If you’re a savvy DIYer around the house, own the basic tools, and have enough time on your hands, you can definitely install fiberglass insulation yourself. Doing the work yourself will certainly keep overall insulation costs down. However, if you’re not confident in your handy skills around the house, call in a professional.

Mineral wool has an excellent life expectancy of up to 50 years, provided it's kept dry and free of pests. Compared to fiberglass, with a life span of 20 to 30 years, mineral wool stacks up well for long-term cost savings. Sheep wool maintains a similar life span to fiberglass, while estimates for hemp wool insulation life expectancies are all over the board, ranging anywhere from 20 to 100 years.

Insulating ductwork improves your HVAC system's energy efficiency by protecting the air from external conditions and preventing energy loss as it travels through the ducts. This means your system doesn't have to work as hard to heat or cool your home, leading to lower energy bills and a reduced carbon footprint. Additionally, insulated ducts help maintain a more consistent and stable indoor temperature, enhancing comfort. Proper insulation also improves indoor air quality by reducing the entry of allergens and pollutants and helps prevent problems like condensation and mold formation within the ductwork.

Adding insulation to ceilings is an excellent way to increase the energy efficiency of your home. If your home's layout is such that you need insulation in the ceilings rather than in the roof, it's likely that at least some insulation already exists in the space. However, each additional inch of insulation you can add boosts the R-value by between 2.2 and 4.2.