We have found that there are usually a few options for any given location in the home that needs more insulation. Some of these options require specialized experience or equipment, so they’re not typically found in the average home improvement store.
If you do take a tour of the insulation options in a home improvement store, you’ll see the familiar pink fiberglass batts and a variety of other options as well. What additional options will a professional insulation contractor be able to offer you?
- An insulation contractor may be able to take advantage of your existing insulation. In some cases, your existing insulation will add to your R value, and should certainly be preserved in combination with your new insulation. However, in some cases where the insulation is damp or degraded in some way, it should actually be removed before more insulation is installed.
- The best insulation options for some areas of the home require professional expertise and equipment. Loose fill fiberglass, loose fill cellulose, and spray foam are a few examples of types of insulation that are usually installed by a professional. Spray foam insulation has higher R-values per inch than most other types, and it also forms an air barrier, which can eliminate some other weatherizing tasks, like caulking. In many cases spray foam is the best option because the spray foam liquid expands to fill the available space, which seals gaps and cracks and stops air leaks.
- Sometimes the only insulation option for your home requires professional expertise. One area of the home that usually requires a professional’s assistance is exterior walls. If you’re replacing your siding, that can be an ideal time to add exterior wall insulation. But even if you’re not replacing siding, a professional installer will have options for you, which may include drilling holes in the walls to fill with spray foam.
- More “green” insulation options are available to professional insulation contractors. If environmentally friendly products are important to you, by all means mention your concern to your insulation contractor and get their insight into what types of insulation are green, and why. Cellulose in particular has a high recycled content, and some fiberglass has a certain amount of recycled content as well.
Professional insulation contractors not only have more insulation types at their disposal, but they also have great insight into the best insulation type for any given application.
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