How to Efficiently Insulate Your Home

Installing insulation in your house is one of the most effective ways to help keep your home warm, lower your energy bills and reduce your carbon emissions. In this guide, we’ll be explaining how you can insulate your home effectively.

Begin with the Walls

Did you know that almost a third of all heat lost in uninsulated homes escapes through the walls? That’s why this is a great place to start, especially if you’re having your home insulated in sections over a long period of time to help spread the cost.

To start, you need to work out what type of walls you have. In the UK, most homes have cavity walls or solid walls. Cavity walls tend to have an even brick pattern, with all bricks laid lengthways. Solid walls usually have an alternating pattern, with some bricks laid lengthways in one direction and some laid in the other so you can see the smaller end from the outside of your home.

Cavity Walls

To insulate your cavity walls, your best bet is to hire a professional who can inject the insulation into the cavity (space) between the walls and seal them back up again.

Solid Walls

You can insulate your solid walls from both the inside and outside of your house.

To install internal wall insulation in solid walls, rigid insulation boards must be fitted to the wall inside the home or a stud wall can be built and filled with insulation material. To install the walls externally, a layer of insulation material is fixed to the wall and then covered with plaster or cladding.

The Roof

Uninsulated houses lose up to a quarter of heat through their roofs. If your loft is easy to access and has no damp or condensation, it’s easy to insulate your roof yourself.

To DIY it, simply use rolls of mineral wool insulations and place the first layer between the joists (beams). Alternatively, you can hire a professional to do a more thorough job for you, though this will of course cost more.

The Floor

If you live in a house, bungalow or ground floor flat, insulating your floor can help you to increase your home’s efficiency. To do so, you’ll first need to work out what type of floor you have. Most new homes have a concrete ground floor which can be insulated by adding rigid insulation boards on top or insulating it when the floor needs to be replaced.

Older homes typically have suspended timber (wooden) floors. These can be insulated by lifting the floorboards and adding mineral wool insulation with netting between the joists to help support it.

Looking for a quicker and more affordable fix? You can seal the gaps between floors and skirting boards with a tube of sealant to help keep any draughts out. Rugs and carpets are also less expensive ways of helping your home to feel warmer.

Insulate Your Pipes

Insulating your pipes is a great way to help save money on your heating bills. Pipe insulation is relatively cheap and can easily be slipped around your hot water pipes to help stop the heat escaping. Similarly, if you have a hot weather cylinder in your home, you can purchase a hot water cylinder jacket for as little as £15!