What Is the Best Time of Year to Insulate a Home?

Knowing the best time of year to insulate a home can help you make informed decisions about when to upgrade your insulation. You want your home to be comfortable year-round, which means finding the right time to make improvements.

The process of installing home insulation includes many steps that you must think about carefully. It’s natural to have questions about cost, the best type of insulation, and how much insulation you need, but many people overlook the question of timing.

When Should You Insulate Your Home?

In our experience, fall is the best time of year to insulate a home. There are several key reasons we advise homeowners to add insulation in the fall as opposed to other times of year:

Mild Weather

Thanks to climate change, Colorado’s summers are getting hotter. Winters may be getting warmer, too, but we can still expect unpredictable cold snaps and snowstorms.

Home insulation is essential for weathering the seasonal highs and lows. It keeps your home comfortable and prevents you from having to run the heat or AC constantly to maintain the temperature. You want your home to be ready for extreme weather, so installing insulation in a more temperate month (such as spring or fall) is key.

In Denver, it doesn’t get more mild than fall. Precipitation in September, October, and November is relatively minimal and the average temperatures are typically tolerable. These conditions are perfect for installing insulation. Plus, it ensures that you have new, high-quality insulation in place before winter rears its ugly head. This allows your house to stay warmer and places less strain on your furnace, as well as positioning you to stay cool in the summer.

Read More: Where to Insulate Your Home in Winter

Cost

The cost of insulation materials remains steady throughout the year. So, from a cost perspective, there really isn’t a best time to buy insulation or hire a contractor to insulate your home.

When we talk about cost, we’re talking about the best time of year to insulate a home based on the cost of utilities. From that standpoint, making upgrades in the fall is highly advantageous.

Xcel Energy’s residential rates are the highest in the summer (defined as June 1 through September 30). Summer’s almost over, but you can make sure your home is properly insulated in time for the winter utility spike.

Homeowners in Colorado waste hundreds to thousands of dollars every year heating and cooling homes that leak air through the roof, windows, doors, and walls. Proper home insulation keeps heated and cooled air inside the house, lowering your utility bills when they’d usually be the most expensive. This is only possible, however, with the foresight of upgrading insulation before seasonal energy costs go up.

Timing for Remodels

Summer is the most popular season for remodels. Remodels often extend into the fall. If you took the plunge and started a remodel that’s getting close to finished, now is an ideal time to think about reinsulating your home.

For obvious reasons, the easiest time to insulate your home is when your house is having work done to its structure. New insulation can easily be added to exposed wall cavities, or old insulation can be removed and replaced.

If you are thinking about adding energy efficiency upgrades to your home remodel, we recommend getting a professional energy audit first. This assessment identifies air leaks and other issues that can make your home inefficient and cost you money.

Findings from a home energy audit can help you identify what areas of the home require insulation improvements. This may include:

• The attic
• The crawl space
• The basement
• And more

Under-insulation is a common problem in Denver homes, particularly older ones. Thankfully, it’s a problem you can address during a remodel. And if you started in the summer and the project is going to be completed in the fall, the timing for new insulation is ideal.

How Do I Know If My House Needs Insulation?

Time of year isn’t the only consideration when thinking about the best time to insulate a house. It is also important to consider the age and condition of the insulation and how it affects your home’s energy efficiency.

As we mentioned above, inadequate insulation (or, in really old houses, no insulation in key areas) is a common problem for Denver homeowners. Other issues that may indicate it’s time to retrofit or replace your insulation include:

• Significant increase in energy bills
• Drafty rooms
• Cold floors and walls
• Major temperature inconsistencies between floors
• Water damage and mold
• Rodent and insect infestations
• Ice dams in gutters, frozen pipes, and other issues with freezing
• High winds; this can result in wind washing, or displacement of insulation

If you notice any of these problems, the time to address them is NOW. Home insulation is durable and long-lasting, but the material can become less effective over time and due to unfavorable conditions.

Read More: When to Replace Your Home Insulation

What Is the Best Insulation?

In addition to finding the best time of year to insulate a home, you also need to determine what type of insulation you need. There are multiple options to choose from, including:

• Fiberglass Insulation
• Cellulose Insulation
• Mineral Wool Insulation
• Spray Foam Insulation

Home insulation comes in batts and rolls, loose-fill, foam board, and more. If you have a crawl space, it is also crucial to install a vapor barrier to control moisture levels underneath the house.

Ultimately, the best insulation depends on the condition of your current insulation, what areas of the house need to be insulated, your budget, and other factors. A reputable insulation company can help you find the right R-value for the space and Colorado’s climate so your investment in energy efficiency pays off.

Get Help Insulating Your Home!

Fall is the time of year we start getting ready for the cold. Upgrading your insulation before winter begins can keep you warm and save you hundreds of dollars in the short-term, and much more in the months and years to come.

REenergizeCO has unmatched experience and expertise with home insulation. We help homeowners in Denver, Fort Collins, and the Colorado Front Range maximize their comfort and energy savings with solutions tailored to their needs and goals.

Contact REenergizeCO today if you have any questions about adding insulation to your home or making other home energy improvements!