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Check
out Xcel Energy's home audit tool
Homeowners
are struggling more than ever before to find the
balance between being comfortable inside their
homes and keeping energy bills smaller than
their mortgage payment. Although turning down
your thermostat will help at first, the ultimate
in energy savings is to keep the heat you’ve
paid to produce within your walls as long as
possible. That makes adding insulation one of
the single most effective ways to save on
heating costs. |
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The
DOE Website has a wealth of easy-to-access
information about saving energy that is
practical.
In
almost any climate, if you can see the tops of
your attic floor joists when you venture up
there, you’ll need to add more insulation. As a
minimum, most homes in Colorado should have
between 7 inches and 12 inches of insulation.
You can go to the Department of Energy’s Website
To determine if you need more insulation,
measure what's in place with a ruler or tape
measure. When you do the measuring, make sure
you have plenty of light to work because you
will have to walk exclusively on the top edge of
the joists—let your foot slip in between where
the insulation is and you will end up breaking
through the drywall or plaster ceiling in the
room below.
Once you determine how much
insulation you have and then the amount you
need, it is easy enough to install additional
amounts over existing insulation yourself. There
are quite a number of insulations types
including rigid foams, sprayed-in foams, mineral
wool, and natural products like cottons and
wools, but most attics in the U.S. are insulated
with either fiberglass or cellulose:
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Fiberglass
Fiberglass insulation comes in rolls or
batts and is formed at a particular width and
thickness to fit between studs in walls or
joists in attics. Each thickness represents an
R-rating standard (for instance, R-19 is 5-1/2
thick for use with 2x6 wall studs or attic/floor
joists).
Blown Fiberglass
This is
fiberglass in a loose form that can be blown by
a professional installer through a hose to
whatever level is desired.
Cellulose
Cellulose is a paper-based insulation (much
of it recycled newsprint) treated with fire
retardant that is also blown into attics or
walls with a large, vacuum-like machine.
Which material you use is less important
than making sure you have enough insulation for
your climate. All of the insulation types above
do a good job, and you do not need to stay with
the form that is in your attic now when adding
more. Here are some tips that will help you add
more insulation:
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Johns
Manville just launched a new website for
homeowners
•
If you are using fiberglass insulation in batt
or roll form, make sure the insulation is
unfaced—that means no kraft paper or foil facing
on either side.
• Wear a long-sleeve shirt,
long pants, gloves, eye protection, and a dust
mask.
• If you’re using roll or batt
fiberglass insulation, lay it perpendicular to
the joists so it does not compress the existing
insulation below it and creates a blanket with
fewer areas where air can leak through from
below.
• Don't cover can (recessed) lights
unless they are rated for contact with
insulation. If using loose (blown) insulation,
build a small enclosure with hardware cloth or
plywood to keep the insulation away from lights
and exhaust fans.
• Use cardboard or
rigid-foam baffles to keep soffit vents from
being blocked by insulation where the rafters
rest on the outside walls. Encouraging this cold
air circulation above the insulation will help
exhaust moist warm air leaking from the living
space below. If it can’t find a way out, it can
condense and begin to rot the roof sheathing.
• Fill all cracks between the living area
and the attic with caulk or expanding foam. This
includes areas where plumbing vent pipes, flues,
electrical wiring, and vent fans, and light
fixtures poke through into the attic. Sealing
these voids helps defeat the “chimney effect”
that draws cold air in at the base of the house
and exhausts warm air (that you’ve already paid
to heat) out into the attic floor (the ceiling
of the top-most living area of the house) at a
furious pace.
• If you are insulating walls
or uninsulated joists, fill the cavity
completely with insulation.
• Don’t overly
compress the insulation—it’s most effective in a
fluffy state.
• Split or cut insulation when
you run into electrical wiring across the stud
or joist bay.
• In walls and floors, staple
faced batts every 8- to 12- inches.
Owens
Corning offers assistance to homeowners who are
facing rising home-heating bills through an
online interactive tool called the Home Report.
For more information, visit
www.owenscorning.com.
For more
Information or to schedule an inspection
call 970-686-5791 or 720-301-0769.
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Front
Range Inspection is a Member of the National
Association of Certified Home Inspectors And the
National association of Home Inspectors
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