Do you want to insulate an already-built house to the maximum level to protect it from the cold (and also from the heat? Would you like to save on heating every winter with good insulation for your home?
Here I will explain how to insulate an already-built house, added to other useful information, such as the budget, where to start, what materials to use, and much more.
Let’s go there!
Table of Contents
What does the insulate an already-built house imply?
When we talk about insulation in a home, we refer to any material that is used as insulation for any purpose. In most cases, it is for thermal purposes.
Thermal insulation is defined as the use of materials that are appropriate and adapted to the home, in order to slow the transfer of heat from the home. This will allow the loss or gain of temperature to be reduced, which will depend on the environmental conditions outside.
Most people in summer do not consider carrying out this project, motivated by the fact that it is easier to solve the heat with an air conditioner or a mini pool to cool off, but in winter it is more complicated, in fact, the project requires a lot of time, because it works in phases.
First steps to thermally insulate an already-built house
The first thing is to know where the heat from the home filters through, the most common places are the walls, windows, doors, and roof, so the right thing to do is consult a professional on the subject, who will determine which area is the most critical.
Generally, the expert will look at the roofs and walls of the home, since it has been proven that 30% of the heat escapes through these points. Then there are the walls, which are another important point, here we are talking about the fact that 25% of the temperature comes out through this route.
The professional, before determining which technique is the most appropriate to use for the project, will observe other factors, for example: how the construction was made, if it has previous thermal insulation, and if there was an air chamber.
In addition, it will look at the doors, windows, and air ducts of the house if they are in good condition, or failing that, have a crack or break that allows air to escape. Once the inspection is over, it will be known which are the points to be dealt with.
How to Insulate a Home?
One of the doubts that clients have when insulate an already-built house that has already been built is whether they have to leave home for a few days. The reality is that no. In itself, the thermal insulation of a wall is a fairly simple process that can take, at most, a couple of days (in eight-hour days of continuous work).
The materials to be used vary according to the company that is contracted, in addition to the state of the house, which will be known when doing a previous analysis of the home, whether it is the facade, air chamber, or thermal bridges.
According to Ali the insulation installer in Wollongong, the most suitable method and the material that adapts to the home are chosen. The most common is the installation of panels, the injection of ecological or synthetic insulation in the air chamber, and wood fibers on the bases of the construction, among others.
Today it is one of the preferred choices of customers, firstly, because it is economical, it has above-average thermal and acoustic insulation properties, and it also has fire retardant, insecticidal and antifungal properties.
wood fiber
They are a series of sheets that are placed on the weakest points of the wall and later covered to go unnoticed and not alter the aesthetics of the home. Subsequently, it is checked with thermography if the heat continues to filter through any point, in order to provide reinforcement.
partition
This is another quite popular choice, here a series of panels of mineral wool, glass, including wood fiber is used, but with the big difference that from the inside of the house a series of layers are placed that go from covering the weak spots and isolating the façade from inside the home.
By using fiberglass and mineral wool together, we make sure that our home stops suffering heat loss through the walls since the panels work like a coat, and you can also see that the type of acoustic insulation will improve significantly.
Installation of insulating panels
Here we are talking about a project that is a little more expensive since it would be to break the wall, then place a series of insulating panels inside it that will be fixed in the center, then it is covered with plaster or another type of material, in most synthetic cases, for example, extruded polystyrene, plasterboard or cork.
After placing that sheet, the wall construction would re-enter as it was. Certainly, here we are talking about a rather slow process, and that can cause more dirt in the home, as well as that it can cause allergies.
