Home insulation for eco friendly homes

Wednesday, 16 March 2011 7:22 PM

Insulating your property can be a green home improvement that benefits not just your pocket, but also the planet.

Creating a more efficient and environmentally-friendly property has never been more popular than it is now, and it is not just people's concern for the climate that is fuelling this move. Having a green home can also mean owning a property that is far cheaper to run, leaving you with a little extra cash in your pocket each month after your bills have come out.

But just how can home insulation make so much of a difference?

If you look at a house like a person, then the more insulation it has on its exterior, the more protected it will be from the cold - in a similar way to someone putting on a few more layers of clothing when it is cold outside. Insulation holds heat inside the property where it belongs.

This can make a huge difference to your finances. Especially in winter, staying warm and comfortable is a real priority. If you live in a building that leaks out most of the heat you pump into it from your central heating, then you could find you are constantly turning up your radiators to a higher temperature or leaving them on for longer to compensate for this. All of this means that you are using more fuel and it is this that you pay for every month or quarter when your energy bills arrive.

In addition, the more fuel you consume trying to keep your property warm, the larger your carbon footprint will become because you will be pumping more harmful emissions into the atmosphere as a result.

So, it's really quite simple - insulation can help keep the heat inside where it belongs, meaning that you stay warm without spending extra money or creating more carbon emissions to achieve this.

If you have deicided that the time has come to give your property a green makeover by insulating it thoroughly, then there are plenty of areas where you could turn your attention.

On the whole, newer buildings are more efficient than their older counterparts, but you may find that they still benefit from this form of home improvement. In the UK, many properties built around the 1920s and later have an outer shell comprising of two thin walls with a gap in the middle. This cavity helps to trap hot air, keeping the building's interior warmer. However, by pumping this space full of an insulating material, you will find that your house becomes even more energy-efficient as a result, in addition to saving you money.

Should you live in an older property that was built before the turn of the 20th century then you most likely have solid walls. These are not as efficient as cavity walls, meaning they have even more to benefit from being properly insulated - whether on the outside or inside.

Once you have completed work on the outer shell of your property, there are still plenty of other places to turn your attention to. Loft or attic insulation could be seen as working in a similar way to putting on a hat on a cold winter's day. So much heat in the home is lost through the roof that making sure the space above your head is correctly insulated could save you hundreds of pounds every year, in addition to helping you reduce your carbon emissions.

You can also have insulation installed under your floorboards - although this does not make such a big impact in terms of reductions on your heating bills, you will still notice a reduction in what you are charged. Double glazing is another renovation that could see you netting an even greater saving.

Renovations that result in the creation of eco friendly homes are designed to pay for themselves over time through the money that you save on your energy bills. For this reason, it is important that the job is completed to the highest standard, so that you can really experience the financial and environmental benefits.

Therefore, it may be worth contracting the services of experienced professional tradesmen. By using a service like Rated People you could find that this is cheaper than you think.

Before you know it, you could be enjoying cheaper utility bills, a warmer property and a lower carbon footprint - just like so many other UK households who have discovered the advantages of a well-insulated home.

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