Save Money by Insulation

Weather-Stripping

Floors, walls, ceilings, and doors and windows all combine to make up the "energy envelope" of your home. Caulking seals the small cracks and holes in the envelope; weather-stripping seals around doors and windows to help make your home airtight. Weather-stripping and caulking is probably the least expensive, simplest, most effective way to cut down on wasted energy in the winter and summer. Improperly sealed homes can squander 10 to 15 percent of the homeowner's heating dollars and reduce the effectiveness of air-conditioning in the summer.

While some new doors now come with factory-applied weather-stripping, such designs are a recent innovation. Millions of doors across the country have little or no weather-stripping. Since most doors have a space - sometimes as much as a quarter inch or more - between the bottom of the door and the floor, large amounts of air can flow in and out of the house. For a typical 36-inch entry door, a quarter-inch small crack can leak as much air as a nine-square-inch hole in the wall. Weather-stripping comes in many forms, and can be made up of a combination of materials such as wood, rubber, vinyl, metal and foam. Some types work well on both doors and windows, while others are more limited. These are the major designs you'll find for use around the house:

Adhesive-Backed Foam or Tape

This material, made from rubber, foam or sponge rubber, can be installed in the same manner as V-strip to help seal doors and windows. Hardware stores sell it in various widths and thicknesses, and the tape is self-adhesive and easy to install. Simply cut the tape to the length you need with scissors, peel away the backing from the tape and stick it in place. The size and flexibility of tape make it well suited for blocking irregular-sized cracks. It wears out quickly, however, and needs to be replaced often - probably every one to two years.

Felt

Felt, either plain or reinforced with a flexible metal strip, is sold in rolls that must be cut to length and stapled or tacked into place. Plain felt should be fitted in a door jamb so that the door presses against it; reinforced felt can be used to seal around both doors and windows. Felt traditionally lasts one to two years before it needs to be replaced. A variation on felt is pile, a carpet-like material that can be glued or tacked in place. It comes in narrow, furry strips.

Interlocking Metal

This is the best, most complex, most expensive weather-stripping. Think of two V-strips that are placed on the door and the door frame. When the door closes, the two pieces interlock to make a tight seal. Interlocking pieces are placed completely around the perimeter of the door - on the top, both sides and the bottom. Installing interlocking weather-stripping can be tricky, since both the door and the frame must be notched with a router. That's why this type of installation is usually done by professionals.

Tubular Rubber and Vinyl Gaskets

Small tubes of sponge rubber or vinyl can also be used to weather-strip around doors and windows. When the door presses against the gasket, it forms a tight seal. By pressing against these gaskets, the door forms a seal. The tubes come with a flange that can be tacked or stapled to hold them in place. Usually they last five years or more.

Thresholds

The floor underneath a closed exterior door usually has a raised seal called a threshold. Many thresholds have weather stripping built in. One style includes a tubular gasket seal built into the threshold that presses against the bottom of the door to keep out drafts. Other threshold weather-stripping is mounted on the door itself. One style called a door sweep features a flexible flap that seals against the threshold.

V-Strip

A long strip folded back on itself along its length, this type of weather-stripping  can be made of either metal or vinyl. It forms a springy strip that bridges the gap between a door and the door jam - or a window sash and the window frame - to prevent the movement of air. Durable, long-lasting and easy to install, V-strips come with a pressure sensitive adhesive; once you have cut a strip to the proper length, you can stick it in place on the frame without the use of tools.

Wall Sockets / Outlets / Switches

There's a final place in your home we need to mention when it comes to weather-stripping - electric wall sockets and switches. Although they aren't in the same category as doors and windows, the holes in our walls for electrical outlets and switches do allow cold air into a house in the wintertime and leak cool, air-conditioning air in the summer. It's a good idea to purchase simple-to-install, pre-cut foam gaskets that fit behind the switch or plug plate to effectively reduce leaks.

