Which Insulation Lasts the Longest?

When it comes to insulating your home from the cold and heat loss, there is a bewildering array of choices to make. Some are better than others but not all. There are spray-on insulation, fiberglass batt insulation, metal or cellulose attic insulation, cellulose or foam board insulation, mineral wool insulation, sheathing, and brick sealing insulation, pre-mat roofing, fireproofing, and more. Which one will do the best job of keeping your home insulated against the elements, and what is the best way to choose the right one?

What insulation lasts the longest?

First let’s start by answering the question, “What does insulation last the longest?” If you are heating your home with an electric heater, you are looking at having insulation last the longest because the only thing that moves with this heat is air. You have to remember that once the air is removed from your home, the temperature inside your house remains constant. The only difference is that the heating has been disabled, which means that the insulation inside your home has not kept the heat enough.

Twenty years

With all of that taken into consideration, your insulation should last about twenty years before it should be replaced. Even if you were to purchase spray foam insulation today, if you leave it on today, it will still last twenty years but not nearly as long as it would have if you had bought some fiberglass or metal sheet insulation. This is primarily since spray foam is not insulating. It is meant to provide temporary protection from moisture, and the result is that you end up wasting a lot of money by constantly having to re-apply it.

So, how can you ensure that your insulation lasts the longest? One way is to take a look at the rollers that the insulation is installed on. If you can find any signs of wear in these rollers, you may want to consider replacing these rollers sooner rather than later. For a more detailed view of the rollers and their condition, you can take a look at the spray foam inspection tool. Using this tool, you can see how the insulation is being held in place, and you can determine if the insulation is being held tightly enough to keep heat in and if it is being blown away from the walls.

Insulation Quality

Another thing to consider when wondering “what insulation lasts the longest?” Is the quality of the insulation that you are installing. If you are attempting to install carpet insulation, you may need to take out the floor to work on the wall. This can prevent the insulation from being properly installed, so it is essential to ensure you are doing a good job installing the insulation in the first place.

When trying to decide “what insulation lasts the longest?” You will also want to think about what kinds of insulation are currently being used. It would not be a good idea to use thick or thin fiberglass insulation, for example, if you are going to install a wall. If you are placing attic insulation on the second level of your home, you might be better off with a fiberglass product rather than a traditional spray foam product. Regardless of which insulation you choose, you will find that with some investment in time and work, you will end up saving money in the long run.