Properly insulating your home really pays-not only by reducing your utility bills but by also adding comfort and value to your home. A professional installer will save you time and money you wouldn't otherwise install yourself. They have the specialized products and technical expertise to insulate your home quickly, making sure your home delivers the greatest comfort and highest energy savings possible. For example, a professional installer will know your proper installed R-value as well as have the latest information on building codes.

Insulation increases the overall comfort of a home and adds to its resale value. It keeps a home cool in the summer and warm in the winter because it resists the flow of heat. Heat is a form of energy and always seeks a cooler area. It flows out of the home in the winter and into the home in the summer. By reducing heat flow, a properly insulated home uses less energy for heating and cooling. When installed in walls, floors or ceilings, fiber glass insulation also acts as a sound absorber to reduce the transmission of sound from one room to another or from the outside.

The amount of insulation you need depends on where you live.The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) has established thermal (or R-value) recommendations for homes based on geographic zones. Or, check with your utility company or state energy office.

Typical areas to insulate are attics and outside walls. However, you should also install insulation in areas including basement walls, floors above vented crawl spaces, cathedral ceilings, floors over unheated garages or porches, knee walls, and in between interior walls, ceilings or floors for extra sound control.

Fiber glass is made mostly of inorganic materials and, therefore, is naturally non-combustible; it is installed dry and does not absorb or retain moisture; and it has nearly no settling (less than 1%) which means the R-value is stable over time. In fact, it takes three times more cellulose material by weight than fiber glass to insulate a typical home. Cellulose, on the other hand, is made up of newspaper which is organic and naturally flammable (approximately 20% of the finished cellulose product is comprised of fire retardant chemicals); it is often installed damp and needs to fully dry after installation; and it can settle as much as 20% or shrink causing the R-value to deteriorate over time. Additionally, there has been very limited testing on the health and safety impacts of the chemical treatments and potential emissions from cellulose.