In a house where there is not sufficient insulation 30% of the energy generated can be lost through walls, roof, floor, pipes, windows and air leakages. To prevent this loss adequate insulation should be applied where necessary. Here are some insulation recommendations:

Walls:

Cavity wall insulation

If your home was built after 1920 but not in the last 10 years then it might be an un-insulated cavity wall house. If there is a small gap or `cavity’ between the two layers of walls, they are `cavity walls’. Cavity wall insulation means that, the gap between the walls is filled with an insulation material and it blocks the heat transfer between the house and the outside. Cavity wall insulation can also help to reduce condensation inside the house if it is a problem on external walls. Heat always flows from a warm area to a cold one. In winter, if outside is colder, you are going to lose the heat you generated in your house more rapidly. Cavity wall insulation slows down the rate at which heat is transferred and keeps as much heat as possible inside your home for as long as possible. How does this happen? Insulation makes it much more difficult for heat to pass through your walls by filling up the cavity with a material with lots of air pockets in it. These pockets significantly reduce what is known as your walls’ U value – which is a measure of how quickly they lose heat – from around 1.5 to 0.5 W/m2K . The lower the U value, the slower heat is lost – and the less energy you will need to keep your home at your desired temperature. You may sometimes see references to an R-value. This is a measure of thermal resistance and is the inverse of a U-value – the higher a U-value is the lower the R-value is.

Solid Wall Insulation

Solid walls can cause even more heat loss than cavity walls; the only way to reduce this heat loss is to insulate them on the inside or the outside. This will help stop heat being lost from your home and help to prevent condensation on the walls and ceilings. There are two types of solid wall insulation: external and internal.

• External wall insulation
  It is adding a decorative weather-proof insulating treatment to the outside of your wall. The thickness of the insulation needs to be between 50 and 100 mm and is usually installed where there are severe heating problems or the exterior of the building requires some form of other repair work providing the opportunity of adding insulation.
• Internal wall insulation
  Solid walls can also be insulated by applying internal wall insulation. Types include insulation/plaster board laminates or wooden battens in-filled with insulation. Insulation/plaster board laminates usually consist of plasterboard backed with insulating material typically to a total thickness of up to 90mm. The construction of the laminates reduces the amount of heat which would otherwise pass through into the wall and outside.

Floor Insulation
Another location where you lose heat is the floor of your house. You lose the heat you produce directly to the foundation of your house or in other words to the soil or the gap between the soil and your house. Timber floors can be insulated by lifting the floorboards and laying mineral wool insulation supported by netting between the joists.

Roof Insulation
In an un-insulated home a quarter of your heat is lost through the roof. Insulating your loft is a simple and effective way to reduce your heating bills. Without proper insulation a lot of the valuable, expensive energy you use to heat your home will be lost through the loft. Loft insulation is an effective way to save energy and money at home. A well insulated house keeps warmth exactly where you need it – indoors.

Draught Proofing
If you can feel cold air coming in around the windows in your home it means warm air is escaping. In draught proofing simply gaps are filled and the amount of cold air entering your home is decreased. There are several types of materials available from brushes, foams and sealants to strips and shaped rubber or plastic.

Hot water tank and pipe insulation
Insulating your hot water cylinder is one of the simplest and easiest ways to save energy and money.

Both tank and pipe insulation keeps your water hot for longer by reducing the amount of heat produced. So you can consider lower bills for water heating.

Double Glazing
Double glazing can cut heat loss through windows by half. Double glazing works by trapping air between two panes of glass creating an insulating barrier that reduces heat loss, noise and condensation. So you will reduce the amount of heat you lose through windows.

Briefly, providing insulation at all points that you may lose heat will have significant benefits regarding your heating costs. Insulation job can for small applications be a DIY job but for larger applications such as double glazing, cavity wall insulation etc. you need to consult an expert. If you want to get information about our solutions for insulation all around your house you can contact us here.

Unless you live in a tropical climate, there will be times that you need to make your home warmer than the exterior temperature would normally allow. While it is important to choose environmentally friendly heating methods for your home such as solar energy or biomass heating systems, it is also important for you to keep that heat inside your home. Your fuel usage will be much lower and your heating bills will as well.

Some insulation is made from synthetic materials. While they can be quite effective at preventing heat loss, their production may release waste products that can harm the environment. There are insulating products that are made from environmentally friendly materials. It is up to you to learn more about them and choose the ones that will work best for your home.

How insulation works to keep your home at a steady temperature

All insulation works in essentially the same way: by trapping air. Heated air cannot move through insulation and so remains inside your home. As a result, your home stays warmer longer than it would if there was no insulation in place. Because moisture can also collect where warmer, moist air meets cooler walls, a proper amount of insulation can also help to protect against the growth of mold or other harmful elements that may flourish in dark, damp conditions.

