If you’ve ever walked outside on a cold winter day without a coat, then you know what it’s like to now have enough insulation in your home.
In that scenario, your body has to work extra hard to keep you warm. When you don’t have enough insulation in your house, it’s your furnace that has to work extra hard to keep thing warm (or your air conditioner to keep things cool in the summer).
How much insulation do I need
The Energy Star website gives recommended levels of insulation for various areas of the country. For Iowa, the website recommends your attic have insulation with an R-value of R49 to R60. For floors, the site recommends R25 to R30.
The R-value measures the insulating material’s resistance to conductive heat flow. The higher the R-value, the greater the insulating effect. R-value depends on the type, thickness and density of the insulation.
How to add more insulation
Most attics have blown-in insulation or fiberglass batts. Both easily allow you to add more.
You can install fiberglass batts over existing insulation or add more blown-in insulation. You can certainly do this yourself, but calling a pro will ensure it’s done right.
You should also make sure to seal all cracks and other places where air can easily travel from the outside into your house, or from the attic into the house.
Adding more insulation to walls isn’t as easy. You’ll need to cut holes in the walls to blow in more insulation. And then, or course, you’ll need to patch the holes.
Your energy company may give you a rebate to help offset the cost of adding more insulation. Give them a call or check their website to find out.
Looking for more ways to save money on your heating and cooling costs? Call Kohles & Bach today for information on how a new high-efficient Lennox furnace can reduce your heating costs.