 |
As You Gear-up for Winter, Don't Forget to Insulate
Denver, Colorado (8/1/1998) --- Winter is not far away, and many consumers need help when it comes to making decisions about home insulation in an effort to reduce their heating costs. Johns Manville Corp. offers the following insulation tips for homeowners and do-it-yourselfers to make the insulation selection and installation much easier. Remember to check with your local agency for the correct R-value for your area.
- What is an R-Value? All insulation comes with something called an R-value. This is a rating that indicates the resistance value, which measures a material's resistance to heat flow. The higher the R-value, the greater the insulating quality. The R-value is marked on the insulation packaging.
- Where should homeowners insulate? Insulate attics, ceilings, walls, floors and crawl spaces to maximize energy savings and comfort.
- Attics/Ceilings: Attics and ceilings should include 10 to 18 inches of insulation. If you choose to insulate your attic/ceiling or add more insulation, it is suggested you install insulation batts between the ceiling joists. Keep the insulation away from any heat-generating fixtures, exhaust flues and attic ventilators to avoid a fire hazard.
- Walls: People who live in older homes with little or no insulation in the walls can often save a lot of money by retrofitting insulation. The most common method is to blow insulation into the home's exterior walls through holes drilled into each stud cavity.
- Floors/Crawl Spaces: When insulating under floors, you can install insulation from below or from above if the sub-floor has not yet been installed. To insulate crawl space walls, take long wooden strips and nail over unfaced insulation to the sill.
- What tools will you need? Working with fiber glass insulation requires no special tools. All you need is a tape measure, a utility knife and a staple gun. You should wear long-sleeved, loose-fitting clothing, gloves and eye protection. Also, use a respirator mask approved for fiber glass protection.
- What additional weather-proofing can be done? Homeowners can also add to the winterization of their homes by caulking and installing weather stripping around windows and doors, scheduling a heating-system tune-up, cleaning furnace filters and installing storm doors and windows.
For more information on the full line of Johns Manville building insulation products, please contact the Johns Manville Product Information Center, P.O. Box 5108, Denver, CO 80217; phone: 800.654.3103; fax: 303.978.2318.
|
