Insulation
Insulation simply means keeping the heat in and
the cold out. With properly insulated attics,
walls, ducts and floors less energy will be
needed to heat rooms throughout the house, thus resulting
in a significant reduction in utility
consumption.
BEFORE: Many older homes have poorly insulated or uninsulated attics.
AFTER: An insulted attic helps keep the house warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer, thus reducing your utility bills. Money spent on adding insulation to your attic is money well spent with the return on your investment often times being a year or less.
Duct Insulation -- Lack of proper insulation is a common problem for many Oregon residents. Without insulation, ducts will leak heated air into spaces intended to be unheated, such as crawl spaces. If you find that your ducts are uninsulated or leaking air, it is time to repair these problems. If you are insulating heating ducts in an unconditioned space, insulate any water pipes as well. If there are uninsulated ducts and pipes in the same area, the heat escaping from the ducts may be helping to keep the pipes from freezing. For this reason, the water pipes could freeze and burst if they remain uninsulated. Cooling ducts will also require a well sealed vapor barrier on the outside of the insulation to prevent moisture buildup.
Floor Insulation -- The roof and the floor account for 60% of a building’s exposure, the remaining 40% is for the walls. It is therefore important to consider floor insulation when it comes to heat loss concerns. Floors over unheated areas, such as crawl spaces, garages, and basements, can contribute to heat loss in an otherwise well-insulated house. Insulation (including floor insulation) is carried out to minimize the flow of heat. In winter, proper room insulation is what traps the heat. Floor insulation will lessen cold air drafts and increase your savings on energy costs.Attic Insulation -- A well-insulated ceiling reduces energy loss, makes your home more comfortable, and lowers your energy bills. It also helps protect your home from fire and moisture damage, and is an effective sound-proofing material. During warm weather, ceiling insulation reduces the heat transfer from the hot attic to the rooms below. The recommended ceiling insulation for Central Oregon homes is R-49 Blown-in cellulose or fiberglass insulation are good choices for homes in which access to the attic is limited.
Crawl Space Insulation -- A crawl space is an unfinished, accessible area below the first floor of a building. Remember, the main purpose of insulation is to enclose the living space in a thermal envelope. Therefore, if the space below a floor is unconditioned, either the floor or the walls below it must be insulated.
There are two types of crawl spaces: vented and unvented. Vented crawl spaces open to the outside, while unvented crawl spaces are part of the basement. How and what is insulated depends on whether the space is vented or unvented. In a vented crawl space, the underfloor should be insulated, much as it is installed in ceilings. In an unvented crawl space, you should insulate the perimeter walls.
