If your home is well insulated, it will be more comfortable to live in. It will better keep the summer heat out and the winter warmth in. Plus, you'll save on your heating and cooling bills. Here are some factors you need to consider when choosing insulation.

New Build or Retrofit

It can be harder to get inside the walls of an existing house than to access the wall cavity of a home that's in the process of being built. If you're constructing a new place, you can opt for a variety of insulation types, including loose fill and materials that come in panels and batts. However, if you're retrofitting wall insulation, then it's trickier to gain access. You could pull the plaster off the walls or the contractors can cut a hole in the wall and blow loose insulation in with tubing. They may alternatively be able to access the wall cavity by removing some roof tiles.

If you need to fix other issues, such as dampness in the wall, you might think it worthwhile to remove the plaster and pay the additional construction costs, adding the insulation while you have access. With regards to roof insulation, it's generally much easier to climb into the crawl space, even in existing houses. So retrofitting insulation in this area is not as problematic.

Local Climate

The local climate will play a big role in the residential insulation you choose. If you live in a hot northern region of Australia, you're probably most interested in keeping the heat away. Things may be more complicated in the south. You may want the winter sunshine to passively warm your house and also want to moderate the solar summer heat. So you'll have to balance these needs when planning the insulation. Your installer can advise you on the best way to go about this.

Reflective foil insulation (with a couple centimetres of air space) is a good option to bounce away the sun's radiation. Batts, panels and blankets work differently. They have tiny air pockets that prevent heat from passing through them in either direction. They'll stop the cozy, warm air inside your home during winter from escaping easily through the walls or ceiling, wherever the insulation sits.

This kind of bulk insulation is important even in hot climates. If your home is air-conditioned, the insulation will create a better envelope around your building and block the outside heat from getting inside. If the heat easily infiltrates your home, you'll have to turn up the air conditioner to compensate.

For more information on residential insulation, contact a professional near you.

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