You’ve probably heard that having a properly insulated home is highly important, but you understandably may have wondered, “How important is it really?” The answer comes down to the numbers.
Residential Home Insulation Statistics by the Numbers
- $2,000 – The typical American family spends nearly $2,000 a year on their home energy bills.
- 35-40% – Heating and cooling make up 35-40% of energy used in most homes.
- 25% – A poorly insulated attic can result in 25% heat loss in fall and winter—that’s 25% of your average heating costs going toward energy that won’t even heat your home.
- R38 – The minimal recommended R-value for attic insulation in a new wood frame home in Virginia, per the US Department of Energy. Their recommendation for floor insulation is R25-30. R-value shows how effective the insulation is.
What Does It Mean for Me?
First, the annual value of your home energy bills is significant, and heating and cooling may be the biggest line item on those bills. However, if your house is not properly insulated, nearly a quarter of that energy and money is totally wasted! You can keep your house warmer and save money with proper insulation.
Do you know the R-value of your floor and attic insulation? If not, contact your local insulation contractor for help finding out. We serve the Norfolk, Virginia Beach, and Newport News region of Virginia.
Additional Information and Benefits of Attic Insulation
There is no “right” type of insulation specifically for attics. That said, in our experience, certain types of insulation have distinct characteristics. Foam insulation, for instance, is superior at filling small cracks and holes and covering uneven spacing between floor joists and around wiring, piping and ductwork. Fiberglass insulation is very effective at stopping heat transfer into a colder area (heat leaking out of your warm house into the cold winter air!). And last but not least, cellulose insulation has similar qualities to fiberglass and is great for re-insulating all areas in your home, including the attic.
Insulating (or re-insulating) your attic can help:
- Lower energy bills
- Make your home a more comfortable space
- Create a uniform temperature throughout your house
- Reduce outside noises
- Create a healthier environment inside your home
Additional Benefits of Floor and Crawl Space Insulation
In addition to lowering your monthly bills, crawl space insulation:
- Makes your home more comfortable year round
- Can eliminate problems like frozen pipes, wood rot, mold and mildew growth, contaminated air, and water infiltration
- Boosts the market value of your house—most buyers value energy efficiency above other things
- Promotes a healthier environment—reduced energy consumption leads to reduced carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gas emissions
- Improves the overall performance of your HVAC systems by helping your home stay comfortable
Contact Tidewater Insulators for Insulation Services in the Norfolk, VA Area
At Tidewater Insulators, integrity, knowledge and excellent service aren’t just buzzwords—they’re what we live by. We treat each of our customers as if they were a member of our own family, so you can rely on us to treat your home the way you’d want it to be treated. We have been serving our local community with pride for nearly 20 years.
Contact us today to request a quote for your crawl space or attic insulation project in the Norfolk, VA area—or simply to ask any questions you may have about the insulation in your home. We also perform home energy audits.
