Insulation Matters For Cooling & Heating Florida Homes
Insulation matters for cooling & heating Florida homes. Whether it’s winter and the house is chilly or it’s the height of summer and heat and humidity are oppressive, if your Englewood, Florida home is properly insulated you will:
- Be more comfortable
- Save money on utility bills — heating and cooling
- Be environmentally conscious
When your Florida home is properly and correctly insulated you can rest assured that your home will stay comfortable — no matter the season — and that you won’t be spending money unnecessarily to heat or cool the home. Who doesn’t want to save money? The geothermal professionals from Symbiont Service explain there are several types of insulation from which to choose for your home. The type of insulation chosen will vary based on where you’re located, which part of the house you want to insulate and the R-value of the insulation. The R-value of insulation is a measurement of the heat-flow resistant quality of the insulation itself.
Insulation types
Blanket insulation. This is also called a blanket batt and is cost effective, especially if you’re looking to insulate unfinished walls during a renovation or new construction project. Because the blanket insulation needs to be fitted between wall studs and ceiling joists, having open, easy access to those areas are crucial to make this insulation effective. When shopping for, or working with a professional to have it installed, you’ll find that blanket insulation is standard sized to fit into stud spacing; it can come with, or without a paper facing.
Foam insulation. This insulation, called foam board, is made of a polystyrene material and is molded to the boards. This insulation is typically installed between wall studs. This is not a fire retardant material and you will want to check building codes to see if it’s able to be used in your project.
Loose or spray foam insulation. This type of insulation can be “blown” into existing walls and this makes it ideal for a renovation project in which you don’t have to remove walls to insulate to a higher R-value. This is ideal for hard to reach spaces. A professional will spray the insulation in with a pressure sprayer and the loose insulation expands and fills the spaces into which it’s blown in. Spray foam is essentially the same as loose insulation as both are blown into hard to reach areas and must be applied by a professional insulation contractor.
Reflective insulation. This insulation is constructed of cardboard, paper or plastic and is covered with reflective foil. The foil will reflect the heat away from the areas in which it’s installed. Reflective insulation is fitted between wall studs or floor joists and is effective in keeping heat from flowing downward — think of it being installed in the floors of your home, between the floors and the basement, if you home has one.
There are many projects that homeowners can undertake themselves, but for many insulation is left to the professionals. If you’re looking for a way to maximize the energy savings for your home utility budget as well as maximizing the comfort of your home, get professional advice from our geothermal pros at Symbiont Service Corp.
We educate our customers about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems). For information about insulation and other HVAC topics, download our free Home Comfort Resource guide.
Symbiont Service Corp. serves Englewood, Florida and the surrounding areas. Visit our websiteto see our special offers and get started today!
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