Insulation

Properly insulated homes can use 30 to 50 less energy than homes without insulation. Lining your "thermal envelope" - adding materials that don't readily allow heat to leak through your walls, ceilings, floors, from around your home's foundations and its ductwork - saves energy by keeping heat in during the winter and keeping heat out during the summer. The effectiveness of a piece of insulation is measured by its R-value. The R-value in insulation designates its resistance to heat flow. The higher the R-value, the greater the insulating ability - the more effective it is. Generally speaking, each time you double the R-value of insulation, you cut your conduction heat loss in that area in half. Adding insulation to an un-insulated attic is the most cost-effective, energy-saving measure you can do. Most older houses were built with little or no insulation. In more moderate climates, the minimum recommended R-value is R-30 for an attic, R-11 for walls, R-19 for raised floors, and R-4.2 for ductwork.

Putting It in Place

You can greatly increase the energy efficiency and comfort of a home by installing insulation with an R-value higher than the minimum requirements. But to truly enjoy the benefits of insulation, it must be installed correctly. Compressing it or leaving gaps through which air can flow can cut insulation's effectiveness in half. When insulating your attic, it's important not to clog the attic vents under the eaves. You need to keep air circulating freely above the insulation by installing baffles (typically a piece of fiberglass batt placed several inches away from the vent). For fire safety, keep insulation clear of heat producing devices such as doorbell transformers and recessed lights, flues or vents from furnaces, water heaters, fireplaces, and exhaust fans.

Places to Insulate

In unfinished attic spaces, insulate between and over the floor joists to seal off living spaces below.*

1A attic access door

In finished attic rooms with or without dormer, insulate ...

2A between the studs of "knee" walls;

2B between the studs and rafters of exterior walls and roof;

2C ceilings with cold spaces above;

2D extend insulation into joist space to reduce air flows.

All exterior walls, including ...

3A walls between living spaces and unheated garages, shed roofs, or storage areas;

3B foundation walls above ground level; 3C foundation walls in heated basements, full wall either interior or exterior.

Floors above cold spaces, such as vented craw spaces and unheated garages. Also insulate ...

4A any portion of the floor in a room that is cantilevered beyond the exterior wall below;

4B slab floors built directly on the ground;**

4C as an alternative to floor insulation, foundation walls of unvented crawl spaces;

4D extend insulation into joist space to reduce air flows.

Band joists.

Replacement or storm windows and caulk and seal around all windows and doors.

*Well-insulated attics, crawl spaces, storage areas, and other enclosed cavities should be ventilated to prevent excess moisture build-up.

**For new construction, slab on grade insulation should be installed to the extent required by building codes, or greater.

Types of Insulation

Insulation comes in six basic varieties:

Fiberglass insulation available as blanket-like batts is the industry standard. It's actually glass, spun into long fibers, then woven and coated with a binding agent. Now available with 30 percent or more post-consumer recycled glass, fiberglass also comes as loose-fill and as rigid boards.
Fiberglass batt insulation is popular because it's relatively easy to install, and batts are manufactured to fit the standard spaces between studs. Fiberglass is resistant to both fire and mold and small amounts of moisture have little effect on its R-value.

The characteristics of fiberglass that make it popular can also be drawbacks. Batts of insulation designed for normal-sized cavities do not readily fit into irregular spaces. That can result in uninsulated spaces if installation isn't done carefully. Air movement around the insulation can significantly reduce its R-value.

Mineral-fiber insulation includes slag wool, which is made from melted industrial or steel mill slag that is spun into fibers. The fibers, treated with oil and binders to suppress dust and maintain the material's shape, can be woven into batts. A second type of mineral-fiber insulation called rock wool is manufactured in a similar way using natural basalt rock instead of slag.
Mineral-fiber insulation looks, feels and performs much like fiberglass. It, too, is sold as batts, loose-fill and rigid boards, and has the same benefits and drawbacks as fiberglass insulation. Since it doesn't melt or support combustion, it is a good material for insulating around chimneys.

Cellulose thermal insulation is made from finely shredded newsprint that is chemically treated to resist fire, corrosion, vermin and fungal growth. It contains at least 70 percent post-consumer paper waste. Only available in loose-fill form, it is either poured in place or installed with a blower. Because of the small size of the particles, cellulose can 'flow' around obstructions such as nails, electrical wires, trusses and braces to fill cavities uniformly.
One drawback of insulating with cellulose is that it can settle over time if the insulation is not blown or poured to manufacturer's recommended density.

