Do You Have Ample Insulation in These Areas of Your New York Home?

Another winter is fast approaching the Middletown area, bringing with it unpredictable snow storms and freezing weather. Keeping your home warm in the winter is expensive, especially if it’s not properly insulated from the roof on down to the basement.

Good home insulation offers you one of the best lines of defense for keeping warm air from escaping your home during the cold season. Insulation can deteriorate over time, becoming less efficient, but scheduling an energy evaluation with your local HVAC professional will pinpoint weak areas in your home’s insulation. Here are a few possible problem areas and types of insulation usually used to fix them.

The Attic

Attics are notorious for developing leaks. Loose-fill or batt insulation are commonly installed in attics. Loose-fill is usually less expensive to install and it provides denser coverage than batt insulation. Attic access areas should also be insulated.

Air Ducts

Ductwork is usually installed in areas that are out of sight, such as the attic or basement. If the ducts in your home are in such areas, check them for any air leaks or loose insulation. The warm air you already paid for travels through those ducts.

Exterior Walls

Blow-in insulation is dense and provides an excellent seal in the exterior walls of your home. This is where an energy audit will come in handy, because it’s relatively difficult to locate all possible leaks with the naked eye. Consider using a two-part spray foam or wet-spray cellulose material. While blanket batt will also work in these areas, it does not provide as good a seal as the spray types of insulation.

The Foundation/Basement

A properly insulated foundation will not only keep your basement area more comfortable, it will prevent the chance of moisture accumulation and toxic fumes from entering the living areas above. Two-part spray-in polyurethane foam  insulation is also very effective, as it seals off any air leaks, even those from the smallest openings

For more expert information on the best home insulation, please contact C.R. Wolfe Heating and Air. We’ve proudly served the Middletown N.Y and Orange County area since 1945.

Our goal is to help educate our customers in Middletown, New York 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.

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