Insulation

The housing enclosure is what separates the regulated environment (on the inside) from the uncontrolled environment (on the outside); it is comprised of the walls that surround you and the roof that covers your head. Insulation is found in the tiny layer that exists between the inside and outside.

Insulation's principal function is to retard the transfer of heat from room to room in your home. You want to impede the transfer of heat and concentrate it in one location to maintain a constant temperature throughout. On the other hand, constantly flowing air results in an uneven distribution of temperature around your home.

Regardless of the style of home you live in or the sort of heating equipment you have, heat will always flow from warm to cold until it reaches the coldest part of the house. An excellent illustration is when hot air falls to your basement and you're left wondering where all the heat is coming from. The heat has been on all day, but the rooms and floors in your home feel cold for some reason. This is referred to as the "convection" of heat. Due to the size of most residences, air leakage is a significant hazard. When it comes to air leaking into and out of your home during the winter, there is a lot of opportunity for error.

Insulating your home can appear to be a headache and a significant expense. However, there are solutions available for every circumstance. Thus, here are eight advantages to adequately insulating your home:

1. Save 75% Of Your Home's Heat

When you first wake up in the morning, this is most visible. Your room is frigid, and you get out of bed only to foot on the chilly flooring that extends all the way into the kitchen. The most difficult aspect of overcoming those chilly mornings is preventing airflow between rooms. Preventing air movement boils down to the appropriate "R-values" of insulation for your style of housing, which is determined by your location and the number of months of the year that winter occurs. Colorado homes do not require the same R-value as Arizona homes.

2. Save Money on Your Heating Bill

By trapping more heat inside your home throughout the winter, you can reduce the frequency with which the heat has to be turned on. As a result, your utility bills will be reduced, and you'll have more money in your pocket.

3. Take Steps to Reduce Your Carbon Footprint

Most individuals are unaware that consumption is directly tied to your "carbon footprint," which is defined as "the quantity of carbon dioxide and other carbon compounds emitted as a result of a particular person, group, or organization's consumption of fossil fuels." Reverting to the energy grid concept and lowering your individual consumption. According to Dr. Jonathan Levy, a professor of environmental health at Boston University, "if all homes in the United States were insulated according to the 2012 International Energy Conservation Code (IECC), residential electricity use would decrease by about 5% and natural gas use would decrease by more than 10%."

4. Boosts Comfort

Those agonizing mornings when you just don't want to get out of bed because it's too cold or your house's floors are too frigid to walk on without bringing out the arctic gear. The primary reason homeowners invest in insulation is to create a more pleasant living area. You work hard to pay your mortgage; therefore, make your living area as comfortable as possible.

5. Increase Your Home's Value

Each dollar saved on annual utility expenses increases the value of a home by an average of $20. When the time comes to sell your property, the money you invest in insulation will pay for itself threefold. Even if you're not planning to sell, gradually boosting the value of your property is a good thing.

6. Insulation Is Available In A Vast Variety Of Forms

It makes no difference whether your home was built in 1905 or yesterday. There is an insulation solution for any scenario, regardless of the type of home or how it was constructed. Home insulation is typically completed in layers to prevent excessive upfront expenses and to maximize your investment's return.

7. Refunds!

Xcel Energy offers a number of tax credits for conducting a home energy audit or engaging in a variety of additional services that assist you lessen your reliance on the energy grid. Recognizing that we as consumers consume energy at the rate of a hot breakfast on a Sunday morning, Xcel will reward you with rebates for taking efforts to minimize your energy consumption. Discounts are available for a variety of insulation projects, including an energy audit, which identifies which portions of your home require immediate attention and which can wait.

8. Health Advantages

Reduced temperatures have been shown to inhibit the immune system. When we venture outside during the cold, we do not do so in shorts and a t-shirt. We dress warmly! Living in a cold environment increases your chances of being sick, and if your neighborhood is perpetually cold... well, you get the picture