Tips are from The US Department of Energy. Find these and many other tips online at The DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy website.
Checking your home's insulating system is one of the fastest and most
cost-efficient ways to use a whole-house approach to reduce energy waste and
maximize your energy dollars. A good insulating system includes a combination of
products and construction techniques that provide a home with thermal
performance, protect it against air infiltration, and control moisture. You can
increase the comfort of your home while reducing your heating and cooling needs
by up to 30% by investing just a few hundred dollars in proper insulation and
weatherization products.
Insulation
Should I insulate my home? First, check the insulation in your
attic, ceilings, exterior and basement walls, floors, and crawl spaces to see if
it meets the levels recommended for your area. Insulation is measured in
R-values—the higher the R-value, the better your walls and roofs will resist
the transfer of heat. The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)
recommends ranges of R-values
based on local heating and cooling costs and climate conditions in different
areas of the nation. For a more accurate and simpler method of determining your
insulation needs, try the Interactive
ZIP Code Insulation Program, which uses your zip code and some information
about your house to tell you where to add insulation. The program was developed
by the Energy Division of the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. State and local
codes in some parts of the country may require lower R-values than the DOE
recommendations, which are based on cost-effectiveness.
Although insulation can be made from a variety of materials, it usually comes
in four types—batts, rolls, loose-fill, and rigid foam boards. Each type is
made to fit in a different part of your house. Batts are made to fit between the
studs in your walls or between the joists of your ceilings or floors. Batts are
usually made of fiber glass or rock wool. Fiber glass is manufactured from sand
and recycled glass, and rock wool is made from basaltic rock and recycled
material from steel mill wastes. Rolls or blankets are also usually made of
fiber glass and can be laid over the floor in the attic. Loose-fill insulation,
usually made of fiber glass, rock wool or cellulose, is blown into the attic or
walls. Cellulose is usually made from recycled newsprint treated with
fire-retardant chemicals.
Rigid foam boards are made of polyisocyanurate, extruded polystyrene (XPS),
expanded polystyrene (EPS or beadboard), or other materials. These boards are
lightweight, provide structural support, and generally have an R-value of 4 to 7
per inch. Rigid board insulation is made to be used in confined spaces such as
exterior walls, basements, foundation and stem walls, concrete slabs, and
cathedral ceilings.
The easiest and most cost-effective way to insulate your home is to add
insulation in the attic. To find out if you have enough attic insulation,
measure the thickness of insulation. If there is less than R-22 (7 inches of
fiber glass or rock wool or 6 inches of cellulose) you could probably benefit by
adding more. Most U.S. homes should have between R-22 and R-49 insulation in the
attic.
If your attic has ample insulation and your home still feels drafty and cold
in the winter or too warm in the summer, chances are you need to add insulation
to the exterior walls as well. This is a more expensive measure that usually
requires a contractor, but it may be worth the cost if you live in a very hot or
cold climate.
You may also need to add insulation to your crawl space. Either the walls or
the floor above the crawl space should be insulated.
New Construction
For new construction or home additions, R-11 to R-28 insulation
for exterior walls is recommended for most of the country. To meet this
recommendation, most homes and additions constructed with 2 x 4 walls require a
combination of wall cavity insulation, such as batts, and insulating sheathing,
or rigid foam boards. If you live in an area with an insulation recommendation
that is greater than R-20, you may want to consider building with 2" x
6" framing instead of 2" x 4" framing to allow room for thicker
wall cavity insulation—R-19 to R-21.
Visit the Insulation Contractors Association of America Web
site for product information and more on hiring insulation contractors.
Weatherization
Warm air leaking into your home during the summer and out of
your home during the winter can waste a substantial portion of your energy
dollars. One of the quickest dollar-saving tasks you can do is caulk, seal, and
weatherstrip all seams, cracks, and openings to the outside. You can save 10% or
more on your energy bill by reducing the air leaks in your home.
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