For much of the country the long months of winter ahead are forecast to be colder, and more blustery than any in recent memory. In response, homeowners en masse are requesting professional insulation installations and upgrades this month more than any other time! In fact, recent studies suggest that the residential insulation market is set to be worth a whopping $67 billion dollars by 2020!
With such a high demand for dependable, high quality home insulation in these pre-winter months, knowing more about the wide variety of different insulation styles including the newest, most effective forms of home insulation, is an absolute must to keep your family comfortable and your utility bills low this winter. To that end, we’ve compiled a quick overview of some of the most effective and exciting things in home insulation for the years ahead. Consider these resilient, dependable, and specially designed forms of insulation to make sure that your home and your family survives whatever this year’s winter has in store.
Spray Foam Insulation
Spray foam insulation installation is one of the newest and most specialized services on the market designed specifically to reduce heat-loss and dampness on a smaller, more comprehensive scale than any style of insulation previously developed.
Consisting of a mixture of heat retaining chemicals, spray foam insulation installations can be performed in a much wider variety of spaces: from walls and ceilings to all the nooks, crannies, and crawl spaces which otherwise would be a major energy loss point for you home. Best of all. a specific type of spray foam insulation called “closed cell polyurethane spray foam” has been proven to stop both the flow of air and moisture through your home as well as serving as a dependable allergen reducer. That said, as the popularity of spray foam has grown in recent years there have been more concerns raised about its efficacy and safety (a recurring theme in the insulation industry). As a result it’s crucial to speak with experienced contractors when considering this material for your home.
Cellulose Insulation
As the insulation industry moves away from the old standard of fiberglass rolls, new innovations have begun focusing on different aspects of improving insulation as a whole. As you might expect, one of the most central efforts on this front is bringing the previously unhealthy, unsustainable material into the new era of eco-friendly developments. To that end, cellulose insulation has been heralded as industry professionals and green-living advocates alike as the best option on the market to date.
Cellulose insulation is composed primarily of recycled newspaper which has been treated and bonded to resist moisture, the passage of air, and even fire and pests! All of these benefits along with the highly sustainable nature of the material have led many forward-thinking specialists within the industry to push cellulose insulation installations heavily in recent years. Still, there are downsides to the material. It has generally been found to be less effective in larger areas like floors and ceilings and is typically more expensive than traditional fiberglass insulation. Still, the reusability, environmental, and health benefits of this type of insulation is often deemed worth the extra cost and care.
Cotton Batt Insulation
Another new development, cotton batt insulation is a highly sustainable, eco-friendly option which has been adopted by some especially green-minded homeowners as a replacement for the classic pink fiberglass insulation. Indeed, this material is available fairly cheaply and in large rolls and batts which can be cut to perfectly serve as wall, ceiling, floor, and attic insulation all without the long-standing health concerns which fiberglass insulation has known.
Cotton batt insulation is composed of (it wasn’t a trick) cotton, almost all of which originates from recycled or otherwise unuseable denim factories around the country. This means that homes which have the material installed have a thick, dependably heat retaining layer of insulation without the dangerous, tiny fibers of fiberglass and asbestos which older options relied on. Additionally, newer versions have been treated to serve as a fire retardant, an effective form of soundproofing, and even an additional layer of pest control! That in mind, it’s important to balance the newness of this material with the many benefits it is beginning to show. In fact, some reviewers are citing a number of flaws and drawbacks they’ve come across in their own experiences with this insulation type. As always, it’s wise to carefully and thoroughly consider all options when maintaining and improving your home and speak with an expert when in doubt.
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