Insulation Basics: Control Heat Flow In Your Pasadena-Area Home

Insulation Basics: Control Heat Flow In Your Pasadena-Area Home

Your ability to keep your home comfortable lies, in large part, in the insulation inside the walls and the attic. Your home may not have enough in either place to control the heat flow, summer and winter, which increases your energy bills and lowers your comfort. Insulation is one of the least expensive and most durable ways to increase your home’s energy efficiency. 

Insulating materials are rated by their ability to resist temperature change and block heat flow, which is called their R-value. In most cases, each inch of the materials most commonly used in homes has an R-value of 3. The Department of Energy recommends that homeowners in our region have at least eight inches inside the attic.

Wall insulation is important, too, but not as critical as what’s in the attic. Optimally, the cavities between the studs in your home should be filled with some kind of insulating product. If they’re not, it’s possible to increase it using blown-in cellulose of loose fiberglass without having to remove the drywall or home’s siding. If you’re remodeling, adding fiberglass batts is a simple and inexpensive way to lower heating and cooling bills.

The same batts and blown-in insulating materials can be placed in your attic, as well. If your attic is difficult to move around in, blown-in can be a better option. Spray foam products also work well, since they have a higher R-value than other types of insulating options. These can be sprayed to the underside of the roof, and each inch has an R-value as high as 7. These materials are available in cans at home improvement centers to insulate small areas or tight spots. Larger applications require specialized pressure equipment to apply it. Spray foam is the most expensive insulating option, but it is long lasting and blocks air leaks wherever it’s applied.

If you’d like to learn more about insulation and how it can help moderate the temperatures indoors and lower energy bills, contact Air-Tro, Inc. We’ve provided HVAC services in the Pasadena area since 1969.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Los Angeles, California area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).  For more information about choosing a contractor and other HVAC topics, visit our website.

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