Do you know the importance of your House Insulation?
2008-08-18

                                                                                    Do you know the importance of your House Insulation?       Are you spending too much on your monthly energy bills? If your home's insulation isn't up to snuff, you may well be. 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.       The amount of energy you conserve will depend on several factors: your local climate; the size, shape, and construction of your house; the living habits of your family; the type and efficiency of the heating and cooling systems; and the fuel you use. As one of the most important factors, if your attic, walls or floors are under-insulated, a large part of your costly, conditioned air may be making a beeline for the great outdoors.       House Insulation has many merits for us: 1. Saves money and our nation's limited energy resources 2. Makes your house more comfortable by helping to maintain a uniform temperature throughout the house, and 3. Makes walls, ceilings, and floors warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.       A good insulating system also 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.       After know the importance of the house insulation, now there are some attentions that you should also know before insulate our houses.       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. The map and chart show the DOE recommendations for your area. 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 made from recycled materials treated with fire-retardant chemicals. Rigid foam boards are made of poly is cyan rate, extruded polystyrene (XPS or blue board), expanded polystyrene (EPS or bead board), 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.      Before hiring a pro to insulate your home, get two or three bids. To compare apples with apples, be sure each bid clearly describes the material being used and specifies the R-values that will be installed in each area of the house. When the material arrives, bags should be labeled with R-value information; with loose-fill insulation, check to be sure the appropriate number of bags is installed.       Also talk with your contractor about both ventilation and moisture control. Ventilation is important to be sure your home's air quality is maintained without unnecessary energy loss. And in most climates, vapor barriers must be installed when you insulate to prevent vapor, naturally present in the air, from collecting inside insulated walls, ceilings, floors and roofs. In most climates, a vapor retarded such as the foil facing on batts and blankets or, for loose-fill, 6-mil polyethylene plastic sheeting must be installed at the warm-in-winter side of the insulation. Existing walls that are filled with blown-in insulation can be coated with a low-permeability paint to repel vapor.       And last but not least, be sure to seal up all cracks and crevices that allow air infiltration, using caulking compound and weather stripping. Doing so is a key to capitalizing on the energy savings and comfort of your new insulation.