Vermiculite is a mineral closely related to mica. When heated, it expands to form a lightweight material with insulating properties. Two types of vermiculite are used as insulation: untreated and treated. Untreated vermiculite readily absorbs water and dries very slowly. The treated material is coated with asphalt to make it water-repellent for use in high moisture areas.
Both types of vermiculite are usually installed by hand, a simple process. It is non-combustible, odorless and non-irritating. It doesn't offer as high an R-value as other types of insulation, however.

Rigid foam insulation is applied directly to framing as rigid sheets. Several types of foam are available, some with post consumer recycled content made from reclaimed fast-food containers and cups.
Rigid foam is the insulation of choice where space is very limited but a high R-value is needed. It can be installed on the interior or exterior of a wall, but on the inside it must be covered by a fire-resistant material like wallboard. When the joints between panels are properly sealed, rigid foam insulation can act as both an air and vapor barrier.

"Expanded" types of rigid foam insulation are CFC-free; they are now manufactured with a non-chlorofluorocarbon (CFC) gas. "Extruded" types, which offer higher performance, originally were made with CFCs before manufacturers switched to using hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs), substances with far less potential to deplete the Earth's fragile ozone layer. While new extruded products that don't even contain HCFCs will soon become available, they contain chemicals that are still being evaluated to see what their effect will be on global warming. One drawback to most foam insulation is that it deteriorates unless it is protected from prolonged exposure to sunlight and water. It also tends to be more expensive than most other types of insulation. Urethane foams are also high-performance insulating materials available as rigid boards as or sprayed-in-place systems. Once made with CFCs, they are now made with more environmentally benign HCFCs.

Hot Days are coming, get caulking!

Caulking

Energy prices are on the rise across the nation. As a result, heating costs will consume an increasingly larger portion of a household's energy budget. That's why it's important to check your home to insure that your heating dollars aren't being wasted. By preventing leaks, you keep in valuable heat and make your home more comfortable while keeping those escalating energy bills at bay.

Where to Caulk

Eventually, all homes need fresh caulking to fill gaps and cracks that may appear in walls and where different types of materials are joined. Checking and repairing caulk should be one of those maintenance projects that get done around the house every year or two. It not only saves on heating and air conditioning bills, it prevents moisture and even insects from entering your walls.

Caulk is a pliable sealant that comes in large tubes that can be purchased at most hardware stores. Once the caulk is applied, it solidifies in the air to fill gaps, cracks and spaces at joints and connections all around your home. Some caulks don't turn hard but remain pliable like a rubber.

Look around the outside of your house for places that need to be filled in. If your heater is on, you may be able to feel drafts where heated air is escaping from cracks. In particular, look for gaps and holes around door and window frames, wall and roof vents, and skylights. Examine around outdoor faucets and where the gas pipes and electrical lines enter the house. Check the joints where siding joins at corners and where it meets the roof and the foundation, or where it meets the fireplace chimney.

Prepare the Surface

Before you begin, the surface you are caulking should be relatively clean. Old caulk should be stripped or scraped out of the gap or crack. It's best to not wash it or pressure wash the area because water may be forced through the crack and could cause some damage. Wipe down the surface with a damp cloth to remove any residue or dirt. Make sure it is clean and dry before beginning to caulk.

How to Caulk

There are caulks made specifically for concrete, for brick, for wood, and even for glass and metal. Caulking can be made of pure latex, siliconized latex, polyurethane and other modern materials. Choosing the proper one for your task from the array of choices can be a daunting task. Ask someone at the hardware store for advice.

Important qualities to look for when choosing caulk are life expectancy, how much it shrinks over time, whether or not it can be painted, and if it cleans up with soap and water or needs a solvent like paint thinner. For most exterior uses around the house, you can use polyurethane caulk. It sticks to just about everything and doesn't totally harden, but remains flexible. For that reason it tends to last longer, and it doesn't shrink as much as some other types.

Caulking guns use a ratcheted plunger to force the caulk out the tube when you pull a trigger. Some caulking guns are made of metal, while others are manufactured from fiberglass and nylon, or even ABS plastic. To load a caulking gun, pull back on the plunger, and then drop the new tube of caulk in the barrel, rear end first. Pull the trigger or push the plunger until it contacts the rear of the cartridge. Trim the nozzle of the caulk tube. It's best to cut it on a 45-degree angle. Break the seal on the tube by inserting a nail or small screwdriver into the nozzle's opening.

