Adding Insulation To Help Save Money And Energy

(HIT) - You probably think about your home’s insulation only when it’s cold outside. However, that same insulation, or lack of insulation, goes a long way in determining how comfortable you and your family will be on a hot summer day. And—besides greatly adding to your comfort—adding insulation can also lower your home heating and cooling bills and help lower overall energy use.

In fact, according to the U.S. Department of Energy, as much as 50 to 70 percent of the energy used in the average American home is for heating and cooling. With the rapidly rising costs of energy, and expectations that this trend will continue to climb, homeowners are more than ever looking for ways to reduce their utility bills.

For that reason, any home owner that's serious about reducing energy costs and the environmental impact of home energy use needs to consider adding insulation. Citing the fact that most existing houses in the United States are not insulated to recommended levels, DOE points out that other efforts at saving energy use at home—like turning off lights and turning off appliances when not needed—pale in comparison to the potential beneficial effects of adding insulation to your home.

The Department of Energy also points out that adding insulation may save enough money to pay for itself within a few years, after which the insulation will continue to save money for homeowner as long as he or she lives in the home.

However, to increase your comfort and lower energy bills, you must install the right kinds and amounts of insulation, in the right places, according to the Edison Electric Institute and the National Rural Electric Cooperative Association, two national electric utility trade associations. Use the following tips when adding insulation to your home to help save energy and lower your energy bills:

General Insulation Guidelines

The higher an insulation’s "R" value, the better it's resistance to heat flow or heat transfer. As a result, adding insulation with higher "R" values can better help you control heating and cooling losses in the home.

To guide owners of existing homes, and builders of new ones, the DOE publishes updated R-value recommendations on its website. Specific guidelines are provided for insulating ceilings, floors, exterior walls and crawlspaces. Insulation guidelines also vary for different regions of the country.

Before Adding New Insulation In Your Home

Start by identifying and evaluating your home's existing insulation, then compare your current "R" values against the DOE's "R" value recommendations. The following table may be used as a rough guide in determining the "R" values of your current insulation:

Insulation Type	R-Value Per Inch
Fiberglass batt	3.2
Loose fill fiberglass	2.5
Loose fill rock wool	2.8
Loose fill cellulose	3.5
Perlite or vermiculite	2.7
Expanded polystyrene board	3.8
Extruded polystyrene board	4.8
Unfaced polyisocyanurate board	5.8
Foil faced polyisocyanurate board	7
Spray polyurethane foam	5.9

Multiply the R-value-per-inch of the insulation currently installed in your home by the estimated thickness of that installation to determine the current "R" value of each area in your home. Next, subtract the existing "R" values from the recommended "R" values for each area. This will tell you how much additional "R" value is needed to meet DOE insulation recommendations.

While your inspecting your home's insulation—and before you begin shopping for new insulation or an insulation contractor—make note of any visible cracks or gaps in your home that may contribute to air infiltration. Gaps around chimneys, window frames, doors, plumbing pipes, and electrical outlets, for example, are very costly and may defeat your insulation efforts if not properly sealed.

Shopping For New Insulation

There are many different types of insulation available, with each type of insulation product best suited for a particular purpose. Once you've identified the area(s) of your home that would benefit from additional insulation, and the "R" values needed to meet recommended insulation guidelines, visit home center's or conduct research online to determine which insulation products are best for your home's needs.

For example, fiberglass batts, like those from CertainTeed, are a convenient choice for insulating between floor joists in a crawl space—unless your crawlspace contains water pipes or uninsulated ductwork. If ductwork or pipes are present, insulating crawlspace walls may be a better idea.

Adding insulation to an attic is one of the most important insulation projects most homeowners can undertake. In fact, heat loss through the attic is responsible for up to one-half of a typical home's heat loss. Fiberglass batts sized to fit the space between ceiling joists are available, and loose fill insulation products made of rock wool, fiberglass, cellulose and foam are available.

CertainTeed offers free insulation information for homeowners on the company's website at www.CertainTeed.com. The Oak Ridge National Laboratory—a government funded science and technology laboratory—also offers a wealth of home insulation information at http://www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/insulation/ins_01.html.

Utility companies, insulation contractors and home improvement centers can also offer advice to homeowners who are adding insulation to their homes.

Adding Insulation Yourself vs. Hiring an Insulation Contractor

The difficulty of adding insulation to your home depends, in large part, on the types of insulation you plan to install and the accessibility of the area(s) in need of insulation. Insulating a crawlspace, for example, is typically a straightforward project with a low degree of difficulty. Few, if any, special tools are required, although you'll want to read and adhere carefully to manufacturers' guidelines for personal protective equipment.

Insulating an existing stud-frame wall, on the other hand, typically requires special equipment to open up wall cavities, blow in loose fill insulation material, and reseal damaged drywall.

These kinds of insulation projects are best left for professionals.

Manufacturer websites and home improvement center employees are both valuable sources of the important information you'll need to know before deciding whether adding a particular type of insulation, in a particular area, is a do-it-yourself project.

Other Insulation Considerations

• As you research the idea of adding insulation to your home, keep these additional considerations in mind:
• Some states offer tax credits for money spent on measures to reduce home energy use, including added insulation, weatherstripping and caulking.
• Federal tax credits may also be available. Check on the Energy Star website or with the Internal Revenue Service for information.
• Local utility companies are often a source of valuable technical assistance for homeowners. Some even offer rebates or financing assistance.
• Home energy audits available from some utility companies can help homeowners identify the amount of insulation already in place, any additional amount needed, and can recommend other improvements such as installing storm windows.

Courtesy: Home Improvement News and Information Center