Winterizing your house with insulation is the best way to save on heating costs, reduce drafts, protect pipes, and create a more comfortable living environment.
You can use many types of insulation to winterize your house. In fact, you should use different types of insulation for different applications to maximize energy efficiency. Many have specific uses.
Common Types Of Insulation – and Where To Use Them
Ninety percent of homes in the USA are underinsulated. Any winterizing you undertake improves your home’s comfort.
Caulking
Caulking is not a true insulation product. It has very little R-value, but it is an essential tool in your home winterizing arsenal. Up to 38% of a home’s heat is lost through gaps and cracks in walls and around windows and doors. (A ⅛” gap between the exterior door slab and the sill loses as much warm air as a 2.4 square-inch hole through the wall.)
Exterior and interior sealing around window frames, door frames, and wall penetrations like pipes and vents is the easiest and cheapest way to reduce heat loss and increase comfort.
Spray Foam
Spray form in a can provides R-5.0 per inch when dry. It is great for sealing gaps around pipe penetrations and difficult to insulate areas inside the house. Use it to insulate between window and door jambs and the wall framing.
Spray foam insulation is used for walls, attic floors, attic roofs, rim joists, etc. Professionally installed spray foam insulation is fairly expensive but you can save money by buying DIY spray foam kits to winterize your home.
Weatherstrip and Storm Windows
Fix drafty windows and doors with insulating weatherstrip and new exterior door sweeps. Storm windows are worth installing when caulking and new weatherstrip won’t provide proper seals.
Pipe Insulation
Foam pipe insulation installed on water pipes keeps pipes from freezing, saves energy, and keeps water warm. Insulating ductwork prevents heat loss in heating systems. Both of these products are pre-made and available in multiple sizes to fit most pipes and ducting.
Multiple types of insulation are available to prevent outdoor faucets from freezing. Insulating faucets can prevent burst pipes and flooded basements.
Attic Insulation
Poorly insulated attics allow a lot of heat to escape the living areas. It contributes to attic condensation, mold in the attic, and wasted energy costs. The best attic insulation is the one that fits your needs, budget, and abilities. Some of the options include:
- Spray Foam Insulation. Provides its own vapor barrier.
- Fiberglass Insulation. Available in batts and rolls.
- Loose Fill Insulation. Cellulose insulation. Fiberglass insulation. Denim insulation.
Basement Wall Insulation
Insulate basement walls with rigid foam board insulation–extruded polystyrene, expanded polystyrene, or polyisocyanurate. They are the best options for insulating concrete walls. Gluing boards at least 2” thick on the walls provide R-10 and when sealed, create a vapor barrier.
Rigid foam boards can be installed on the exterior of basement walls. This is a very expensive project unless it is done during construction.
Curtains
Even with the best caulking and weatherstripping, double-paned glass has an R-value of R-2.2. Your walls should be R-12 or R-20. Installing heavy insulating or lined curtains eliminates most heat loss and cold drafts.
