Winterize Your Home with Insulation and Help Control Heating Costs

Denver, Colorado (10/23/2000) --- With natural gas prices expected to increase this winter due to low inventories, homeowners could face heating bills as much as 40 percent higher than last year. To help consumers reduce heating costs, Johns Manville, a leading building materials manufacturer, offers the following tips to help them answer questions about insulation selection and installation.

• How much insulation do I need? Today’s higher cost of energy rating justifies more insulation than when most homes originally were built. All insulation comes with a rating called an R-value, indicating the resistance value, which measures a material’s resistance to heat flow. The higher the R-value marked on the insulation packaging, the greater the insulating quality. Check your local building code for the correct R-value for your area.
  • Where should homeowners insulate? Insulate attics, ceilings, walls, floors and crawl spaces wherever you can get access to the area to add insulation to maximize energy savings and comfort.

  • Attics/Ceilings: Sufficient R-value in attics and ceilings usually requires 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. Cover the whole ceiling except where air spaces are required around any heat-generating fixtures, exhaust flues and attic vents.

  • Walls: People who live in older homes with little or no insulation in the walls can often benefit by retrofitting insulation. If the wall is opened for remodeling, insulation batts can be added. To insulate enclosed wall cavities, a contractor can be hired to drill holes and blow insulation into the walls.

  • Floors/Crawl Spaces: When insulating under floors, you can install insulation between floor joists from below or from above if the sub-floor has not yet been installed. To insulate crawl space walls, secure unfaced insulation batts at the sill by nailing wooden trips over the insulation and drape the insulation down the walls.

• 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 also can 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. You also can insulate and seal the joints in metal ducts in unconditioned areas like attics and crawl spaces.