How Much Insulation Does My Home Need?

When it comes to energy efficiency, nobody’s home is a perfect 10 out of 10. There are always solutions for improving this and making your home more energy-efficient and comfortable all year long. One of the best solutions is installing insulation.

As you’re getting ready to insulate your home, one of your first questions will most likely be “How much insulation do I need?” The amount of insulation your home needs primarily depends on two factors:

The region you live in
The area of your home that needs to be insulated

The Right Amount of Insulation for Homes in Indiana

Insulation R-Value

R-value is an important part of insulation information—it is an indication of a particular material’s resistance to conductive heat flow. In general, the higher the R-value (thermal resistance), the greater the insulation’s effectiveness. The R-value depends on the insulation’s type/material, thickness and density. Although a higher R-value in general means a more effective insulator, the highest R-value possible may not necessarily be right for your project. One example of this is if the space you’re insulating already has existing levels of insulation. Also, houses in certain climates don’t need as much insulation as others. For example, homeowners in Florida don’t need to worry about insulating against very cold temperatures—but the weather is quite different in Indiana. That’s why different regions of the United States have different recommended insulation levels. Here in the Crown Point area, we are in zone 5.