Avoid those cold drafts in winter with energy efficient insulation for your home.
Sponsored by Berkeys Air Conditioning and Plumbing
You'vebrfelt the cold draft on your neck and your rising energy bills are sendingbrshivers down your spine. It might be time to install new insulation and preparebrfor winter. Fall is a great time to winterize your home and improve your energybrefficiency by upgrading your insulation.
Standing in the aisle of your home improvementbrstore, you might be confused by all the choices. In order to select the proper insulation, we'll need to determinebrits R-value, or it's resistance tobrallow warm air to flow though it. The higher the R-value, the morebreffective the insulation will be keeping your house warm in the winter and coolbrin the summer. To find the recommended R-value for your area, you can look atbrthe North American Insulation Manufacturer's Association Web site. Keep in mind that the effect ofbrR-values is cumulative. For example, if your attic has R-19 insulation andbranother layer of R-19 insulation is added, the insulation will have a value ofbrR-38. So, for Texas, The recommended R-value is between R30 and R60. Mostbrhomeowners will have to add insulation to get their R-rating into that range.
Next decide what type ofbrinsulation best fits your needs. The two most common types are blown-inbrinsulation and blanket insulation. Blown-in insulation (aka loose-fill insulation) is made of recycled materials such as fiberglass, cellulosebror mineral wool (natural mineral and/or metal remnants) and formed into smallbrclumps. Blown-in insulation is usually installed during construction. They usebrspecial equipment to spray it onto the attic floor and into attic wall cavities.brHowever, you can add it to your attic yourself. Some home improvement storesbrrent blowers and stock the insulation. Over time, this type of insulation can losebrup to 20 percent of its R-value as it settles and compacts. If you decide tobrinstall this type of insulation, install extra to offset the loss and save thebradditional expense later.
The other type, blanket insulation (aka roll insulation orbrthe pink fluffy stuff) is usually comprised of fiberglass. You can also find itbrmade of mineral wool, plastic fibers or natural fibers (like cotton).brRoll insulation comes in a variety of widths, and its length can be cut to fit.brAdding blanket insulation is a simple do-it-yourself project. Check localbrbuilding and fire codes and permits before you start. Also, follow thebrmanufacturer's directions – you don’t want to compact the insulation too much.brBlanket insulation usually costs less to install than other types.
Sometimes, insulation isn't enough. Regulating the humiditybrin your attic is also important, especially with our humid Texas weather. Atticbrventilationbris all about circulating air to keep it fresh and to reduce moisture levels. Mostbrhomes could benefit from some form of attic ventilation, but you also need thebrright amount of ventilation. Insufficient ventilation leads to moisture problemsbrduring the winter and decreased energy efficiency during the summer. Too muchbrventilation (too many roof vents) can create unnecessary roof penetration— justbranother place for leaks to occur. Some vents are necessary, but you don'tbrwant to needlessly increase the number of roof penetrations. More than leaks,brthese seams can cause blowouts during a hurricane or allow sparks from abrwildfire to enter your home and set it ablaze.
So,brhow much ventilation should your attic have? You should talk to a professionalbrto determine what your home requires, like Berkeys. Air resistance and interference (such as vent grates) reducesbrthe area of true ventilation. In other words, the entire vent opening doesn'tbrcount as vented space. Many peoplebrbelieve roof ventilation is necessary to increase energy efficiency during thebrsummer. Good roof ventilation is important. However, shingling color, sunbrexposure, and insulation are much more important to overall energy efficiency.brInstalling roof vents for older homes can reduce your cooling load, but therebrare more low-risk, cost-effective ways to increase your home's energybrefficiency.
Many people also believe that because heat rises, ventilating an attic space duringbrthe winter means that the attic is leaking warm air and causing a reduction inbrthe heating efficiency. If this is happening, you have bigger problems to worrybrabout than a little escaping warm air. Insufficient insulation is usually the culprit.brThe sun can warm Attic space more than your furnace on a sunny winter day.
Spray foam insulation canbrbe used to seal the nooks, crannies, and cracks of your attic. Spraybrfoam insulation is installed by spraying the insulation in a liquid form, andbrupon contact, it expands to many times its size and hardens. Using spray foambrto seal around attic vents, pipes, air ducts and other areas can prevent heatbrloss from the interior of your home as well as reduce the moisture in thebrattic.
Radiant barriers are installed primarily to reduce summerbrheat gain and reduce cooling costs. Radiantbrbarriers are more effective in hot climates than in cool climates, especiallybrwhen cooling air ducts are located in the attic. These barriers consist of abrhighly reflective material that reflects radiant heat rather than absorbing it.br Much of the heat from the sun isbrabsorbed by the roof and travels by conduction through the roofing materials tobrthe attic side of the roof. The hot roof material then radiates its gained heatbrenergy onto the cooler attic surfaces, including the air ducts and the atticbrfloor. A radiant barrier reduces the radiant heat transfer from the undersidebrof the roof to the other surfaces in the attic. The reduced heat gain may lower cooling costs in thebrsummer, but they don't help much in winters. It's usually more cost-effectivebrto install more thermal insulation than to add a radiant barrier if you arebrtrying to reduce your heating costs.
Installingbrinsulation in the attic is very important and can give you a big return onbrenergy savings. Having your home properly insulated will also make your homebrfeel more comfortable. That being said, adequate insulation must be used inbrconjunction with proper air sealing and moisture control measures to ensure youbrare kept warm all winter long. Companies like Berkeys can perform a home energy audit and show you how to improve your home’sbrenergy efficiency.
You can call Berkeys Air Conditioning & Plumbing 24/7 at 817-481-5869 orbremail us for scheduling information.
For more information visit Berkeys, the Department of Energy, or North American Insulation Manufacturer's Association.