quality residential insulation installation—delivers buildings that are more energy efficient, quieter, and healthier, which can give you a competitive advantage. When considering home insulation, advances in technology and home building techniques complicate things. Does the project call for a simple thermal envelope, or does your choice need to provide sound-deadening or air-sealing properties, too? Then there’s budget, which is always a consideration. To help you decide, learn the pros and cons for each of the 5 top insulation choices.
Before rushing to the home center to inquire about insulation or to hire a contractor for installation, it’s important to understand the basics. Not all insulation is created equal, and various types exist for different applications. Here, we outline the details of the major residential insulation options: blanket batts and insulation rolls, spray foam insulation, blown-in insulation, foam board or rigid foam panels, loose fill cellulose, Rockwool, and eco-friendly alternatives. We also share details about insulation that’s typically used in new construction and commercial buildings: structural insulated panels, insulating concrete forms, concrete block insulation. Plus, we describe reflective or radiant barriers that reflect heat and vapor barriers that are often installed with insulation to help prevent moisture transfer in a home’s walls.
Blown insulation, commonly composed of fiberglass or cellulose, offers ease of installation and flexibility. Its small particles conform to any space, can fill existing walls with minimal intrusion damage and can fill to any desired depth. Settling can be an advantage in attics, or a disadvantage in walls. Blown-in insulation is a good solution for retrofit situations. If the last polar vortex, which gripped much of Canada and the northern states of the US, wasn’t enough to convince people about the importance of residential insulation, then probably nothing will. With temperatures dipping to 40 degrees below zero in some places and wind chills that are considered to be “record-breaking,” insulation is required to keep homes safe during the winter, as well as their heating bills down.
If you are looking for a way to improve home comfort and energy efficiency, Cowtown Insulation offers insulating services for homes and commercial buildings throughout the greater DFW area. After having their projects serviced by our contractors, our customers regularly report up to 40% savings on their electric bills. In the summer months, the air conditioner is working less and becomes more energy efficient when energy is not being lost through uninsulated attics or walls. In the winter, less warm air is used because it is more effectively trapped inside the home. You will be surprised at how much of a difference just 6 inches of insulation material, installed by our experienced contractors, will make. Your home will feel less drafty, and you will notice an instant change in your home’s comfort. If you are ready to make your home more comfortable and energy efficient, call us today. We will set up a time to come to your home and talk to you about our Fort Worth insulation services. You will be surprised at how cost-effective this process can be. Cowtown Insulation serving Dallas.
