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Health & Fitness

Let's Save Energy - Insulation Smarts

Where do you think is the best place in your home or small business to improve your insulation and save energy dollars?  

If you guessed your attic or above your ceiling, you are correct!  This is one of the quickest and most cost effective ways to improve your home’s comfort, and save a lot of money on your heating and air conditioning bill,  and help the Earth.  

You need between 10 and 14 inches – which is R38 to R50 -- of fiberglass insulation in your attic,  here in the northeast (or the equivalent R value of blown insulation or foam).  

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You remember that heat rises, right?  The heat in your home wants to do 2 things:  rise up towards the ceiling, AND move towards the cooler air in the attic (remember, heat energy always flows from hot to cold).

So an improved insulation blanket in your attic should be one of the very first things you do to improve your home’s energy efficiency.  

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 Make sure the first layer of  insulation fills the spaces between the ceiling joists (the 2x4’s or 2x6’s, etc.) that run across your ceiling) completely, and is no higher than the tops of the joists.  This will slow down heat loss moving across your ceiling, in between the ceiling joists, into your attic.  


Next, add a second layer of insulation perpendicular to the first layer – across the ceiling joists as opposed to the first layer that was parallel to the joists. This will slow down the heat transfer through the ceiling joists themselves.  Yes --  the ceiling joists themselves conduct heat from the warm side of the house to the cooler attic.  Most people don’t realize this.  

It’s called thermal bridging.  A 2x4 ceiling joist has an R value of about 3.5.  A 2x6 has an R value of about 5.5.  So even if you add R19 between each 2x6 ceiling joist, you only have an R5.5 across those joists….and there are a lot of joists!  So the second layer of insulation across the joists will provide much needed R value.  


The current building codes call for R38 in ceilings.  In the northeast it is much smarter to increase that to at least R50.  It will cost more to add the extra insulation…but it will pay for itself in about 1 heating season.  After the first season, it’s money in your pocket. Remember, a penny saved is worth two pennies earned. And, you will be helping the Earth.

For more information and to get an understanding of how much energy your house uses, please visit my website at www.saveenergyusa.com


Energy Saving Tip of the Week:   Beef up your attic insulation now and start saving! You  need at least R38 insulation in your attic.  R50 is preferred.  And be sure to have a second layer of insulation go across the ceiling joists.  Blown insulation will accomplish the same benefit of insulating between joists and over them.  


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