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Unless you live in a new home that was specially constructed with energy efficiency in mind, you could likely benefit from undertaking a home insulation project. In addition to increasing the comfort of your home, adding more insulation will reduce your home’s heating and cooling costs. Unfortunately, the selection of available home insulation products can often be overwhelming. So, before you take a ride to your local hardware or home supply store, make sure to review what type of home insulation is the right one for your project:
Attic insulation: Batt and loose-fill insulation are the two most popular insulation varieties when it comes to insulating an attic. However, batt insulation is typically more expensive to install than loose-fill insulation (although keep in mind that installation costs can vary). In addition to being cheaper, loose-fill insulation tends to provide superior coverage.
Air duct insulation: Due to New Jersey’s cold winters, it is best to use insulation with R-values between R-6 and R-11 when insulating unconditioned attic ducts. For unconditioned basement and crawl space ducts, you can use insulation with R-values of between R-2 and R-11.
Wall insulation: When adding insulation to finished walls, spray foam and loose-fill insulation are the best options, as you can incorporate them with minimal disturbance to your home’s finished areas. However, when constructing new homes or additions, you may want to consider using concrete block insulation, insulating concrete forms, or structural insulated panels.
Foundation insulation: The three most popular types of foundations in New Jersey are basements, crawlspaces, and slab-on-grade floors. Loose-fill and sprayed foam insulation are good options for finished basements, while concrete block insulation and insulating concrete forms are good options for new basements.
For crawl spaces, batt insulation and rigid foam board are the best choices, while for slab-on-grade floors, you should stick with foam board. For more information on what type of insulation to use for your home insulation project, contact the HVAC and plumbing experts at Pipe Works Services. Our goal is to help educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For more information about insulation and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide. Pipe Works Services serves Chatham, NJ, and the surrounding areas.
