Home Insulation Tips Pasadena: Here’s What You Need to Know About Adding Insulation to Your Home

Contact Air-Tro for the best home insulation tips in the greater Pasadena, CA area.

Adding insulation is one of the most effective ways to keep your home cool during Pasedena’s hot summers and ward off the winter chill, too. If you’re considering improving your insulation, make sure you’re familiar with the basics.

Could Your Home Use an Extra Blanket?

Because your attic insulation is critical to your home’s energy efficiency, assess this insulation first. If the floor joists are showing, you have too little insulation. If you have at least 3 or 4 inches of insulation, install an additional R25 to R38 layer. That means between 8 to 12 inches of fiberglass batts.

If you’re unsure about the insulation in your walls and floors, consult a heating and cooling professional about an energy audit. By taking infrared images of your home, the technician can identify areas of insufficient insulation without having to open the walls and floor.

Choosing Your Insulation

Before adding insulation, you’ll need to decide which insulation material is right for your needs.

• Fiberglass – Although affordable and easy to find, fiberglass requires careful handling to prevent its tiny glass filaments from entering your eyes or lungs.
• Cellulose – Cellulose insulation comes from recycled paper products, so it’s eco-friendly and safe to handle. Its thermal resistance (insulating efficiency) is higher than that of standard fiberglass and comparable to high-density fiberglass.
• Foam board – Made of polyurethane or other rubber foam, these rigid boards can be used to insulate the basement rim joists or to add extra insulation between the attic rafters.

Laying Your Insulation

Fiberglass and cellulose, as well as other materials such as cotton, are available in both batt form and loose-fill form.

Batts – These long strips of material come in widths that fit between standard rafters and walls studs. They can be laid in place without special equipment.

Loose-fill – This material consists of small pieces of fiber and requires a blower machine for installation. The benefit is that it fills gaps more thoroughly than batts, helping it insulate more effectively.

For a professional assessment of your home’s insulation or for help adding insulation and for the best home insulation tips, contact us at Air-Tro, Inc. in the Pasadena area.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in the greater Pasadena, California area about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

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