When it comes to insulating your home, most people immediately think about the attic or exterior walls. And while those areas are essential for energy efficiency and comfort, they’re far from the only ones that matter. At Koala Insulation of North Chicagoland, we often find that homeowners overlook key parts of their home that, when properly insulated, can dramatically improve temperature control, reduce energy bills, and enhance overall comfort.
In this blog, we’re revealing the 7 most commonly forgotten areas to insulate—and why you should pay attention to them.
1. Crawl Spaces
Why it matters: Crawl spaces are often neglected, but they play a huge role in regulating your home’s temperature and indoor air quality. In summer, hot, humid air from an uninsulated crawl space rises into your living areas, causing your AC to work harder. In winter, cold air seeps in from below, making floors chilly and rooms harder to heat.
Solution: Koala Insulation of North Chicagoland recommends insulating crawl space walls or subflooring with spray foam or foam board, depending on whether the space is vented or sealed.
2. Basement Rim Joists
Why it matters: The rim joist is the outer edge of your floor framing where the walls meet the foundation. This area is notorious for air leaks, drafts, and energy loss—especially in older homes in the Chicagoland area.
Solution: Spray foam insulation is ideal for rim joists, as it fills gaps and seals out moisture and air. This small upgrade can make a big difference in comfort and energy savings.
3. Garage Walls and Ceilings
Why it matters: If your garage is attached to your home, heat and cold can transfer through shared walls and ceilings. Rooms adjacent to or above an uninsulated garage often suffer from extreme temperature swings.
Solution: Insulating garage walls and ceilings helps create a thermal barrier that protects nearby living spaces. Koala Insulation of North Chicagoland uses batt or blown-in insulation to improve comfort in these transitional zones.
4. Interior Walls
Why it matters: While interior walls don’t affect your home’s envelope, they do influence comfort and sound control. Insulating interior walls helps regulate room-to-room temperature changes and reduces noise transfer—a big win for home offices, bedrooms, and shared living spaces.
Solution: Batt insulation is a simple and effective choice for interior walls. If you’re renovating or building, it’s the perfect time to insulate before the walls are closed up.
5. Attic Access Points (Hatches, Doors & Pull-Down Stairs)
Why it matters: Your attic hatch or pull-down stairs can act like a giant hole in your insulation system if not properly sealed. Heat rises—and without insulation around these access points, it escapes into the attic during winter and lets hot air in during summer.
Solution: We recommend insulating the attic door or hatch with rigid foam board and using weatherstripping around the edges to create a tight seal. Koala Insulation of North Chicagoland includes this in many of our attic upgrade projects.
6. Behind Knee walls
Why it matters: Knee walls—short walls under sloped ceilings often found in finished attics—are typically left uninsulated. This allows heat to flow freely into and out of your living space, undermining the rest of your home’s insulation efforts.
Solution: Insulating the back of the knee wall and the floor behind it helps maintain a consistent temperature and makes these upstairs spaces more livable year-round.
7. Floors Over Unconditioned Spaces
Why it matters: If you have rooms above an unheated garage, crawl space, or basement, the floor between them can be a major source of heat loss. You may feel cold drafts or notice that the floor is always cooler than the rest of the room.
Solution: Insulating the subfloor with batt or spray foam helps stop drafts and keeps heat from escaping through the floor. At Koala Insulation of North Chicagoland, we frequently insulate floors to help improve comfort and reduce heating costs.
Bonus Tip: Don’t Forget Air Sealing!
Even the best insulation won’t perform well if your home has gaps and cracks that allow air to escape. Air sealing around windows, doors, plumbing penetrations, and ductwork complements your insulation and ensures maximum energy efficiency.
Koala Insulation of North Chicagoland offers full air sealing services to go along with your insulation upgrade, creating a more comfortable and efficient home.
How Skipping These Areas Costs You
When these areas are ignored, the consequences can be costly:
- Higher energy bills from overworked HVAC systems
- Uneven room temperatures and persistent hot or cold spots
- Reduced indoor air quality due to drafts or moisture intrusion
- Lower home resale value due to poor energy efficiency
By insulating these often-forgotten spaces, you’re not just improving comfort—you’re investing in the long-term value and performance of your home.
Why Choose Koala Insulation of North Chicagoland?
Our team is committed to helping local homeowners create energy-efficient, comfortable homes—starting with a thorough evaluation. At Koala Insulation of North Chicagoland, we don’t just insulate the obvious spots; we look at your home holistically to find every opportunity for savings and improvement.
We offer:
- Free home insulation evaluations
- A wide range of insulation materials (spray foam, blown-in, batt, and foam board)
- Expert installation by trained professionals
- Air sealing services
- Competitive pricing and financing options
Conclusion: Insulation Isn’t Just for the Attic
Don’t let overlooked areas cost you in comfort and energy. Whether it’s the crawl space under your feet or the knee wall behind your attic bedroom, these hidden zones make a big impact on your home’s performance.
Call Koala Insulation of North Chicagoland today at (847) 470-3177 or visit https://koalainsulation.com/north-chicagoland to schedule your free insulation assessment. Let us help you uncover the areas you’re forgetting—and turn them into opportunities for comfort and savings.