How To Keep Your Home Well Insulated this Summer

This summer, the recent heat waves across the country have definitely made a lot of people uncomfortable outdoors and high temperatures do not appear to be going away any time soon. Because the hot air and heat from the sun can actually raise your home’s indoor temperature, it’s important to ensure your house has proper insulation. Not only will this save you from having to crank up the AC and pay higher electricity bills, it will also help to relieve you during the winter when the dropping temperatures threaten to freeze the water in your pipes and leave you huddled up, teeth chattering.

Fortunately, making sure your home is well-insulated is not as hard as it sounds, and being proactive about it will pay off handsomely in the long term. Read on for some tips on how to insulate your home, what materials you will need and any extra considerations you should make.

Keeping your house cold when it’s scorching hot outside (or keeping your house warm when it’s freezing outside) is all about proofing/sealing materials. It’s really that simple. To stay cool during the summer, the first step you should take is testing your home for airtightness to make sure there are no air draughts at home. If you find any air leaks around your windows or doors, seal them by caulking or weatherstripping your doors and windows with one of these installation kits.

Also be sure to inspect for air leaks where plumbing, ducting or electrical wiring comes through walls, floors, ceilings and soffits over cabinets. Spray foam insulation can be very effective, and using an expanding foam-based sealant works wonders for larger gaps of space where air may leak through.

Next, look for dirty spots on your ceiling paint and carpet, which may indicate air leaks at interior wall/ceiling joints and wall/floor joists. If you find any, caulk them. For homes with single-pane windows, consider replacing them with double-pane windows as they are more energy-efficient due to their lower-heat transmission and are much more effective than a simple window seal.

Finally, insulate the roof/attic of your home. Make sure all places under your roof are covered with either expanding foam-sealant or, even better, with eco insulation rolls, which are made from different mixtures of natural sand and recycled glass turned into fibers. These rolls are a great type of green solution for temperature conservation and will provide a dramatic improvement in controlling your cooling/heating expenses.

If you’re trying to stay warm inside during the frigid months of the year - especially in regions that get a lot of snow - it’s equally important to ensure your house insulation is still intact. The construction materials used to build your home don’t all react the same way to heat and cold. For instance, carpeting may be great to retain heat during the winter, but it can make a room feel excessively hot during the summer. However, attic insulation, window/door seals and thermal curtains are a few simple fixes that can make the biggest difference in temperature while allowing you to save a lot of money.

If frozen pipes are a recurring problem during cold times of the year, there are many great alternatives for pipe insulation. From wraps to heating cables or even foam tubes, these options will ensure the water in your home doesn’t freeze, causing inconvenience and the risk of a burst pipe.

Outdoor conditions will continuously change, and there’s nothing we can do about it, but staying proactive and managing the unexpected with proper home insulation could mean the difference between freezing winters and melting summers or comfortable temperatures at home. Do you have any other tips for insulating your home? Let us know in the comments below!