Custom Insulation Blog

There are many ways to increase your home’s efficiency for the upcoming winter. Properly insulated homes have significantly lower heating and cooling bills. However, often homeowners do not think of insulation when looking for ways to lower their heating costs.

Your attic may be insulated, but check out your attic access way. In the form of a hatch, pull-down stairs, or a knee-wall door, attic accesses often go uninsulated. This gap in the attic insulation increases heat loss in the winter and heat gain in the summer.

Also, attic accesses often aren't sealed properly. A 1/4-inch gap around the perimeter of an attic access can leak the same amount of air supplied by a typical bedroom heating duct.

Knee walls are often found in houses with finished attics, they are vertical walls with attic space directly behind them. These walls are usually leaky and often uninsulated. A knee wall and the attic floor in the attic space behind it should be properly insulated and air sealed.

Properly insulating air ducts located in unconditioned spaces such as attics, crawl spaces, garages, or unfinished basements can also help improve your home's energy efficiency.

Air ducts supply conditioned air from your space heating and cooling equipment to your living spaces. They also return an equal volume of air back to the equipment to be conditioned again. Ducts are typically made out of thin metal materials that easily conduct heat. Therefore, uninsulated or poorly insulated ducts in unconditioned spaces can lose 10%–30% of the energy used to heat and cool your home.

If you properly insulate your crawl space—in addition to air sealing and controlling moisture, you will save on energy costs and increase your home's comfort.

Contact Custom Insulation for more information on making your home more energy efficient.

Retrofitting an existing home to be more energy efficient is an effective way to save energy and reduce the cost of homeownership. Retrofitting includes a variety of projects from replacing old light bulbs to installing new insulation. Practical home improvement has become popular among savvy homeowners looking to save.

According to the US Department of Energy, 80 percent of homes built before 1980 were built with insufficient insulation. Old dishwashers waste up to 6,700 gallons of water per year — enough water to run an efficient dishwasher for seven years. Replacing old, single-pane windows can save a homeowner hundreds on energy bills.

Retrofitting an existing home to make it more green and an energy efficient structure is easier than some homeowners might realize. Some tips for homeowners looking to make their home more energy efficient and environmentally friendly are:

•Windows — Energy efficient windows are better insulated, allowing a home to stay cooler in summer and warmer in winter. If homeowners are not able to replace their home’s windows, closing cracks and seals with caulk to reduce air leakage is a great alternative.

•Insulation — According to the US Department of Energy, more than 50 percent of the energy used is for heating and cooling the air. Energy usage for heating and cooling is high because conditioned air often escapes through poorly insulated walls and attics creating a never-ending cycle of circulating air. Updating a home’s insulation may allow homeowners to retain conditioned air and spend less to keep the home comfortable. Homeowners can receive up to $500 in tax credit for updating insulation in 2011.

•Doors — Old or improperly sealed doors can significantly affect a home’s energy efficiency by allowing conditioned air to easily escape. Installing a new door can provide more effective insulation than older ones.
•Programmable thermostat — The US Department of Energy reports that homeowners can save roughly 10 percent on heating and cooling bills by turning their thermostat back 10 to 15 degrees for eight hours a day.

Original Article - News Telegram