HomeWorks – Creating a Cleaner, Greener, More Comfortable Home

Fact or Fiction? “Insulate your home and you’ll cut your energy bills in half.” Fiction. Many people have seen little or no reduction in energy costs after adding insulation alone.

 The newly recommended R-values for this region are; R-49 in attics and R-19 in walls. Let’s first explore the three major types of insulating products available on the market today.

 Fiberglass insulation is by far the most common, probably due to the affordability and the ease of homeowners who prefer to install it themselves. The single most important problem with fiberglass insulation is that it is very porous and air has the ability to move right through it. Have you ever felt cold air coming through electrical outlets, even though you know you have insulation in the walls?

 Cellulose is made entirely from recycled newspaper and magazines and is a blown-in type of product. It is a denser product than fiberglass and R-values per inch of insulation are higher than that of fiberglass due to its density. Sealing before installation is highly recommended, especially in attics.

 Spray foam products not only insulate very well, it is also the best sealing agent. Spray foam is initially the most expensive but usually the most cost effective form of insulation in terms of energy savings. In attics, the existing insulation must first be removed in order to apply foam insulation. Walls with minimal insulation can also have non-expanding foam injected into them.

 The most important part of insulation is to stop thermal (heat) transfer. Even the most well insulated homes can still be energy wasters if not properly sealed. If air moves through insulation, the R-values are considerably diminished. Air sealing not only stops air from moving into the home, it also stops the allergens, dust, and other unhealthy contaminants in the air from entering your home as well.

 Before attempting to add insulation, it is highly recommended to have a professionally performed negative pressure test done on your home with an Infiltrometer blower door. This will find where all the air leaks are. That, coupled with adding insulation up to the recommended R-values, will certainly reduce your energy usage.

 Look for the third part of the column next week where I’ll discuss air sealing and where to find the worst offenders.

This entry was posted on Thursday, September 3rd, 2009 at 11:35 am and is filed under Home Improvements. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.