It’s not uncommon for Illinois homeowners to take steps towards improving home performance without the help of a professional contractor. While there’s nothing inherently wrong with taking a “DIY” approach to home performance, the problems begin when people start making mistakes. Many people think that all they need is a YouTube video and a DIY insulation kit to get the job done, but it isn’t until they’re knee-deep in the job that the shortcomings of taking this approach often start to show themselves.
Without further adieu, here are four DIY insulation mistakes that can not only get in the way of achieving true home performance, but can actually make matters worse in the long run.
#1: Focusing Only on R-Value
R-Value is one of the most important things for homeowners to focus on when choosing insulation, as the measurement direction correlates to the insulation's efficacy. This being said, R-Value isn’t everything — it’s only one piece of the puzzle. Other factors, such as air leaks and moisture need to be taken into consideration, as even insulation with the highest R-Value won’t function properly under the wrong circumstances.
#2 Choosing the Wrong Insulation
Another major mistake that Illinois homeowners often make when attempting to install new insulation on their own is choosing the wrong type entirely. The details between how certain types of insulation work and what their most effective uses are can be quite confusing, especially when you’re talking about closed cell vs. open cell insulation. Choose the wrong kind and the “upgrade” you think you’re making may actually work against home performance.
#3: "Guessing" How Much Insulation Your Need
If you aren’t handling insulation installs on a regular basis, you may have a hard time determining how much of the material you’ll actually need in order to complete the job. Guesswork never does anyone any favors, and this is especially true when it comes to attempting to improve home performance with new insulation. Only an experienced contractor can know without a doubt how much insulation is needed to bring a job to completion.
#4: Leaving Gaps
Perhaps the biggest issue on this list, the leaving of gaps when people attempt to install insulation on their own is an extremely common problem. Gaps allow conditioned air to escape the home and unconditioned air to enter, which means even the most effective forms of insulation will fail if gaps are left. If you’ve never installed insulation before, it’s highly likely that gaps will become a problem.
Insulation is something that needs to installed properly in order to work effectively, and the team at Assured Insulation Solutions is here to help. Contact us today to learn more.