If you’re like other homeowners thinking about insulation in Grand Rapids this time of year, or insulation in Holland, you may be wondering whether your home could really benefit from adding insulation. According to the Department of Energy, unless your home is recently constructed and specifically designed for energy efficiency, nearly any home can benefit from additional insulation to save both energy and money, and to improve comfort. The older the home, the more likely the insulation has degraded, or that it wasn’t installed up to current standards in the first place.
- When adding insulation, the first step is to evaluate what you already have. One option is to schedule a home performance assessment, which would tell you areas where your home needs insulation, as well as air sealing deficiencies and other possible home health and efficiency issues. Another option is to perform your own assessment of the location, amount, type, and thickness of insulation you have in all areas of the home. By examining the insulation in the attic, walls, and floors that are adjacent to unheated spaces, you can determine the amount of insulation present. You can then see whether the R value of the thickness of insulation you have is equal to the DOE recommended amount for our area, and learn about what sort of return on investment you can expect as well.
- After your insulation needs have been assessed, you will probably have several potential insulation projects, so where do you start? You can decide your priority based on the highest need or highest potential ROA, and on the budget, skills, and materials you have available. For more information about selecting the right insulation project for your home, see the Energy Star website. Not all insulation projects are suitable for DIY, of course. Depending on the amount of energy you save, you may be surprised at how quickly it can pay to hire insulation contractors in Grand Rapids and insulation contractors in Holland.
- When you’re adding insulation to an existing home, make sure you address any issues that may have degraded the original insulation. For example, if moisture entered the home, it’s especially important address the source of the moisture problem before investing in improved insulation.
Some people are concerned that once a home is built, there is little you can do to properly insulate it. Luckily that’s not true. With current technologies, there is an insulation solution – whether fiberglass, spray foam, cellulose, or something else – for almost any problem.