Insulating Your Home For Better Energy Conservation – There are many products available today to help increase the energy efficiency of your home. However, insulation remains one of the most critical components and the easiest way to achieve this goal, and save on heating and cooling costs. Not to mention making an impact on how much we use (and waste) precious energy resources. A house must be properly insulated from the roof to its foundation.
R-Tech’s lightweight rigid insulation panel products are ideal for insulation for the overall building envelope (see illustration below). It’s also great for homeowners looking for a DIY insulation method. Gone are the days of fiberglass splinters, heavy insulation products that are difficult to cut, and blown into pieces that require a lot of material for adequate coverage. Adding insulation to the basement, walls, attic, garage or other areas of your home can be a do-it-yourself (DIY) project, with many benefits. Homeowners can quickly and economically increase the insulating power of the home with these large lightweight panels that can be simply and easily cut to fit any space.
Insulating Your Home For Better Energy Conservation
Available at home improvement stores nationwide (Lowe’s and Home Depot), R-Tech comes in a variety of thicknesses, panel sizes and fanfold options (image unfolds 100 square feet of insulation inside in 5 minutes!) fiberglass slivers to avoid. See our tips and details below on insulating walls, basement, attic and garage doors.
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What preparation should I do for my walls and basement before installing lightweight R-Tech insulation panels?
Before insulating, seal any air leaks and make other necessary repairs. If you are insulating an area located in a conditioned part of the house, remember to also insulate and air seal your basement, wall or attic access.
Next plan and make sure you cover all the right areas. Insulate and air-seal any knee walls — vertical walls with attic space behind them — in your home, too. Additionally, if you are building a new home or remodeling, make sure any area that provides additional storage space or a platform for a heating and/or cooling unit or hot water tank is adequate. room around it for adequate insulation. Finally, if you live in a warm or hot climate, consider installing a radiant barrier in your attic to reduce heat gain in the summer.
R-Tech panels can easily be folded over panel joists without the need to fill gaps and low areas.
Tailored Energy Efficiency Solutions For Your Home From Green Energy Of Sa
Consider using insulating wall sheathing rather than wood sheathing products. These products include foam insulation laminated to a facer or other sheathing product, which provides an R-Value of R-2 to R-3.5. With products like R-Tech you can choose thicker foam boards that provide higher R-Values.
A properly insulated basement can save you money on heating and provide a dry, comfortable living space. In most cases, a basement with insulation installed on its exterior walls should be considered a conditioned space. Even in a house with an unconditioned basement, the basement is more connected to other living spaces than to the outside, which makes basement wall insulation preferable to ceiling insulation. In fact, up to 25% of heat loss occurs through basements in a home.
In an existing home, adding insulation to the outside of the basement walls is impractical. Internal basement wall insulation has the following advantages:
The level of insulation is specified by the R-Value. R-Value is a measure of the insulation’s ability to resist air) warm or cold air) flow. The higher the R-Value, the better the thermal performance of the insulation. R-Tech offers several sizes and thicknesses to meet the insulation needs your project requires. All with fast and easy insulation. To determine the appropriate R-Values for basement walls in your area, use these R-Value recommendations.
A Guide To An Energy Efficient Home
No matter what type of insulation you have in your attic, an easy way to determine if you need more is to look at the width of your attic. If your insulation is level with or below your floor joists (ie, you can easily see your joists), you may need to add more. If you can’t see any floor joists because the insulation is too high on them, you probably have enough and adding more may not be cost effective. It is important that the insulation is evenly distributed without low spots; something with enough insulation in the middle of the attic and very little along the eaves. If your attic insulation covers your joists and is distributed evenly, you probably have enough.
The level of insulation is specified by the R-Value. R-Value is a measure of insulation’s ability to resist heat flow. The higher the R-Value, the better the thermal performance of the insulation. The recommended level for most attics is R-38 insulation. A layer of R-Tech is a fantastic way to improve attic insulation with quick and easy installation. Place directly over trusses, boards, or subfloor and these large panels can be folded (fanfold) or joined together with some gaps for heat/cooling to pass through.
The largest uninsulated space in most homes is the garage door. The Garage Door Insulation Kit provides an easy solution for increasing your home’s energy efficiency and reducing indoor noise. The kit is environmentally friendly and has a foam core that is 100% recyclable. Garage Door Insulation Kits are available at your local Lowe’s and Home Depot home improvement stores.
Tags:Attic Insulation, basement insulation, DIY attic insulation, DIY basement insulation, DIY garage insulation, DIY insulation, garage insulation, insulation for garage doors, R-TechInsulation and air sealing: If you are looking to improve energy efficiency and comfort in your home, you should familiarize yourself with these two home performance upgrades. But do you know how closely the two work together?
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In summer, it keeps the hot temperature outside, and cools the AC air in your home. In the winter, it keeps the heat from your furnace where you want it – inside – while keeping the cold out.
Proper air sealing can slow down the so-called “stack effect” in the winter, when warm furnace air rises up and out of the attic, as well as the “reverse stack effect,” where cold air is pulled down and out from under your summer house.
Insulation and air sealing complement each other, and when they work together homeowners can really see benefits such as:
Ready to get rid of uneven temperatures in your home, and increase your energy savings? The best place to start is with an energy audit from Home Energy Medics. An audit will determine the energy efficiency of your home and indicate whether you need air sealing for your attic or additional attic insulation (or both!).
Insulation: The Importance To Your Home And Roof And Attic
Does your home need insulation and air sealing upgraded? Call (703) 447-5379 or contact us today to schedule a home energy audit and find out today. In the past, the term “home energy efficiency” conjured up visions of expensive solar panels, giant wind turbines or lifestyle changes. But as the strategy has reached the mainstream, the public has a better understanding of what energy efficiency is and how it benefits everyone. In addition to reducing pollution and conserving natural resources, increasing home energy efficiency is a valuable investment that can save consumers money. If you are just starting to look at how to make your home more energy efficient, know that there are many time and effective home projects that can immediately reduce consumption as well as the price of your energy and utilities bills.
You don’t have to be a contractor to buy and install green building materials. In fact, there are hundreds of home improvement ideas that will make your home more energy efficient. Most energy-saving projects can be completed in a few hours, including improving these three areas with five easy tasks.
Replacing showerheads and faucets is a simple task that can make a big difference in your water consumption. Low-flow water fixtures are designed to create a strong flow of water while using less water than a standard water fixture. Low-flow fixtures run anywhere from $15-$30 and can be installed without the help of a professional.
Electric lighting represents a large portion of a home’s energy bill. Update your lights and bulbs with halogen incandescent, CFL or LED bulbs. According to the US Department of Energy, switching to these more efficient light bulbs can save you $75 per year. Take your time choosing which bulbs to buy because newer bulbs and fixtures give you different options when it comes to color and intensity.
Maximizing Energy Efficiency: A Guide To Insulating Your Home
Refrigerators, washing machines and dishwashers use a lot of energy and water, especially if they are more than ten years old. Federal law is forcing many manufacturers to make more efficient home appliances, which means updating your appliances can make a big difference. If replacing all your major appliances at the same time is too expensive, consider replacing the refrigerator first, because old refrigerators are big energy hogs.
Many homes were built before energy efficiency was a focus, meaning green building materials were not used during construction. Update the look and efficiency of your home with a faux installation