While it can be tough to try to think about fall home improvement while the weather is still so nice, this is actually the best time to starting thinking about fall home improvement projects. One of the best home improvement projects for saving money and energy all years—and one which often goes overlooked—is upgrading your home’s insulation.
While our government is trumpeting the importance of “going green” there is another type of green homeowners should consider this fall: cash. Today’s homeowners are obsessed with expenses—particularly rising energy costs, which show no sign of slowing down. But what most homeowners don’t realize is that new insulation can be a huge money-saver: the better a home’s insulation, the less energy is used and the less it costs.
The most critical areas of your home to insulate
Windows are a great place to start when it comes to insulation. Now that the weather is finally starting to get cooler, windows have a tremendous ability to lose heat. The worst performers are larger picture windows with lots of surface area. If your home’s windows aren’t already double-glazed, you must look into this: they are now the de facto standard. While double-glazed windows are now standard with new homes, in older homes, windows must be retrofitted for double-glazing. A good contractor or window specialist can help with double-glazing.
The second critical area for insulation is wall cavities. Obtaining wall cavity insulation is a relatively easy project—and a great way to slash money on heating costs this year. The best thing about this project is that it’s affordable and easy to install, and hence causes little disruption to the home. In fact, the entire project can be completed in just one day’s work! Wall cavity insulation is typically applied from small holes drilled outside. After the cavity is full, the holes are completely filled in to complement the existing wall. Again, this is a project that is best carried out by a licensed contractor.
The third most critical area in your home to insulate is your roof. That’s because loft insulation gently blankets the entire home—keeping in any rising heat. Furthermore, poor loft insulation can be making your home lose up to 15% of its heat…right through the roof! Because heat rises, not only does insulation help trap in heat, it keeps the cold out. Because of this fact, a homeowner with the right loft insulation will never have to heat their home “from scratch.”
Finding the right insulation—and the right contractor to install this insulation—can be tricky. However, one company is doing a lot to change that. The company in question is ServiceMagic.com.
Headquartered in Golden, Colorado, ServiceMagic.com is now the country’s leader in connecting savvy consumers with prescreened, customer-rated service professionals and contractors. For the past 11 years, ServiceMagic has matched millions of consumers with these service professionals, yielding hundreds of millions of dollars in home improvement projects.
This fall, in today’s cost-cutting environment, upgrading your home’s insulation is one of the best ways to save money on your home—all year long. If you’d like to be connected with several local contractors that can install new insulation for your home, visit ServiceMagic today.
