House Insulation Tips

Spray Insulation - Easy To Put In

With spiraling energy costs putting a dent in most family budgets, looking for a way to reduce spending in that category is a must.  Taking into consideration the fact that a family living in a home with no insulation will have nearly 75% of their energy bill coming from energy that escapes their home, having the home properly insulated is crucial.  The way to help you start saving is to start using spray insulation.

Knowing that during the winter, warmer air automatically flows toward cold pockets and cold spaces, means that you have to do everything you can to insulate every nook and cranny.  The opposite is true during the summer -- cooler air will look to flow toward warmer areas.  Again, this makes it imperative that you have an adequately insulated home.

Before you get started with foam insulation, you should know a little about how, when and where to apply it.  Because of the chemical composition of most spray foam insulation, you should apply it when the spray itself is between 75 and 85 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, the foam will expand up to 100 times its stored size, so it will quickly fill up space and create a seal to eliminate air leaks.  Spray liberally so as to assure that even the smallest air escape routes are closed off.

To make work easier for the DIY homeowner, there are plenty of spray foam insulation kits available.  You can pick up some smaller kits made by 3M, for example, at just about any home improvement store.  These run well under $100.00 in most cases and are used primarily as a way to fill smaller problem areas around the home.  A total home polyurethane spray insulation kit might cost upwards of $500.00.

For some of the bigger jobs, especially where the attic and between the walls are involved, you might seriously consider hiring a professional.  Though the price tag for a complete spray insulation job can get rather expensive, the long-term saving in energy costs will more than make up for the original cash outlay.

There are some nice incentives to having your home insulated in this fashion.  One such incentive includes a tax credit of up to $1,500.00.  The government wants to encourage homeowners to conserve on energy consumption too.  Crunching the numbers when factoring in the tax break makes this kind of insulation a no-brainer.

As you contemplate a decision, keep in mind that spray on insulation has more than two times the R factor of traditional fiberglass insulation.  Though the fiberglass type may be less expensive, you’ll end up paying a lot more down the road in cumulative energy costs.

So, if you want to make your entire home more comfortable in the winter and in the summer and save money on all your heating and cooling bills, make spray insulation your home improvement priority.