Air Barrier ( Insulation )
Insulation is your primary defense against heat loss through the house envelope. However, putting insulation into a house after it is built can be pretty difficult. Because of the large area involved, walls are most important. You may be able to tell if the walls are insulated by removing an outlet cover and peering into the wall cavity. Another way to check for insulation is to find a closet (or cabinet) along an exterior wall. Drill two ¼” holes into the wall about 4” apart, with one hole above the other. Shine a flashlight into one hole while looking into the other, and any insulation should be apparent. If there isn’t any insulation, the best option is to bring in you Green Home Pros team to blow insulation into the walls.
Adding insulation to an unheated attic is usually a lot easier. If there is no floor in the attic, simply add more insulation, either loose fill or unfaced fiberglass batts. If the existing insulation comes up to the top of joists. This helps to cover gaps between the first layer of batts. If an attic floor is in place, you may need to remove that floor before adding insulation. In most of the country, a full foot of fiberglass insulation is cost-effective in attic floor.
If the attic is finished with a sloped cathedral ceiling, adding extra insulation is much more difficult. If there is no insulation there at present, it may be worth pulling off the drywall, insulation and installing a new ceiling. Or, if you will be re-roofing in the near future, consider adding a layer of rigid foam insulation and decking on top to the existing roof and then shingling over that. In either case, it is probably a major project, and that is why Green Home Pros is your energy experts.
Heat loss through foundation walls is often neglected even in new houses. But in fact, in an otherwise well-insulated and tight house, as much as 20% of the total heat loss can occur through un-insulated foundation walls. Insulating the foundation or floor can easily save several hundred gallons of oil or several hundred therms of gas per year in northern climates.
The best way to evaluate your home is through an energy audit. Green Home Pros will use a thermal imaging camera to literally see you thermal heat loss or
gain through the drywall. With our state of the art equipment we can evaluate you energy efficiency and give you the proper solutions to make your home as efficient as possible.
Read the Insulation Q&A from Owens Corning
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