Now, by squeezing the trigger, you can force caulk out the end of the nozzle while you move the tip of the nozzle along a seam. You can either push or pull the caulk into a seam, but pushing forces the caulk into narrow seams more effectively. By moving the gun slowly and evenly, you'll get a clean, professional job.

To stop caulking at the end of a seam, simply push the nozzle into the corner to cut the strip of caulk. Twist the nozzle and lift it away. You don't need to smooth caulk after it is applied, except for the sake of appearance. Latex caulk can be smoothed with a finger dipped in water. You can also use the back of a spoon to produce a smooth finish. Smoothing should be done soon after the caulk is applied, however - smoothing caulk as it dries sometimes causes it to crack.

Most caulk works best on cracks that are less than half an inch wide. Wider cracks can be sometimes bridged by two strips of caulk applied side by side. Try filling deep cracks with wadded-up fiberglass insulation or some other backing material. Always pry out any old caulk before you install new caulk, and be sure the surface on which you're working is clean and dry.

Watch a video showing you how

Saving Energy

Summer is coming


The blazing hot days of summer are not far away so now is the time to start improving your homes energy performance. Even small improvements will lead to savings and a more comfortable home.


Sometimes it pays to have an energy expert tell you how to make make your home more energy efficient. During an energy audit, a professional inspecter normally will visit your home to identify potential energy-saving measures. They'll peer into your attic. Measure the depth of the insulation. Crawl under your house. Check seals around windows and doors. Check your appliances. Count your windows and check to see if they're double-paned. They'll usually prepare a written report explaining what needs to be done to your home to reduce your energy consumption.


Many local electric and gas utilities offer energy audit services, or can refer you to private sources for this service. Either check out their website, or call their customer phone number - both should be listed on your energy bill(s).


You can also do your own energy audit. Links at the bottom right will give you locations for do-it-yourself home energy audit websites. Check the links at the top right for the areas that you can tighten up.


Do-It-Yourself Home Energy Assessments


You can easily conduct a do-it-yourself home energy assessment (also known as a home energy audit). With a simple but diligent walk-through, you can spot many problems in any type of house. When assessing your home, keep a checklist of areas you have inspected and problems you found. This list will help you prioritize your energy efficiency upgrades.


Locating Air Leaks


First, make a list of obvious air leaks (drafts). The potential energy savings from reducing drafts in a home may range from 5% to 30% per year, and the home is generally much more comfortable afterward. Check for indoor air leaks, such as gaps along the baseboard or edge of the flooring and at junctures of the walls and ceiling. Check to see if air can flow through these places:

1. Electrical outlets
2. Switch plates
3. Window frames
4. Baseboards
5. Weather stripping around doors
6. Fireplace dampers
7. Attic hatches
8. Wall- or window-mounted air conditioners.

Also look for gaps around pipes and wires, electrical outlets, foundation seals, and mail slots. Check to see if the caulking and weather stripping are applied properly, leaving no gaps or cracks, and are in good condition.


Inspect windows and doors for air leaks. See if you can rattle them, since movement means possible air leaks. If you can see daylight around a door or window frame, then the door or window leaks. You can usually seal these leaks by caulking or weather stripping them. Check the storm windows to see if they fit and are not broken. You may also wish to consider replacing your old windows and doors with newer, high-performance ones. If new factory-made doors or windows are too costly, you can install low-cost plastic sheets over the windows.


If you are having difficulty locating leaks, you may want to conduct a basic building pressurization test:


First, close all exterior doors, windows, and fireplace flues.
Turn off all combustion appliances such as gas burning furnaces and water heaters.
Then turn on all exhaust fans (generally located in the kitchen and bathrooms) or use a large window fan to suck the air out of the rooms.


This test increases infiltration through cracks and leaks, making them easier to detect. You can use incense sticks or your damp hand to locate these leaks. If you use incense sticks, moving air will cause the smoke to waver, and if you use your damp hand, any drafts will feel cool to your hand.


