Sometimes it seems like you can't get a break on your energy bills. Just when the winter heating season starts cooling off, the summer cooling season starts heating up. However, you can make a big impact on those HVAC bills all year long by improving the insulation in your home, so your climate-controlled air stays inside where it belongs. And one of the best insulation choices you can make is to use spray polyurethane foam.

Expanding Plastic

Between 20 and 30 percent of your indoor air escapes via leaks, according to Energy Star, so your heater and air conditioner have to work harder, use more fuel and cost you more money to keep your home at your preferred temperature. More than half the energy usage in the average home already goes to heating and cooling, according to the Department of Energy, so you don't want to put any more resources into it than you already are.

That's why you need to combat thermal loss, and spray foam is perfect for adding insulation, sealing leaks and blocking moisture. The foam is a form of plastic that can reach places standard insulation can't. It's sprayed into your walls in liquid form, and it then transforms and expands into foam to fill in every little nook and cranny, working its way into cracks, seams and joints.

Search and Destroy Your Leaks

How do you know if you have leaks, or need more insulation in general? Keep an eye out for higher-than-expected energy bills, for starters. Also be aware if you feel drafts anywhere in your home, or if certain rooms never seem to heat up or cool down sufficiently. If you suspect you have a leak, you can purchase a leak detector from a hardware store that uses a trail of smoke to help you detect where the air might be escaping.

Spray foam comes in high density (which is mostly used for roofs and exteriors), and medium and low densities, (which are more appropriate for attics and indoor spaces). You can use it anywhere that you have a leak, including along the roof line, in holes for wiring and plumbing, around HVAC ducts and along the edges of your doors and windows. Even if you don't have actual leaks, spray foam can be useful just for filling up any empty spaces in your walls to improve the insulation.

Pollen and Mold Be Gone

Sealing up your home with spray foam is an effective way to keep the outside out, creating a barrier that stops insects and rodents from entering your home. Plus, irritants like pollen have a tougher time finding their way in, giving allergy sufferers a much needed break.

The foam can be especially helpful under your roof, because in addition to providing insulation to keep hot air from rising straight out of your house, it also keeps water from leaking inside. That helps protect the integrity of your woodwork and reduces the possibility of mold and mildew growth.

For more help in determining whether spray foam is right for you, contact a home services professional today and watch the savings roll in.