Regardless of whether or not your home is insulated by professionals or yourself, there are several benefits of home insulation.

The amount of money saved as a result of insulating your home depends on a number of factors. the main one is how much insulation is already existent in the house. According to the Department of Energy in the United Sates, 10-50% of your energy can be saved by a perfectly insulated attic. Simple techniques for insulating the attic include sealing all the leaks in doors and windows. Additionally, you can consider heating the house for only 4 hours every night so as to maximize energy efficiency.

Minimizing Air Leaks

Techniques to minimize air leaks include:

• Making sure your home is free of air leaks

Holding a smoke pen or an incense stick over areas that let air into the house like fixtures, doors and windows can help to detect air leaks. Such areas are particularly through the roof or the attic. Should the smoke horizontally, an air leak undoubtedly exists. There are a lot more ways to detect if there air leaks in your doors, windows and other fixtures in the house. Your choice depends on how much money and time you are prepared to spend. Additional tips to insulate against air leaks include:

• Air Leaks in Windows

Mount drapes, heavy curtains or shades as close to the window possible and be sure to cover the entire area of the window. While this is not exactly a permanent solution like window replacement or caulking, it is still a great option. Consider using dark curtains as they absorb heat.

Sealing with caulking is a permanent solution for closing up the air leaks. If you think you may change your stand on how to seal the air leaks, consider other sealing methods that aren’t as permanent like draft stopper, insulation films, or self-stick weather sealing.

Replacing your leaky, single pane windows with double-glazed windows can help to ensure efficient use of energy

• Door air leaks

The easiest way to stop air leaks on doors is by use of draft stoppers. These can be DIY made or bought from the local store.

An alternative way is to use floor-length in front on the front door at night and between open doorways

A vestibule is a great option especially if the front door opens into the living room. A vestibule refers to an additional door which allows in light while minimizing draft.

Adding Insulation

A properly insulated home is key to minimizing your heating and electricity bills. It’s important that you choose your home insulation system based on what your home needs as well as how much money and time you are prepared to spend. Most insulation methods can be done as DIY projects but there are also professional companies that get the job done at an affordable fee.

How do you know if you need insulation?

Homes that were built before the 1950’s require up to 60% of home insulation that is required by homes built after 2000. Other factors that will let you know if your home needs additional insulation include failure of the home to retain heat or experiences inconsistent temperatures. If your energy bill keeps increasing gradually despite using an automatic heating system is also a good indicator. In addition to saving money on energy bills, insulation is helpful for those bothered by outside noise. Energy assessment is a professional way of determining whether or not your home needs insulation.

Figure out the types of insulation you need

There are lots of different types of insulation. Generally, however, your walls should have 10 cm insulation, but at least 20cm or 28cm rock wool or fiberglass cellulite in the attic. Again, most of these methods of insulating your home can be done as DIY projects but methods like blown in insulation require specialized skills. Under floors, attic surfaces and walls can be insulated effectively by blowing foam in-place. Choosing advanced forms of insulation should be done after consultation with a professional.

That said, it is safe to conclude that the biggest advantage of home insulation is that it can help reduce energy bills by improving heat retention. Insulation might seem like a small thing to some, but it is a crucial aspect that has to be considered very carefully.