Is Your Home Properly Insulated? #Homeimprovement

Wherever you live, your home's insulation plays a big part in keeping your home comfortable year-round. It keeps you warm in the winter, cool in the summer, and helps to provide even room temperatures throughout the house.

Home Insulation

Proper home insulation makes a big difference in home comfort. Without it, you may experience rooms that are too hot, too cold, drafty or damp. There is no way to control even temperatures throughout your home without adequate insulation. By making sure your attic is correctly insulated and installing insulating window shades that provide light, heat and cooling control, you can ensure a comfortable, energy-efficient environment for your home.

Attic insulation, as well as energy-efficient windows and insulating window shades are rated with R-value, a number that manufacturers use to measure a material's ability to resist heat transfer from the outside. Proper R-value is usually determined based on geographic location and climate conditions. In areas where summer temperatures average in the upper 80's and 90's, it's essential to use proper insulation and energy-efficient products that protect your home. Intense heat and sun coming through your windows all day will increase cooling requirements, resulting in higher energy bills each month. It will also fade hardwood flooring, carpets, interior furnishings and valuable art work hanging on your walls. When installing insulation and shopping for window treatments, it's important to consider energy-efficiency and protection from heat and sun. If you're uncertain about your home's R-value requirements, contact a local contractor to get a free estimate now.


Summer Cooling

During the summer, you need to limit the amount of heat and sun that comes through your windows. When sun penetrates window glass, it quickly builds up heat inside the house. To keep your home cooler in the summer and reduce energy costs for air conditioning, consider window treatments that provide insulation. You can choose from a variety of products including solar shades and draperies with heat-reflective backings that provide energy efficiency.

Winter Warmth

During the winter, it's important to look at the R-value of your home insulation, window glass and window treatments. Check your attic insulation for a proper R-value rating. When installing draperies and insulating window shades, hang them close to the window frame, not the glass, for maximum insulation. This will create an air space between the glass and window treatment that traps cold air. For added warmth, hang draperies at ceiling level and short curtains and blinds inside the window frame.