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Do You Need to Insulate Internal Walls?

When thinking about home renovations, the question of whether to insulate interior walls often arises. If you’re interested in knowing if your interior walls are insulated and whether it’s beneficial to install insulation if they’re not, the information here can help you decide.

Are Interior Walls Usually Insulated?

Generally, the answer is no. Interior walls are often left uninsulated during construction because the energy efficiency benefits aren’t as great as insulating exterior walls, floors and ceilings. State and local codes don’t call for interior insulation, so usually only in interior walls if the homebuyer specifically asks the builder to include it. If you weren’t involved in the building process, assume your home’s interior walls are not insulated.

Is it Worth Insulating Interior Walls?

Reasons to insulate interior walls of a home include:

  • Energy efficiency: Insulating interior walls helps preserve a stable temperature in different rooms in your home, enhancing comfort and lessening the strain on your heating and cooling system.
  • Stopping the spread of sound: When you add insulation to interior walls, you significantly reduce the amount of sound moving from one room to another. This is especially useful for creating a quieter and calmer atmosphere for a home office or nursery. It also helps stop the noise from a music room or home theater from disrupting family members throughout the house.
  • Moisture protection: Certain varieties of wall insulation act as a moisture barrier, preventing the buildup of dampness inside the walls of high-humidity spaces, such as kitchens, bathrooms and laundry rooms. Making sure these walls stay dry cuts down on the risk of mold, which can jeopardize indoor air quality and your home’s structural stability.
  • Fire protection: Some insulation materials are fire-resistant, which provides an extra level of safety. If a fire starts in the home, insulated interior walls slow the spread of flames, providing you and your family more time to escape and potentially saving your property from substantial damage.

What Type of Insulation Is Best for Interior Walls?

The correct material for your interior wall insulation project varies according to your specific needs and goals. Here are several different forms to consider:

  • Loose-fill insulation is suitable for situations where walls are already up, as it can be blown into wall cavities through small openings that are very easy to patch afterward. Because this doesn’t require extensive renovation, you keep the cost and construction mess to a minimum.
  • Spray foam insulation expands to fill cavities, cracks and gaps, making it great for irregular spaces or next to obstructions. It also offers exceptional thermal qualities and sound dampening. Spray foam is a fabulous choice if you’re building new interior walls, though it does cost more.
  • Fiberglass batts are a popular, cost-effective choice that are easy to install in new construction or remodels where walls are haven’t yet been closed up and finished. They have reliable thermal performance but must be installed correctly in order to avoid gaps.
  • Mineral wool is denser than fiberglass, which makes it a even better option for fire resistance and soundproofing.
  • Rigid foam board provides high insulation values in thin profiles, which makes it useful for new construction or extensive renovations that involve thin interior walls. However, it can only be installed if the walls are open.

Additional Ways to Improve Home Efficiency

Even though insulating interior walls provides many benefits, it doesn’t do a lot to minimize your utility bills. If efficiency is your biggest objective, try these improvements to get better results:

  • Add attic insulation: This is the most effective spot to add insulation to a home that is already built. A nice, deep layer of attic insulation keeps heat from escaping in the winter and sneaking in through the ceiling in the summer.
  • Seal air leaks: This consists of finding and fixing leaks around doors, windows and other openings in outside walls to keep warm or cool air from escaping. Caulk, weatherstripping and expanding spray foam are the most useful tools for the job.
  • Install double-pane windows: If your home still has old, single-pane windows, think about installing double-pane windows for an additional layer of insulation. This investment helps keep your home warmer in the winter and cool and more comfortable in the summer.
  • Get a smart thermostat: Thermostats with learning capabilities can change your home’s temperature to complement your habits and preferences, optimizing energy use and reducing your utility bills.
  • Replace old HVAC equipment: A new, energy-efficient furnace and air conditioner uses less energy to heat and cool your home than an outdated system.

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Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing can assist with many of your home improvement plans. If it’s related to HVAC, plumbing or electrical, our skilled team can help! The ACE-certified technicians at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing provide speedy, long-term solutions with guaranteed results. If you’re not completely happy with our work, we promise to make it right. For state-of-the-art solutions and expert service customized for your distinct needs, phone 866-397-3787 today to reach the team at Service Experts Heating, Air Conditioning & Plumbing.

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