The number one problem of many buildings -- particularly older buildings -- is the fact that they waste enormous amounts of energy. To some extent this is not surprising, since in earlier days energy was much cheaper and in more plentiful supply. However all of that has changed -- and your home, office and commercial buildings must be properly insulated -- this is not an optional thing; we must all do our part to save precious energy.

So where do you begin? A good place to begin is to learn about the different types of insulating products that are available. One of the newer types of home insulation products is bubble foil insulation. You know what bubble foil is, don't you? Sure you do -- you've often seen it used as packaging filler. Now take some of that bubble wrap, and imagine a piece of aluminum foil glued on both sides -- that's bubble foil insulation. It is an insulator against radiated heat energy -- it will bounce those heat waves right off, helping your room to stay cooler in the summer, and warmer in the winter.

A slightly older technology is that of blown in insulation. I have seen everything from small pieces of cork to wood chips to rock wool used -- but it is always installed in just about the same way -- by blowing the insulation behind your wall cavities or in your attic through flexible piping. Blown in insulation is very energy efficient and safe -- and it doesn't cost as much as other types of insulating materials, meaning that you can use it to insulate large areas such as attic crawl spaces that may span your entire building roof area.

Of course some insulation products are better for specific applications than others -- for example, if you need to insulate around a lot of electrical junction boxes and plumbing in your wall cavities, you can choose expanding foam insulation. This stuff is really great as it relies on a chemical process to actually expand and fill every nook and cranny in your walls and ceilings. The newer types of expanding foam insulation products are much safer to use and have in your home than the older products.

However, if you are looking for a very simple and straightforward method of insulating your home or office don't forget an old standby -- foam insulation board. Many homeowners like to use this as it can be easily cut and shaped to fit your wall cavities, or around electrical outlets, etc. Foam insulation board also helps to trap noise and voices -- providing a soundproof barrier to keep out street noises, or perhaps just an over-loud TV in the family room or den.

Where should you install insulation? While you certainly should not overlook obvious places like crawl spaces in your attic or overhanging ceilings (by the way, crawl space insulation can be difficult to put in), you should also look for less obvious places. For example, have you ever thought about insulating your water heater tank? You can purchase panels and wraparound blankets to help trap heat so that your water heater will not have to cycle on and off continuously.

Or you can even choose to insulate your garage doors -- simple garage door insulation kits can be purchased which will allow you to complete this job quickly and efficiently in just a few hours. Imagine the energy savings in your home that can be achieved by simply keeping your garage area warmer, or if you can reduce the amount of heat standby loss from your hot water heater?

And it isn't just residential structures which are being made more energy efficient -- businesses, office buildings, shopping malls, even farms -- all can benefit from increased energy savings. For example, farmers with livestock such as cows, horses, or chickens will install radiant barrier insulation to trap and hold heat in the wintertime, and reflect dangerous high summertime heat. Even those who own and operate warehouses are investing in good-quality metal building insulation products to provide a healthier and more comfortable working environment for their factory workers and warehouse employees.

So we invite you to take a look at your existing building -- particularly if it is a bit older -- could you, too, benefit from the comfort and energy savings of a properly insulated environment? It's a question worth pondering...