We all know that hot air rises, so it makes sense that all the good work your heating system is doing may be disappearing through the roof if your ceiling isn’t adequately insulated. Conversely, in warmer months, your roof is the first place to feel the brunt of the sun’s heat. This heat is then easily radiated into your home through an uninsulated ceiling, making your cooling system work overtime just to keep the place comfortable! Ceiling insulation is the best way to protect your home from the outdoor elements to minimise the need for mechanical heating and cooling systems. The best part is, it’s a simple and cheap home improvement that could end up saving you a lot of money!

Insulation creates a thermal barrier that resists the transmission of heat. In the case of your home this will probably be made up of a thick layer of bulk insulation (usually made up of fibrous material like wool or polyester). Many homes will also have a reflective material that reflects radiant heat (such as the heat from the sun). By creating this thermal barrier, the well insulated house will be able to minimise the effects of temperature swings externally, and maintain a more comfortable, moderate temperature without excessive use of heating and cooling systems.

Ceiling insulation is relatively easy to install, especially if your home has a pitched roof with an attic or roof space where the insulation can be placed between ceiling joists. In many cases, the installation of can be a DIY job. If you are confident to install the ceiling insulation yourself, all you have to do is purchase sufficient batts from a building supplies store, and lay the batts in the roof or attic space as per the manufacturers instructions.

Alternatively, you can call in the professionals to install the ceiling insulation for you. Professional ceiling insulation installers know how to effectively install ceiling insulation including dealing with more problematic situations like flat roofs, ceiling mounted down lights (which can pose a fire hazard) etc. So in these less straightforward situations, it might be wise to get your insulation professionally installed.

Bulk insulation, being a lightweight, fibrous product, is actually incredibly economical. A typical house will cost between $1000-$1400 to fully insulate the ceiling. Many governments are offering rebates or discounts for the installation of ceiling insulation making it even more affordable. If you live in Australia, for example, you may be entitled to a rebate of up to $1600 to insulate your roof. Governments worldwide are encouraging people to install  ceiling insulation as a way to meet their energy and greenhouse gas emissions targets. Be sure to check with your Government to see if they are offering any incentives for ceiling insulation installation.

Ceiling insulation is a great home-improvement option to make your home more energy-efficient, saving you money and reducing the greenhouse gas emissions from you home. It’s also something that can be achieved quite easily and the initial outlay will quickly be repaid thanks to reduced heating and cooling costs – not to mention the priceless benefit of making your home more comfortable and livable year-round.

Most people consider it an advantage to be without debt. This is a conservative and very sensible policy to have. However, all the evidence shows that in the current financial environment people are more willing to borrow and get into debt than ever before. Debt levels have continued to grow over recent years and now stand at historically high levels. So the question that comes to mind is what is everyone spending their money on?

Loan Terms

The basic rule of borrowing is you match the loan with an appropriate purpose so that short term loans are spent on short term expenses, but long term loans are not. This makes sense as who wants to paying off a loan they spend on a two week loan for the next fifteen years. However, a house that you are going to grow old in is something that you should be more willing to give a long-term commitment to.

Secured Home Improvement Loans

Therefore, if you are thinking of taking out a home improvement loan, it may be of comfort to know that this is an expense that it is appropriate to secure against your home. Securing a loan against your home will mean that you can borrow far more than if the loan were unsecured, and also that the interest rates will be lower. Secured loans are among the best value and most attractive loans available on the market, especially for long terms and large amounts.

It’s an Investment!

Just how many programs are aired on TV trying to get the nation to either improve their current home or sell the current home, move into some run down building site and renovate? With all the advice from these shows and the record profits of major DIY centres across the country show that we are always trying to make a better home for ourselves and emulate the ‘professionals’ that we watch every day on TV.

All for good reason though as another benefit of borrowing to carry out home improvements is that you will effectively will be investing the money. Home improvements can significantly increase the value of your home and in turn allow you to borrow even more money. If you are thinking of selling your home at some point in the near future than most likely, it will be money well spent as it will make your home easier to sell and could well fetch you a higher price.

Financial Benefit

But even if you are not selling your home, simply knowing that your home is worth more is a real financial benefit. It is something that can be borrowed against at any time and will increase in its value as the housing market increases. And it is one of the best types of investment you can make because you will be living in it, and enjoying it every day. Spending money on your home will keep the value stored up and will also allow you the extra utility of using it. This is one of the best reasons currently to borrow money. Just make sure you have a good contractor or builder.

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