As we discussed yesterday, proper insulation is critical to keeping your home warm while reducing your heat costs. With insulation, you must factor in the R-value. The R-value determines the resistance to heat flow. If the R-value is high, the effectiveness of insulation is greater. The material type, how thick it is and dense factor all come into play in regard to the R-value of thermal insulation. With multi-layered insulation, separate layers of the R-values are included.

In order for an insulated ceiling, floor or wall to be effective in your home, you have to look at where the insulation will be placed. If you have compressed insulation, your home will not get the entire R-value. If you include insulation that is extremely dense in addition to having lighter insulation, this will compromise getting the entire R-value.

If insulation is installed between rafters, studs and joists, the heat flow will not slow down in those areas. This process is called thermal bridging. When comparing the R-value of a wall, it will not be the same as the insulation that has an R-value. When it comes to insulating an attic, the insulation should cover the joist tops.

A joist is a support component that runs horizontal from wall to wall, or beam to beam. This component is used to provide support for a roof, floor or ceiling. A joist is manufactured from one of the following materials: concrete, wood and steel. The joist gets its support from a beam.

Recommended Levels Insulation Throughout the U.S.

Labels

Regardless of what insulation you plan to use, take a look at the product label. Make sure that the insulation you are getting is compatible with the application. Check for the R-value label on the product.

Federal law requires this on all insulation products being used for a personal residence. The labels have R-value and other information in regard to safety, health and information regarding fire hazards. You should read all of the information on the label prior to using the installation material. If someone else is doing the installation in your home, have them give you the labels from each product that was purchased.

Your Home Insulation

In order to get and keep heat in your home, you will need insulation. When you get more heat flow in your home, you will see the costs of your heating bill decrease. The direction of heat starts from a warmer to a cooler area. When you start the insulation process, you will need to install foam channels. These channels help the air to flow through certain vents. If you don’t have the channels the insulation will go to the eaves and block those vents.

There is also a barrier that works to prevent moisture from seeping inside of the home. If you don¡¦t have the barrier, moist air enters through the drywall and the cavity of the insulated wall. The cavity gets cold and there is condensed moisture. When this happens, the insulation gets very wet. Having the barrier will prevent this from happening.

During the winter season, the heat leaves areas that are already heated to areas that are not heated. These areas would include basements, garages, attics and outside of the home.

If you want your home to stay comfortable, the heat that leaves in the winter needs to be replenished by your heating system. As you insulate your home, the flow of heat inside will be constant.

Insulation provides plenty of benefits for you and your home, including:

• A decrease in energy costs
• Less consumption of energy
• Keeps out condensation in your home
• Tax rebates from your government
• Better resale value of your home
• A healthier environment for your home
• Your home will be more comfortable, especially in the winter
• A soundproof home

Tomorrow we will explain the R-Value and it’s impact on quality insulation.

Following up yesterday’s post on Air Sealing, let’s look at air sealing for existing homes and new construction.

Air Sealing an Attic Knee Wall

Air Sealing An Existing Home

One of the best things that you can do when winterizing your home is air sealing. This can help you make the energy in your home more efficient. Not only will you have a decrease in your energy costs, but you will feel more comfortable in your home.
Prior to starting the air sealing process, make sure that you look for air leaks and check to see what your needs are for ventilation in your home.

Air Sealing With A New Home (Whole-House Systems Approach)

When a new home is being built, the plans and details have to be properly executed. With a whole-house systems approach, there will be a plan in place on how to make your new home energy efficient. With this new approach, the building of your new home and the climate are included in the process of energy efficiency.
You will also need to include these components in this approach for your new home:

• Appliances
• Air Sealing
• Insulation
• Lighting
• Water heating
• Doors
• Windows

The builders and designers know that it only takes one of these components to affect other components of this system. However, they all have a part to play with the energy efficiency of your new home.
You will greatly benefit from using a whole-house systems approach by:

• Being more comfortable in your home
• Dealing with less noise in your home
• Having an environment that is healthy and safe
• Having lower energy bills

The whole-house systems approach is made to work with all home designs. If you want to be more creative, you can have a home designed and built that creates its own electricity.

Where it’s an old or new home, air sealing can’t take the place of having proper insulation in your home. This is important because you need insulation in your home in order to keep the heat in your inside. To strengthen the work of air sealing, you can also include caulking and weather-stripping.