Building A New Home? Types Of Insulation Available And Where You Should Insulate
Posted on: 25 February 2021
If you are building a new home, part of this is making sure it is properly insulated. This is important, as insulation offers many benefits. For example, it offers energy savings, helps with noise reduction, and can help with resale value. Below is information about some different types of insulation available and where in your home you should put the insulation.
Types of Insulation
There is blown-in insulation, where a contractor uses a special machine with a tube attached. When the machine is turned on, the loose insulation comes out of the tube and into the space that is being insulated. This type works well when insulating attics or any areas that are hard to get to. This type of insulation is generally made of mineral, cellulose, or fiberglass. It is easy to fill entire wall cavities with blown-in insulation.
Another type is insulation batts, which are generally made of fiberglass. The bats are precut to fit the area that is being insulated. This type works well for ceilings and floors, or any walls that are unfinished. It can easily be pushed into the wall and between joists and studs.
Spray foam insulation is also available. This type is made of polyurethane or latex foam. When it is placed in the area being insulated, the insulation hardens to fill in all gaps. The contractor sprays the insulation in the areas using special equipment. You can also find spray foam in cans for very small jobs.
Where to Insulate Your Home
You should insulate your attic and the access door that leads to the attic. Attic insulation is also good for your roof, as it warms up the roof, helping with snow and ice buildup. You should also insulate exterior walls, such as storage areas, shed roofs, and garages if they are unheated. The foundation walls and basement walls should be insulated.
If you have any ducts that are located in areas that are unconditioned, you should insulate these ducts. Because you are building a new home, it is a good idea to put all ducts in conditioned areas.
The crawlspace should be insulated. How you do this will depend on if your crawl space has open or closed vents. If your crawlspace has open vents, the foundation walls will be sealed and insulated also. This will help prevent plumbing pipes from freezing during the winter months.
If your crawl space has closed vents, moisture control will be installed inside the crawlspace to prevent built-up moisture, which can lead to mold.
The insulation company can tell you of many more areas you should put insulation in your home.
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