March 26, 2019
If you're looking for ways to make your home more comfortable after another long winter in southern New Hampshire, you may be considering installing new insulation in your home or sealing up those air leaks around your windows. But did you know that you really shouldn't complete one of these important upgrades without the other?
For greater home comfort and energy savings, insulation and air sealing are two upgrades that you should plan on completing together. Here's why.
Insulation & Air Sealing: How They Work
Insulation and air sealing both enhance indoor comfort and help you save on your energy bills, but they actually work differently from one another to provide these benefits.
Insulation
Insulation stabilizes indoor temperatures by controlling heat flow into and out of your home. In the summer, it keeps unwanted outside heat from seeping in through the roof, attic, ceilings, and walls. In the winter, it keeps valuable indoor heat from escaping through those same areas.
Air Sealing
Air sealing, on the other hand, eliminates air leaks to reduce air movement into and out of your home. In the summer, it keeps hot outside air from seeping in through air leaks. In the winter, it keeps warm air from rising and escaping through the roof via air leaks (which, by the way, causes cold drafts in lower areas of the home.)
The Benefits of Proper Insulation & Air Sealing
If you were to upgrade your insulation without air sealing your home first, you would risk having unwanted air pass right through your insulation. If, on the other hand, you were to air seal your home without bringing your insulation up to proper levels, heat would still travel in and out of your home through building materials.
When carried out together by an experienced professional, insulation and air sealing offer valuable benefits such as:
- More stable indoor temperatures
- Less need to run HVAC equipment
- Lower heating & cooling costs
- Increased home energy efficiency
- Soundproofing for peace & quiet
Have A+ Assess Your Home's Unique Needs
Many homeowners in southern New Hampshire think of insulation and air sealing as "DIY" projects, but these key improvements are best carried out by an experienced professional who understands building science and has the knowledge to find the hidden air leakage pathways, via the unique construction details of each home.
At A+ Energy Services, we take pride in helping local NH homeowners identify their insulation and air sealing needs, and in carrying out any needed work in a way that delivers tangible results. We have extensive experience working with a variety of insulation and air sealing materials, including cellulose, fiberglass batts, and spray foam insulation. What's more, is that we never try to sell our customers upgrades that they don't need. If you think it may be time to insulate and air seal your home, get in touch with our team to schedule an energy audit!