Answering Your Home Insulation Questions
In the past few years here at The Old Barn, we’ve walked countless couples and families through the homebuilding process. From purchasing floor plans to finding the best contractors to learning the best money-saving tips, we’ve been happy to answer TONS of questions to help you see your dream home become a reality without breaking the bank.
Lately, when we meet with our Bootstrap Builders, one topic has come up more than others: home insulation. Choosing the right home insulation can be tricky – most people we talk to don’t know anything about it before they start building.
Additionally, the insulation isn’t a one size fits all decision. The best choice for you will depend on a few different factors. In this blog, we’ll talk about some of those factors, as well as different types of home insulation. Hopefully, by the end of this blog, you’ll feel more equipped to make an insulation decision for your home!
Things to Keep In Mind
Before making insulation decisions, there are a couple things we want you to think about.
Purpose
First, insulation has three primary purposes: temperature regulation, soundproofing, and fire resistance.
Arguably, the climate you live in has the greatest effect on which insulation will work best for you. Your insulation’s primary purpose is to keep your home a comfortable temperature without you having to spend an arm and a leg on AC/heating.
If you live in a place with a mild climate, you might be able to get away with cheaper insulation. However, if you live in an extremely hot or cold climate, your insulation choice will greatly impact what you spend on heating and cooling throughout the year. We live in Texas, and if you’ve never experienced August in Texas… Lucky you! Having good insulation keeps us from spending a fortune on AC during months where the temperature easily reaches 100°F.
For that reason, we believe this is a budget area where you should splurge. However, we also don’t want you to feel like you have to make sacrifices to stay within your budget, which is why we found a way to help you save 25% on your build!
Additionally, your insulation choices can help out with soundproofing and fireproofing in your home. Soundproofing ensures that you and your family don’t hear every little sound from any corner of the house, allowing everyone a little more peace and quiet.
Some insulations are more fire resistant than others. If a fire started in your home, fire resistant or fireproof insulation would greatly slow down the rate at which the fire spreads, keeping you and your family more safe.
Function
The second thing we want you to keep in mind is that you can and should use more than one type of insulation! Using different types of insulation together can help you maximize each type’s benefits to get the best possible insulation at the most reasonable prices.
For example, in our build, we used spray foam in the attic and ceiling, and we used cellulose for the walls. We did that to help balance out the cost of insulation while still getting proper cooling in our home with an encapsulated attic.
When we talk about the effectiveness of insulation moving forward, we will refer to its R-value, which refers to insulation’s ability to maintain your home’s desired temperature with as little energy use as possible.
With these things in mind, let’s talk about the pros and cons of some of the most popular types of insulation!
Types of Insulation
There are a lot of different types of insulation, each coming in at different price points and with different levels of effectiveness. Additionally, each type will be stronger in certain qualities than others. For example, one insulation might have incredible fire resistance but not great structural integrity, and another might have a phenomenal R-value but cost an arm and a leg.
When trying to decide what insulation makes the most sense for your home, know which factors are most important to you. If you live in a part of the country that gets a lot of rain or snow, maybe moisture resistance should be an important factor for you. If you live right off a major highway or in the city, maybe you should prioritise sound dampening.
Remember, there is no “right” option – only what is right for you!
Fiberglass Batts
Fiberglass is probably the most commonly used form of insulation. This is probably what comes to mind when you think of insulation – it’s bright pink! Fiberglass batts normally come pre-cut, but you can form it around pipes and wiring if you are careful. This insulation option is widely available and affordable. If you live in a mild climate and don’t need intense insulation options in your home, consider using some fiberglass batts in your build!
PROS:
- Cost-effective
- Non-flammable and sound dampening
- Easy installation
- Adds structural integrity when properly installed
CONS:
- Low R-value rating
- Can be an irritant on the skin or in the lungs if improperly installed
- Degrades over time if improperly installed
Spray Foam
Arguably one of the most effective insulation materials, spray foam is one of the insulation options we used for our home. Spray foam insulation can either be open-cell or closed-cell. While open-cell insulation is a little lighter and more flexible, closed-cell insulation creates a tighter seal, which contributes to your insulation’s water resistance and air sealing properties.
PROS:
- Highest R-value rating
- Closed-cell foam creates a tight seal
- Adds support to walls
CONS:
- Expensive (but costs seem to be lowering)
- Installation releases fumes, which can be toxic, but once it has dried, it no longer releases fumes.
Rockwool
If you’re looking for more natural materials, rockwool is the way to go! We’ve seen this insulation material rising in popularity lately – for good reason! This insulation material is made up of natural materials that are melted down and spun into wool-like fibers.
PROS:
- Natural material
- Extremely high fire resistance, water resistance, and sound dampening
- High R-value rating
- Keeps shape over time
CONS:
- More expensive than most other materials
- Difficult to install
Cellulose
Cellulose insulation is perhaps the most environmentally friendly option on the market. It is made up of recycled newspaper, cardboard, and other paper products that would otherwise end up in landfills. These recycled materials are broken down into small, fluffy particles and treated to make them both fire and pest resistant.
PROS:
- Environmentally friendly
- Cost-effective
- Moderate R-value and sound dampening
- Great fire resistant
CONS:
- Not easy to DIY installation
- May settle and shift over time
Rigid Foam
Rigid foam insulation comes in the form of stiff boards. When properly installed, rigid foam boards can add some structural integrity to your home because it does not change shape over time.
PROS:
- High R-value
- Moisture resistant
- Excellent air sealing properties
CONS:
- More expensive than other options
- Requires careful sealing at joints to maintain air barrier
- Can degrade when exposed to sunlight
- Requires precise cutting for proper fit
Making the Right Choice for Your Home
When it comes to insulation, there’s no “perfect” solution for every home. Each type has different advantages and disadvantages that make them suitable for different situations and priorities. The best approach is often combining multiple insulation types strategically throughout your home to maximize performance while managing costs.
Remember that your climate, budget, and specific needs (like soundproofing or fire resistance) should guide your decision-making process. While it might be tempting to cut corners on insulation to save money upfront, we’ve found that investing in quality insulation typically pays for itself through lower energy bills and increased comfort over the lifetime of your home.
At The Old Barn, we’re committed to helping you make informed decisions that balance quality with cost-effectiveness. We believe that everyone deserves to live in their dream home without spending a fortune on a builder’s fee or sacrificing your agency when it comes to making decisions.
That’s why we created our Bootstrap Builders Program! Deciding to build your own home can be a scary decision, and you might be wondering if you can even do it. We’re here to tell you that you CAN! You simply need the right resources and a little bit of determination, and our Bootstrap Builders Program will give you just that!
This program walks you through every step of the homebuilding process, from securing a loan without a builder to how to prioritize your marriage during the process. Become a Bootstrap Builder today, and you can automatically save 25% or more on your build!
For help making other home design decisions, check out some of our other blogs:
Home Exterior Materials: Everything You Need to Know
Pick the Perfect Cabinets For Your Dream Home
Simple Age-in-Place Design Ideas for Your Forever Home
We hope this guide has helped explain some of the most popular home insulation options and empowered you to make choices that will keep your dream home comfortable, energy-efficient, and within your budget. As always, feel free to reach out to us! We’re here to answer any questions as you continue your homebuilding journey.