Effective home insulation resists or blocks the flow of heat energy. It stops the heat inside your home from escaping in winter and the heat outside your home from entering in summer. Like all home improvement projects, it comes with a significant cost, but there are some steps you can take if you’re working with a small budget to insulate your home.
The most suitable type and placement of insulation for your home will depend on your local climate and whether it’s primarily needed to keep your home warm in winter, cool in summer, or both.
The initial step in a cost-effective insulation project is to assess your current insulation and then look at the relevant ways to block draughts in your home, including installing or replacing insulation.
You might find that your home insulation is lacking or outdated. If it’s worn or damaged, it will be less effective.
Here are our tips for assessing your home and undertaking a budget insulation installation. But first, let’s review why insulation is so necessary.
Benefits of home insulation
By providing a thermal barrier, insulation minimises heat transfer, keeping your home warm in the winter and cool in the summer. This means your heating and cooling systems don’t have to work as hard to maintain a comfortable temperature, significantly reducing the energy needed.
As well as energy efficiency, home insulation offers significant cost savings. With less energy required to heat and cool your home, your energy bills will drop, providing immediate financial relief. Well-insulated homes experience fewer draughts and temperature fluctuations, creating a more consistent and comfortable living environment.
From a broader perspective, reducing your energy usage lowers your carbon footprint, directly contributing to the fight against climate change.
Insulation materials like Expol underfloor insulation are made from recycled or renewable resources, adding to its eco-friendly appeal.
Draught-proofing your home
Alongside your insulation assessment, you can do other things to make your home more comfortable, like draught-proofing. Sustainability Victoria reports that 25 per cent of heat loss occurs through gaps.
It is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to improve comfort and energy efficiency. By sealing gaps around windows, doors, and other potential entry points for cold air, you can prevent unwanted draughts that make your home feel chilly in the winter and uncomfortable in the summer. This reduces the need to overwork your heating and cooling systems, leading to lower energy consumption and more consistent indoor temperatures.
Reducing draughts also helps to keep dust, noise, and insects out, enhancing your overall living environment.
By stopping warm air from escaping in the winter and cool air from leaking out in the summer, you can maintain a comfortable temperature without relying as much on heating or air conditioning.
Different insulation options
Many parts of your home can benefit from insulation, including the walls, the roof, the ceiling, and under the floor. Some insulation needs to be installed during construction or renovation, while other insulation is designed to be easy to install, like ceiling insulation and underfloor insulation.
Wall insulation
Wall insulation can be installed inside cavity walls, behind plasterboard, or outside your home. This means it is usually installed when a house is under construction or renovated because it is much harder to install later. Like all types of insulation, it helps maintain a comfortable environment within your home, dampens noise, and reduces draughts.
Most homes built in Australia already include wall insulation, so it is unlikely to be the focus of your budget insulation project.
Roof & ceiling insulation
Insulation is also installed in the ceiling, roof, or sometimes both. An uninsulated ceiling and roof can lead to significant heat loss during winter, but it’s not hard to remedy. It is often an accessible area, particularly the ceiling, if a manhole is present, and it is easier to install ceiling insulation as a DIY budget project.
Under floor insulation
If you have a suspended timber floor with easy access, then installing underfloor insulation is the best DIY project, making it an excellent, budget-friendly way to make your home warmer in winter and cooler in summer.
By preventing heat loss through the floor, underfloor insulation for existing timber floors helps maintain a stable indoor temperature, reducing the need for artificial heating in winter and cooling in summer. Additionally, underfloor insulation can help eliminate cold draughts that can seep through gaps in the floor.
Another advantage of polystyrene underfloor insulation is moisture reduction. Creating a barrier that prevents cold air from rising and warm air from escaping helps maintain a dry, healthy environment. This protects the home’s structure and improves indoor air quality, making the space healthier for occupants.
DIY Insulation Projects
Insulation products are often designed for easy installation, making them accessible for homeowners to tackle the project themselves. With a wealth of online tutorials and guides offering step-by-step instructions, it’s possible to complete the job without needing professional labour, significantly reducing overall costs. This is particularly true of underfloor insulation for existing timber floors, which is easy to install for any competent DIYer over a weekend.
Preparation is critical to a successful DIY installation, so take the time to research and gather the correct supplies. For Expol Underfloor insulation, all that is required is to measure up, cut to fit, install the foam panels, fix with fittings, and place Expol Wireguard insulation around any cables.
Learn more about DIY underfloor insulation on a budget
Retrofitting underfloor insulation is a cost-effective way to attain a more comfortable home environment for you and your family. In addition to comfort, you’ll save money on heating and cooling costs and help the environment by consuming less energy.
Expol products are available at leading hardware stores and other selected outlets nationwide.
Please contact us directly at 1300 AU FOAM if you require further information.
