HVAC Contributor
Nowadays, the idea of a house without insulation seems absurd. However, insulation is a relatively new addition to homes, thus houses 60 years old or older might not have it. Even though a historic home may have a certain allure, you may not want to live there because of the uncomfortable cold or heat. When it comes to home heating and cooling, breaking into the walls of your house can be a hassle, especially in the days when plaster walls were the standard. For this reason, some homeowners look for alternatives.
But what choices do you have if your house doesn’t have insulation? Do you have any choices? Let’s talk about heating and cooling uninsulated homes in today’s blog.
Fiberglass and spray foam insulation are now the two most used types of insulation. In the 1930s and 1940s, these two forms of insulation were developed. In the 1970s and 1980s, spray foam insulation, which was first developed for military applications, gained popularity as a residential insulation choice. So, if your house was built before the 1970s, and most definitely before the 1940s, insulation might not be present. Of course, some old houses have undergone renovations to provide insulation, but not all.
If your home has insulation or not, you should be able to tell during your home inspection. If not, you might see indicators like:
- Extreme temperature variations
- Cold flooring or walls, or drafts
- Hot, stuffy summertime conditions
- Damage to your attic or roof
- High bills for cooling and heating
Your regular heating and cooling systems might not be adequate to make your home truly comfortable all year round if it lacks insulation. Thankfully, it is possible to insulate your home better even without in-wall insulation and to heat and cool it.
Begin With Windows
Depending on the season, even modern homes with insulation might occasionally seem stuffy or drafty. Thin, drafty windows are frequently at blame for this.
By replacing your current windows with more energy-efficient ones, such as triple-pane windows with non-toxic gas in between the glass panes to reduce airflow and heat loss, you can resolve this problem. In order to insulate your windows and add layers, you can also put window film, which will offer a small amount of insulation to the windows.
Think About Installing A Ductless Mini-Split
Central air conditioning and furnaces are not the only heating and cooling alternatives. In order to reduce their HVAC costs and become more energy efficient, even some modern homes are switching to alternate solutions. A ductless mini-split heat pump could be used for cooling.
This mini-split is recessed into the wall, narrow, and barely noticeable. Instead of just creating heat and air, it circulates it by using heat pump technology. It might be installed in a space that is most adversely affected by poor insulation, or it might even be added to your ducting to enhance it. In either case, it’s a fantastic choice for houses that don’t have insulation and want to keep cozy while still saving money.
Put In An attic Fan
Because heat rises, it can get extremely uncomfortable in your attic, especially if you don’t have insulation. When your attic is overflowing with heated air, it may also make the heat and cold in the rest of your house rather intolerable. Installing an attic fan will help to distribute heat throughout your house and maintain a more constant temperature. An attic fan will prevent the attic from being stuffy, will shield your home from heat and drafts, and could even be beneficial to the roof.
Create “Zones” On The Thermostat
Some thermostats allow you to program “zones” that change the temperature in your home according to the room. For instance, perhaps your bedroom needs to be a touch colder, or perhaps the living room needs more heat because it is draftier than you’d like. You won’t need to turn up the heat or air conditioning in every room, saving you money on energy costs. Instead, you may tailor your heating and cooling with thermostat zones. Additionally, programmable thermostats let you establish a default temperature for specific seasons.
Install Insulation
There is, of course, one choice that we haven’t covered yet: installing insulation in your attic and floors. Although installing insulation might be a large project, it will undoubtedly make your home feel cozier than it would without it. Additionally, it might cut your energy bills by up to 50%. Finding an HVAC contractor who will install insulation is a problem that many homeowners encounter.
You can insulate your attic and even install insulation beneath your home to improve the comfort of the flooring. By deflecting the sun’s rays and preventing them from penetrating your attic, you may also insulate your home. With or without these additional heating and cooling suggestions, there are a variety of insulation alternatives that will work best for your home and increase its comfort.
It is still possible to heat and cool your home effectively and affordably if it has some degree of insulation deficiency. To learn more about the heating and cooling alternatives for your house or to schedule an appointment for the installation of new heating and cooling systems, get in touch with your trusted HVAC contractor.
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