Adding Insulation to an Existing Home Whether you have recently purchased an older home, or you are simply tired of throwing your money away on heating a house that simply refuses to retain the expense you put into it, then it is time to insulate it properly. Many homeowners are put off from the idea of adding insulation to an existing home because they are concerned about the initial outlay of cash, or because they think their home will be too difficult to insulate properly, thereby negating the funds they have just invested. Although cost is always a concern, insulating an existing home will pay for itself through the amount saved on heating and electrical costs. Additionally, no home is impossible to insulate, given that the floors, walls and roofs are in sound condition. If they are not, then there are clearly other issues homeowners should tackle first. Fortunately, insulating a house can happen at the same time. Roofs and Lofts If your home currently has no insulation, this is the place to start. Although it varies, based on the type of property and the weather conditions in the area, about a third of the heat lost in a home goes up through the roof. Hot air rises which means that all the money you put into heating your ground floor will escape at the upper levels given a chance. The point of insulating your roof is to prohibit this escape. Most roofs are tilted or angled in some way, and this is excellent news for the DIY enthusiast. Provided you have easy access to the loft space, and standard joists holding everything in place, you can easily install roof installation yourself. (Of course, there are always professionals who can tackle this at reasonable rates if you are not keen.) Flat roofs, on the other hand, require insulation to be applied on the exterior side, and this typically requires a professional (and, occasionally, a building permit). Exterior Walls All exterior walls should have insulation to help regulate the temperatures throughout the house. Mid terrace homes should be able to get away with just insulating the front and back of their homes, provided neighbouring houses are climate controlled. However, if one side or another goes vacant for a long period, inhabitants may just feel the sting of winter when it arrives. There are different types of wall insulation available to homeowners; which one they need is dependent on the type of wall construction the home was built with. Houses that were built after 1920 are likely to have cavity walls, which mean there are two rows of bricks with a space in the middle (which is a primitive form of insulation). Insulating these walls requires filling in this gap with appropriate materials. Usually this is a fairly straightforward job. Older houses are likely to have solid walls, which require a layer of insulation to be applied to either the interior or exterior of a wall. Either one can be done, but homeowners may prefer one or the other. Exterior walls with architectural features on the outside probably should have interior insulation applied. While this is cheaper, it does disrupt the room, including the furniture and the people in it until the job is complete. Ground Level Floors The final structural portion of your home that should be insulated is the floor. Plenty of cold air enters through this part of your home and stays there, hovering at the ground level where

you need it the least. Insulating this part of your house is a fairly intense job, but it is a real cost saver when it comes to your monthly spend. Once again, there are a couple of different types of insulation employed based on the primary construction of your floors. Newer homes (that were not built with insulation in mind) are likely to have the ground level flooring directly on top of poured concrete which means that insulation will need to go on top of this, but underneath the flooring itself. However, older homes typically have floorboards suspended over the foundation, or a cellar level of the house. In this instance, insulation is typically placed under the floor boards, either by pulling them up (and then reinstalling them) or by applying it to the underside via access from the cellar. Other Key Insulation Areas of Your Home If you already have insulation in the floors, walls and roof of your home, it is worth topping it up a bit, based on the methods and date of installation. However, it may also be time to consider some of the other areas of your home which can benefit from insulation. Windows are obvious exits for warm air. While the ventilation may be nice when it is time to open them, there are times when they need to work more effectively than that. Consider upgrading windows to the double glazed variety if you do not already have this feature. You will also need to consider the closures on any opening windows. Without some form of additional insulation, many of these opening windows never fully close, forcing your heating to work overtime. Look for other areas in your home which could also stand an insulation upgrade, such as exterior door frames, letter boxes and even the pipes running from your home. These areas are significant sources of draughts which will affect the efficiency of your heating systems – and often get you on the back of the neck when you least want it. Internal pipes, hot water heaters and the furnaces of your home will also benefit from insulation. These are often inexpensive fittings that you can install yourself – and they will make an immediate difference in the size of your heating bill. The more of these items that you insulate, the less electricity and gas you will need to maintain a comfortable home. But, the rule of thumb with any installation is to consult a professional if you are unaccustomed to this type of job. Poorly installed installation will not increase the value of your home or reduce your bills. And, that’s exactly what you want when you are tired of throwing your money away. For more information about home insulation please visit the SIG Insulation website - http://www.siginsulation.co.uk/