Although you can achieve considerable savings in space conditioning costs by insulating the foundation, the installation costs can become relatively high, especially for retrofit projects. The type of materials used, the application method, and the extent of work all affect the overall cost. Simple payback is typically in the range of 6 months for a [...]
Posts Tagged ‘air sealing’
Foundation Insulation
A properly insulated foundation can result in lower heating costs and more comfortable below-grade rooms, if you have any. It can also help prevent moisture problems, insect infestation, and radon infiltration in your home. In the United States, the most common types of foundations include the following: * Basements * Crawl spaces * Slab-on-grade floors. [...]
Duct Insulation
Properly insulating air ducts located in unconditioned spaces such as attics, crawl spaces, garages, or unfinished basements can help improve your home’s energy efficiency. Air ducts supply conditioned air from your space heating and cooling equipment to your living spaces. They also return an equal volume of air back to the equipment to be conditioned [...]
Attic Knee-Wall Door
A knee-wall is typically a partial height wall that is usually found in the upstairs level of finished-attic homes. These walls are notoriously leaky and often uninsulated. Knee-wall doors need to be weatherstripped. They also need a latch that pulls tightly against the weatherstripping and the frame to achieve a solid seal. Use construction adhesive [...]
Attic Pull-Down Stairs
When attic access is gained through pull-down stairs, the frame for the stairs fits in a rough opening and leaves a gap, much like a door or window, which must be sealed. If the gap is small (less than 1/2 inch), caulk can be used as the sealant. If a larger opening exists, then a [...]
Attic Access Insulation and Air Sealing
Adequately insulating and air sealing the access to an attic— especially to unconditioned attics—will help lower your heating and cooling bills. A home’s attic access, which could be an attic hatch, pull-down stairs, or a knee-wall door, often goes uninsulated. This gap in the attic insulation increases heat loss in the winter and heat gain [...]
Attic Insulation
Properly insulating and air sealing your attic will help reduce your energy bills. Attics are often one of the easiest places in a house to insulate, especially if you’d like to add insulation. Before insulating or deciding whether to add insulation to your attic, first see our information about adding insulation to an existing house [...]
Where to Insulate in a Home
For energy efficiency, your home should be properly insulated from the roof down to its foundation. This includes the following areas: * Attic spaces o Attic access doors to unfinished attics o Knee walls in finished attics * Ducts in unconditioned spaces * Cathedral ceilings * Exterior walls * Floors above unheated garages * Foundations [...]
Selecting Insulation for New Home Construction
Your state and local building codes probably include minimum insulation requirements, but to build an energy-efficient home, you may need or want to exceed them. For maximum energy efficiency, you should also consider the interaction between the insulation and other building components. This is called the whole-house systems design approach. To properly insulate a new [...]
Air Sealing
Air leakage, or infiltration, occurs when outside air enters a house uncontrollably through cracks and openings. Properly air sealing such cracks and openings in your home can significantly reduce heating and cooling costs, improve building durability, and create a healthier indoor environment. It is unwise to rely on air leakage for ventilation because it can’t [...]