Insulation and Sealing Air Leaks
Checking your
home's insulation is one of the fastest and most cost-efficient ways to
reduce energy waste and make the most of your energy dollars. A good
insulating system includes a combination of products and construction
techniques that protect a home from outside temperatures
-- hot and cold,
protect it against air leaks, and control moisture. You can increase the
comfort of your home while reducing your heating and cooling needs by up
to 10% by investing in proper
insulation
and
sealing air leaks.
Should I Insulate My Home?
The answer is
probably "yes" if you
-
have an older home and haven't added insulation.
Only 20% of homes built before 1980 are well insulated.
-
are uncomfortably cold in the winter or hot in
the summer -- adding insulation creates a more uniform temperature and
increases comfort.
-
build a new home, addition, or install
new siding or roofing.
-
pay high energy bills.
-
are bothered by noise from
outside -- insulation muffles sound.
Where to Insulate
Adding insulation in the areas shown may be the best way to improve your
home's energy efficiency.
Inspecting and Evaluating Your Insulation
- Check the
attic,
walls
and floors adjacent to an unheated space, like a
garage
or
basement.
The structural elements are usually exposed in these areas, which
makes it easy to see what type of insulation you have and to measure
its depth or thickness (inches).
- Inspect the exterior walls using
an electrical outlet.
- Turn off the power to
the outlet.
- Remove the outlet cover
and shine a flashlight into the crack around the outlet box. You
should be able to see if there is insulation in the wall and
possibly how thick it is.
- Pull out a small amount
of insulation if needed to help determine the type of
insulation.
- Check outlets on the
first and upper floors, if any, and in old and new parts of a
house. Just because you find insulation in one wall doesn't mean
that it's everywhere in the house.
- Inspect and measure the
thickness (inches) of any insulation in unfinished basement ceilings
and walls, or above
crawl spaces.
If the crawl space isn't ventilated, it may have insulation in the
perimeter wall. If your house is relatively new, it may have been
built with insulation outside the basement or
foundation
walls. If so, the insulation in these spaces won't be visible. The
builder or the original homeowner might be able to tell you if
exterior insulation was used.
- Once you've determined the
type of insulation you have in these areas and its thickness
(inches), see the
U.S. Department of Energy's online Insulation Fact
Sheet for more information.
Determining Recommended R-Values
When you find out
the
R-values
of your insulation either from an
energy audit,
the home builder, or your own inspection, you can then use the
U.S.
Department of Energy's Zip-Code Insulation Program to determine how much
insulation you should add and where to achieve the recommended
insulation levels for maximum energy efficiency.
Excerpted from U.S. Department of Energy,
"Energy Saver$: Tips on Saving Energy & Money at Home," (Washington:
National Renewable Energy Laboratory, 2006).
U.S. Department of Energy, "A
Consumer’s Guide to Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy,"
(Washington: Office of Energy Efficiency and
Renewable Energy, 2005).
For more energy-saving
tips, see
Energy-Saving Tips.
Published and distributed
in furtherance of Acts of Congress of May 8 and June 30, 1914, by the
University of Maine Cooperative Extension, the Land Grant University of
the state of Maine and the U.S. Department of Agriculture cooperating.
Cooperative Extension and other agencies of the U.S.D.A. provide equal
opportunities in programs and employment.
Call 800-287-0274 or TDD
800-287-8957 (in Maine), or 207-581-3188, for information on
publications and program offerings from University of Maine Cooperative
Extension, or visit
www.umext.maine.edu.
2008
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Modified:
08/19/09
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