On the outside of your house, inspect all areas where two different building materials meet, including:

1. All exterior corners
2. Where siding and chimneys meet
3. Areas where the foundation and the bottom of exterior brick or siding meet.
4. You should plug and caulk holes or penetrations for faucets, pipes, electric outlets, and wiring. Look for cracks and holes in the mortar, foundation, and siding, and seal them with the appropriate material. Check the exterior caulking around doors and windows, and see whether exterior storm doors and primary doors seal tightly.

When sealing any home, you must always be aware of the danger of indoor air pollution and combustion appliance "backdrafts." Backdrafting is when the various combustion appliances and exhaust fans in the home compete for air. An exhaust fan may pull the combustion gases back into the living space. This can obviously create a very dangerous and unhealthy situation in the home.


In homes where a fuel is burned (i.e., natural gas, fuel oil, propane, or wood) for heating, be certain the appliance has an adequate air supply. Generally, one square inch of vent opening is required for each 1,000 Btu of appliance input heat. When in doubt, contact your local utility company, energy professional, or ventilation contractor.


Insulation


Heat loss through the ceiling and walls in your home could be very large if the insulation levels are less than the recommended minimum. When your house was built, the builder likely installed the amount of insulation recommended at that time. Given today's energy prices (and future prices that will probably be higher), the level of insulation might be inadequate, especially if you have an older home.


If the attic hatch is located above a conditioned space, check to see if it is at least as heavily insulated as the attic, is weather stripped, and closes tightly. In the attic, determine whether openings for items such as pipes, ductwork, and chimneys are sealed. Seal any gaps with an expanding foam caulk or some other permanent sealant.


While you are inspecting the attic, check to see if there is a vapor barrier under the attic insulation. The vapor barrier might be tarpaper, Kraft paper attached to fiberglass batts, or a plastic sheet. If there does not appear to be a vapor barrier, you might consider painting the interior ceilings with vapor barrier paint. This reduces the amount of water vapor that can pass through the ceiling. Large amounts of moisture can reduce the effectiveness of insulation and promote structural damage.


Make sure that the attic vents are not blocked by insulation. You also should seal any electrical boxes in the ceiling with flexible caulk (from the living room side or attic side) and cover the entire attic floor with at least the current recommended amount of insulation.


Checking a wall's insulation level is more difficult. Select an exterior wall and turn off the circuit breaker or unscrew the fuse for any outlets in the wall. Be sure to test the outlets to make certain that they are not "hot." Check the outlet by plugging in a functioning lamp or portable radio. Once you are sure your outlets are not getting any electricity, remove the cover plate from one of the outlets and gently probe into the wall with a thin, long stick or screwdriver. If you encounter a slight resistance, you have some insulation there. You could also make a small hole in a closet, behind a couch, or in some other unobtrusive place to see what, if anything, the wall cavity is filled with. Ideally, the wall cavity should be totally filled with some form of insulation material. Unfortunately, this method cannot tell you if the entire wall is insulated, or if the insulation has settled. Only a thermographic inspection can do this.


If your basement is unheated, determine whether there is insulation under the living area flooring. In most areas of the country, an R-value of 25 is the recommended minimum level of insulation. The insulation at the top of the foundation wall and first floor perimeter should have an R-value of 19 or greater. If the basement is heated, the foundation walls should be insulated to at least R-19. Your water heater, hot water pipes, and furnace ducts should all be insulated. For more information, see our insulation section.


Heating/Cooling Equipment


Inspect heating and cooling equipment annually, or as recommended by the manufacturer. If you have a forced-air furnace, check your filters and replace them as needed. Generally, you should change them about once every month or two, especially during periods of high usage. Have a professional check and clean your equipment once a year.


If the unit is more than 15 years old, you should consider replacing your system with one of the newer, energy-efficient units. A new unit would greatly reduce your energy consumption, especially if the existing equipment is in poor condition. Check your ductwork for dirt streaks, especially near seams. These indicate air leaks, and they should be sealed with a duct mastic. Insulate any ducts or pipes that travel through unheated spaces. An insulation R-Value of 6 is the recommended minimum.


Lighting


Energy for lighting accounts for about 10% of your electric bill. Examine the wattage size of the light bulbs in your house. You may have 100-watt (or larger) bulbs where 60 or 75 watts would do. You should also consider compact fluorescent lamps for areas where lights are on for hours at a time. Your electric utility may offer rebates or other incentives for purchasing energy-efficient lamps.