Insulation Blog – Insulation Material Guide, Facts & Advice

News Source : Thinkinsulation

With purse strings tighter than ever before and the season of DIY looming fast, leading eco-website www.thinkinsulation.com has identified a change in the DIY tasks people are choosing to undertake, compared with 10 years ago.

At the start of the housing boom 10 years ago, savvy house-buyers were looking to make as much money as possible in the quickest time they could. Home improvement programmes were teaching people how to move up the property ladder, snapping up run down dwellings and turning them into profitable projects.

Ten years ago the leading DIY jobs were typically aesthetic and included:

1. Landscaping the garden, painting fences and gates
2. Painting window frames, doors and steps
3. Sprucing up interior walls, re-plastering and fitting new skirting boards
4. Re-tiling or re-grouting bathroom walls
5. Fixing loose drawers or shelves

Now the property boom has stalled, people are looking at their homes as long-term investments. They are taking on bigger DIY projects over longer periods of time with the aim of improving where they live but are completing tasks themselves instead of hiring a builder, in order to save costs.

The impact the population is having on the environment has also become more prominent over the past 10 years. DIY enthusiasts are keeping this is mind when projects are being planned, and as a result jobs are performed in order to save energy and reduce bills. In addition to this, the DIY products being used are ones which will contribute to maximum energy efficiency in the home, such as Knauf Insulation’s Space Blanket. Space Blanket is created from recycled glass bottles, making it the perfect choice for use in an eco friendly house.

Due to the change in trends, DIY retailers are preparing for a massive influx of individuals looking to improve the energy efficiency of their homes over the forthcoming bank holiday.

Leading DIY jobs for 2009 will improve the energy efficiency of the home:

1. Fitting loft insulation – to help keep the house warm in winter and cool in the summer
2. Replacing windows and doors with double glazing
3. Fitting draft excluders before the cold weather returns – keep the heat in and cold out
4. Fitting carpet on cold laminate or stone flooring
5. Fitting new kitchen and bathrooms with energy efficient and water saving devices

The trend has also lead to a number of leading DIY retailers offering massive discounts on products such as insulation, energy efficient light-bulbs and building tools. With the May bank holiday being the busiest DIY weekend of the year, there has never been a better time to snap up some bargains on the way to becoming more energy efficient.

For great energy saving tips, visit www.thinkinsulation.com.