Further Ways To Insulate Your Home
Loft Insulation
The easiest way to further insulate your property is to have suitable loft insulation. Loft insulation is a blanket of layered insulated material that is laid between the wooden beams in your loft. The blankets can be purchased from most DIY chains, and is relatively inexpensive, with a lot of domestic fuel suppliers subsidising the cost.The insulation should be 270mm for the most effective cost saving. If 270mm is fitted this could save you around £150 pa on your fuel bill as around a quarter of the heat in your house is lost through your roof. So at a cost of around £250 for the average house, you would be saving money in under two years. Loft insulation will remain effective for at least 40 years.
Cavity Wall Insulation
Most houses that have been built in the UK have been built with an inner and an outer wall especially since 1920. The gap between these two walls is called the cavity. The reason houses started to be built with two walls was for damp protection, as the outer wall would take any rainwater or water from a leaking gutter leaving the inside wall dry. It is a common misbelief that houses were built with two walls for any insulating purposes, so don't be fooled.
Houses that have been built within the last ten years will have been built with cavity wall insulation as part of the build. Installers will drill small holes into the brickwork of your house and then pump in the selected form of insulant into the cavity. There are three types of insulant which are mineral wool, beads or granules, or foam based products. Your installer will recommend the right insulant for your property. You could save up to £115 pa having cavity wall insulation, and with most domestic energy suppliers subsidising the process you could have it installed for as little as £250.
