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How to Insulate Your House: Best Practices

During a time when we’re all looking to save money on our monthly energy bills, insulation is a fantastic method to help our homes run more efficiently.

But where should you start when it comes to insulating your house, and what are some best practices to ensure you get the most out of your investment in your home’s insulation?

Wall Insulation

If you're wondering "how do I insulate my house?", it’s best to start with the walls. Approximately a third of all heat lost in an uninsulated home escapes through the walls, so wall insulation can have a huge impact on your home’s heating efficiency!

To figure out the right wall insulation for your home, you need to know what kind of walls you have. If your home was built post-1920s, it likely has cavity walls — two walls with a gap in between.

This cavity can be filled using cavity wall insulation, where a professional company injects insulation material like mineral wool, polystyrene beads, or polyurethane foam. While it’s a fast and clean process, it does require a specialist and can’t be done by a DIYer.

On the other hand, if your home was built before 1920, it probably has solid walls. You do have the option to insulate these walls either internally or externally, but it tends to be pricier than cavity wall insulation.

It’s also important to note that if your home was built in the last 20 years, the walls are probably already insulated. Although it’s still worth checking the quality of the job.

Roof Insulation

Did you know that if you don’t have loft insulation, a quarter of your home's heat escapes through the roof?

The good news is that if your loft is easily accessible, you can insulate your loft yourself!

  • Lay the first layer of mineral wool between the joists, being careful not to cover any air vents or air bricks.
  • Use a second layer of mineral wool at right angles to the first layer to help ensure you reach the required depth of loft insulation.

It’s relatively easy to lay loft insulation yourself, and according to the Energy Saving Trust, the average semi-detached home could save around £165 on its energy bills.

Insulation Best Practices

Once you’ve decided to invest in installing wall insulation and loft insulation, there are a few best practices to help you make your home even more efficient:

  • Fix other home issues first: If you have holes in your roof or a damp loft, it’s best to sort these issues first to prevent problems with your loft insulation later down the line.
  • Minimise draughts in your home: Even if your wall insulation is working as it should, you’ll still lose heat if you’ve got draughty windows or doors. Take a look at our post on reducing heat loss for some easy draught reduction measures you can take [Link to Content 1].
  • Consider upgrading to smart heating: Reducing your home’s heating usage is a fantastic way to minimise the amount of heat lost, regardless of how well-insulated your home is. Learn more about how a smart heating system can make your home more efficient here.

As the UK moves towards a more sustainable future, we can all do our bit to make our homes more efficient — which is great for the planet and our pockets. Find out more about insulating your home, or get started on your journey to a more efficient smart heating system here.