Insulation tends to come in one of several different forms. Batt insulation is usually made of spun fibers that trap the air. Blown insulation consists of smaller pieces of insulation that are blown into cavities in walls or into attic spaces in your home. Foam insulation tends to be piped into an area. It will harden and prevent treated air from escaping, thereby keeping the internal temperature at a more consistent level.

Natural insulating materials

In the past, the majority of insulation was made from synthetic materials such as fiberglass. Mineral wool was also often used to insulate homes but mineral wool is also synthetic and may create pollutants when it is being produced. The following materials are all natural alternatives that you may want to consider for your home:

• Warmcel. This material is fiber based and is a great substitute for mineral and fiberglass woll insulation
• Thermafleece is a product made from sheep wool. It can absorb moisture when placed into a home. It also requires very little energy to produce and is a great environmentally friendly alternative
• Eco-Wool. This material is actually made from recycled plastic bottles. It also can be used in many of the same areas that other synthetic wool insulation has been placed

A qualified builder should be able to look at available options and help you choose the one that is right for your home.

Replacing windows can be a fantastic way to stop the bleeding of energy from your home. Older windows may lack the insulating ability that newer windows do and may even have gaps and spaces around them that will allow direct heat loss. It is estimated that as much as a third of a home’s heat may be lost through the windows alone. A home with newer, more energy-efficient windows can reduce the amount of power that will be needed to heat or cool a home and keep it at a temperature that is comfortable and consistent.

How are energy efficient windows made?

The standard energy efficient window is one that is “double hung” or “double glazed”. This means that there are two panes of glazing material which are set into a metal or wooden frame. The panes of glazing material are set apart from one another and the space in between is filled with gas. This gas prevents the transfer of heat energy through the window in either direction. This means that the internal temperature of a home will remain at a more consistent level than it would with a conventional, single hung window.

There are different types of gas that can be used in between the panes of glazing material. This is one factor that can affect a window’s efficiency rating. The distance between the panes of glazing material and the type of glazing material used can affect a window’s efficiency level.

R-Values or U-Values

There are two main ways that the efficiency of a window can be expressed. The first is an R-value. This value refers to how well a window can resist the flow of heat through the glazing material. The second rating is a U-value. This value refers to how well a window will conduct heat. A window can have its energy efficiency expressed in either of these ways. If you are serious about making sure you’re your windows are as energy efficient as possible you need to look for a higher R-value as these will allow less heat in or out of your home. Low R-value windows may just not retain enough energy to make their purchase worthwhile.

Installation is important

As important as the actual window is, it is also important to ensure that it has been properly installed as well. A window that is improperly installed can still allow heat loss through gaps or spaces around the frame. You want to make sure that you are dealing with a licensed window installation expert who is able to make sure that there are no gaps or cracks and that the area has been properly insulated.

The decision to replace windows can be an expensive one. By choosing the right windows you can lower your energy costs and, in time, they will pay for themselves.

Windows can be both beautiful and practical additions to a home. They let in natural light and fresh air as well. Unfortunately, while they can be beautiful the wrong windows can actually raise your heating costs. This is because poor-quality windows or those that are old or worn out can actually allow heat to escape from your home quickly and this can raise your heating bill much more rapidly than just about anything else can.

If you notice that you are feeling drafts or cold air moving around your windows you need to consider changing them. If cold air is able to come into your home then hot air can get out. By replacing your windows you will be able to cut down on your heating bills as well as adding value and beauty to your home. Many purchasers will pass a house by if it does not have newer windows installed simply because they can make such a difference on your heating bill.

When you decide that it is time to change your windows here are a few things that you should consider.

How do newer windows prevent heat loss?

Newer windows are able to prevent heat loss by using two pieces of glass with a layer of clear gas sandwiched in between them. This layer of gas makes it easier to keep heat inside or outside of a home as the temperature dictates. This means that the right windows will not only make it easier for you to keep your home warm in winter it will make it easier for you to cool it in the summer as well.

When you replace windows you will usually be able to add insulation around them as well. If your home is poorly insulated this extra insulation may be enough to slow heat loss even a little. You can ensure that there are no bare areas where air can move in and out of a home unchecked.

How to shop for new windows

If you speak to qualified installation experts they should be able to recommend a style of window that will help you retain heat and keep your home’s temperature at a comfortable level while reducing your energy bill. You may want to consider a window that has a good E-rating as this means that the window is much better at preventing heat loss than a window with a poor E-rating. Although these windows may be pricy you will often find that lower utility bills will allow the windows to pay for themselves.