7 Areas You Are Forgetting to Insulate!

When most homeowners think about insulation, they immediately picture attics and exterior walls. While those are essential parts of your home’s thermal barrier, they’re not the only areas that need insulation. In fact, forgetting to insulate key spaces can result in significant energy loss, uncomfortable indoor temperatures, and costly utility bills.

At Koala Insulation of Northern Illinois, we help homeowners uncover hidden insulation gaps that could be affecting their comfort and efficiency. Here are seven commonly overlooked areas in your home that deserve insulation attention—and why addressing them can make a big difference.

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1. Garage Walls and Ceilings

Many homeowners skip insulating their garage, especially if it’s not used as a living space. But garages often share walls with conditioned rooms, and air can easily transfer between the two. Without insulation, cold air can seep into adjacent rooms in winter, and extreme heat can affect your home’s cooling in summer.

At Koala Insulation of Northern Illinois, we recommend insulating garage walls, ceilings, and even the garage door if the space is attached to your home. This helps buffer temperature swings and increases overall home efficiency.

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2. Basement Rim Joists

The rim joist is the area where your home’s floor framing meets the foundation wall. It’s one of the most common sources of air leakage and thermal loss in a home—especially in older homes found throughout Northern Illinois.

Rim joist insulation, typically done with spray foam, seals these leaks and prevents drafts from creeping up through the floor. It also helps keep moisture and pests at bay, improving both comfort and indoor air quality.

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3. Crawl Spaces

Out of sight often means out of mind—but ignoring your crawl space could be costing you. An uninsulated crawl space allows cold air, moisture, and even pollutants to rise into your living areas.

Koala Insulation of Northern Illinois offers encapsulation and insulation services for crawl spaces that protect against heat loss, humidity, and structural issues. We use vapor barriers, spray foam, and other moisture-resistant materials to make sure your crawl space is sealed and protected.

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4. Behind Knee Walls

Knee walls are short walls found in attic spaces—especially in homes with finished upper floors or dormers. These walls often back up to unconditioned attic spaces and can be a major source of heat transfer if left uninsulated.

Properly insulating behind and around knee walls helps maintain even temperatures in upstairs rooms and reduces the workload on your HVAC system. We use a combination of rigid foam boards and air sealing to ensure these areas are properly protected.

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5. Attic Access Doors and Hatches

While your attic might be insulated, what about the access door or pull-down stairs? These small openings are often overlooked and rarely insulated properly. Yet they can act like holes in your thermal envelope, allowing air to escape or enter your living space.

At Koala Insulation of Northern Illinois, we insulate and weatherstrip attic doors, scuttle covers, and drop-down stairs to stop drafts and improve attic insulation performance.

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6. Interior Walls for Sound Control

While exterior walls are insulated to improve thermal efficiency, interior walls are often left bare. Insulating between rooms—such as between bedrooms, bathrooms, laundry rooms, or home offices—offers excellent soundproofing benefits.

For families with young children, shift workers, or home-based businesses, interior wall insulation can make a noticeable difference in peace and privacy. Fiberglass batts or blown-in cellulose are excellent options for this purpose.

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7. HVAC Ductwork

Your HVAC ducts carry heated or cooled air throughout your home—but if they’re running through unconditioned spaces like attics or crawl spaces, they may be losing that air before it ever reaches your rooms.

Insulating ductwork is one of the easiest and most effective ways to reduce energy waste. Our team at Koala Insulation of Northern Illinois seals and insulates ducts to ensure your HVAC system operates at peak efficiency and delivers consistent comfort across your home.

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The Benefits of Insulating These Forgotten Areas

Tackling these often-forgotten insulation zones can yield major rewards, including:

• Lower utility bills
• Fewer drafts and hot/cold spots
• Improved indoor air quality
• Better moisture control
• Reduced noise transfer
• Longer HVAC lifespan

Even small insulation upgrades can add up to big savings over time. And when done correctly, these improvements enhance both your comfort and your home’s resale value.

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Trust the Experts at Koala Insulation of Northern Illinois

Our team takes a comprehensive approach to home insulation, inspecting your entire building envelope to identify hidden weaknesses and recommend smart, efficient solutions. Whether you’re building new, remodeling, or just want to improve performance, Koala Insulation of Northern Illinois is your trusted local partner.

We offer:

• Free home insulation evaluations
• Spray foam, blown-in, batt, and rigid board insulation options
• Air sealing and moisture control solutions
• Professional-grade installation and customer service

With years of experience serving Northern Illinois, we understand the unique climate demands in the area and tailor our insulation solutions accordingly.

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Call Us Today for a Free Estimate

Don’t let overlooked areas reduce your home’s efficiency. Let Koala Insulation of Northern Illinois help you insulate smarter and save more. Whether it’s your garage, crawl space, attic hatch, or ductwork, we’ve got the knowledge and tools to seal the deal.

Call us today at (847) 563-7811 or visit https://koalainsulation.com/Northern-Illinois to schedule your free estimate. A more comfortable, energy-efficient home is just one call away!