Insulate to reduce heat in summer

When we talk about insulating a house, we often imagine that it is an effective way of fighting the cold in winter. This is indeed the case. But thermal discomfort can also be felt in summer when the heat from outside penetrates your home, almost making you miss winter… The heat build-up is then particularly noticeable when a heat wave is prolonged.

To combat this phenomenon, it is worth planning insulation work. Insulating your home will allow you to enjoy good thermal comfort whatever the season

What should you use to insulate your home to keep it cool in summer?

Many materials can be used to insulate: glass wool, rock wool, hemp wool, polystyrene, polyurethane, cellulose wadding, cork, etc. Each of them has its own specificities, advantages and disadvantages to consider depending on your home, your budget, the performance you are looking for and your ecological convictions.

In addition to thermal resistance, it is essential to pay attention to the phase shift time of the material used in order to enjoy good comfort in summer. This refers to the time it takes for the heat to pass through the insulation and reach the interior of your home. The longer this time, the cooler the insulation will keep your house. For example, the phase shift time of wood fibre, wood wool and cellulose wadding is about twice as long as that of mineral wools or polyurethane.

To choose the material best suited to your situation, consider calling on a professional who will be able to guide you through your project. Ask one of our approved enoprimes partners for information. You will receive free advice from experts. Do you have any other questions about your insulation work? Don’t hesitate to contact us.

Which part of your home should be insulated to reduce heat in summer?

To keep your home cool in the summer and warm in the winter, you should select parts of your home to be insulated first.

Attic space

Poorly or inadequately insulated attics are often the main cause of poor thermal insulation (30%) in a house. It is therefore essential to take special care to improve the energy performance of your home in the long term.

When the attic is converted, you can insulate it either from the outside or from the inside. This second option is often less expensive, but you will lose some living space. When the attic is lost, it is advisable to insulate using a blowing technique. The entire surface of the attic is then evenly covered.

The walls

Poor wall insulation is also responsible for a 20% reduction in the energy performance of your home. As with the attic, you can insulate from the outside or from the inside. Although more expensive, external wall insulation is preferable because, unlike internal insulation, it eliminates all thermal bridges and does not reduce the living space.

The floor

Finally, you can insulate the floor of your home. The floor of a house can be insulated either from above or below. The choice of technique depends on the configuration of the building.

What kind of aid is available to insulate your home?

The main obstacle to insulation work is its sometimes high cost. However, the savings made in the long term and the comfort gained are not negligible, quite the contrary. Not to mention that the resale value of a well-insulated building is much higher.

Furthermore, by carrying out certain insulation work, you can benefit from the enoprimes programme. As a private individual in Luxembourg, you are entitled to a premium for energy-saving renovation work in your home, namely

• thermal insulation of the exterior walls ;
• thermal insulation of the roof
• attic insulation
• thermal insulation of the lower slab;
• replacement of windows.

The more energy savings your project generates, the higher the amount of the grant.

Are you planning to carry out energy renovation work and would like to know how much of a premium you are entitled to? Go to our enoprimes simulator. In just a few clicks, you’ll get an estimate of the subsidies you’re entitled to for your project.

Despite your insulation work, do you still find it too warm in your house or flat? If so, there are a number of tips to help you keep your home cool in the summer.