The importance of roof insulation and understanding why most homes can benefit from it can’t be understated these days. It helps to keep cooled and heated air within a home, which is where it belongs, for one. As well, because it’s not escaping from the home, overall home energy costs tend to be much lower. In terms of the ability of insulation to accomplish all these things, the standard way of measuring it is known as R-value, or thermal resistance.

When it comes to such resistance, most homeowners readily admit that they’re not as well-informed about insulation as they should be. They also aren’t aware that roofs and lofts are prime suspects when a home incurs high heating and cooling costs for no apparent reason. That’s because a poorly insulated loft or roof (or both) tend to allow heated or cooled air to escape the home too easily, creating a money drain on a homeowner’s pocketbook.

Given that societies around the globe these days are beginning to get serious about the need to “go green,” taking control of home energy costs can be vital. In order to do so, a homeowner should look at the kinds and types of insulation that strike the best balance between cost and R-value, or thermal resistance. Spray foam-type insulation (known as polystyrene), for example, seems to work well in this regard.

Generally speaking, there are two main types of polystyrene insulation; extruded and expanded. As far as ease of installation and getting the best R-value at the best cost, most experts believe that expanded polystyrene makes for a good insulation candidate. It’s relatively affordable, brings a nice R-value to the table and can be installed quickly and easily by professional insulation companies.

This sort of insulation is nothing more than a polymer of polystyrene, which is a synthetic material, that’s been impregnated with foaming agents. Within the industry, it’s often referred to as “spray foam,” or foam insulation. It will work quite well in even chilly northern climates and it’s available at prices that won’t put a homeowner in the poor house, as well. It’s also, as was said, relatively easy to have installed.

Any sort of insulation intended for roofs, lofts, walls and the like also comes in certain densities. Expanded polystyrene is attractive in this regard as well because it can be had in densities of from .70 to 3 pounds per cubic foot, which is expressed as “3/pcf.” Most roof manufacturers and home insulating experts recommend a minimum density of 1.25 pcf when it comes to spray foam insulation varieties.

Roof insulation, especially when it’s of the proper kind, type and density, can make a big difference when it comes to getting a handle on home energy costs these days. Homeowners are well advised to look at insulation that strikes a nice balance between expense and thermal resistance or R-value. As well, they should also consider how easy it would be to install new insulation. Expanded polystyrene or spray foam-types seem to be the most convenient, for what it’s worth.

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