Homeowners with high utility bills and inadequate heating and cooling may need more than a new HVAC system.
Upgrading your heating and air conditioning system, whether after equipment failure or simply to improve efficiency can be a valuable remodeling project, but it may not have the desired effect without an insulation inspection. Older homes often have excessive air leakage and lack sufficient insulation, which means that your highly energy efficient new equipment will struggle to do its job.
“According to the EPA, 90% of homes are under-insulated, and attics are the most common area with insufficient insulation,” says Laura Woodford, vice president of marketing for Greenfiber cellulose insulation. “It’s important to check insulation levels and seal and insulate your attic to ensure it’s performing at its prime.”
If you suspect your home lacks appropriate insulation, adding insulation can be a valuable retrofit. Many homeowners increase their insulation during remodeling projects, particularly when they open walls or build an addition. Even if homeowners are not remodeling, adding insulation can easily be accomplished, usually in one day.
Woodford suggests that some indications that upgraded insulation is required include:
When you look across an attic floor, if the insulation is below the level of the attic floor joists, you probably need more insulation. SANCTUARY by Greenfiber can be blown over existing insulation without removing the old insulation to reach the necessary R-value.
If energy bills are higher than expected in the colder or warmer months, it could be a sign of inadequate insulation. Adding SANCTUARY to a home can save 15% to 25% on heating and cooling bills. How much a homeowner saves depends in part on their previous insulation level and their climate. Greenfiber’s energy savings calculator can calculate your annual savings based on the amount of added insulation.
If a home is noisy because of exterior sounds such as planes, lawn mowers or music, you may want to consider insulating the walls as well as the attic. SANCTUARY has been tested and found to reduce sound by 60%.
Drafts or hot and cold spots in the home. Improving exterior wall insulation helps equalize temperatures throughout the home and reduce drafts.
Common types of insulation for attics include:
Fiberglass. Fiberglass can be installed in batts or blown-in and is created from sand, silica and recycled materials. The batts have a binder that forms the batts shape.
Cellulose. Cellulose is made from 85% recycled paper and is treated with fire retardants to meet stringent fire testing standards. It can be used in loose-fill, dense-pack or spray-applied applications.
Spray foam. Open-cell spray foam can be sprayed in your attic to create an airtight insulation.
Mineral wool. This manmade material includes recycled natural minerals is available as batts or loose-fill insulation that is naturally fire resistant without chemicals.
Denim. Denim insulation is available as batts or loose fill form that is made from 85% recycled cotton denim. The additives in denim make it a fire retardant material.
The Alchemy of R-Values
Homeowners often ask whether different types of insulation can be combined effectively in attics. For example, should loose fill cellulose be “stacked” over fiberglass batts? What about over mineral wool? If the batt installation is not perfect, will the blown in material fill in the cracks and improve the overall R-value of the attic enough to warrant the extra cost?
The short answer is yes.
“There is not an issue at all with mixing Greenfiber cellulose with other types of insulation,” Woodford says. “You can refer to this blog on blowing [our product] over fiberglass for more details.”
By “mixing,” of course, she means layering, not literally mixing the two together. In the referenced article, Greenfiber’s team asserts that: “By adding a few inches of blow-in cellulose insulation on top of fiberglass insulation, you will make the home significantly less vulnerable to uncontrolled air infiltration traveling between the attic and living space.”
Greenfiber’s SANCTUARY product offers some benefits above other insulation options, including:
Higher Resistance to Air Infiltration: Where air flows, heat transfer, sound and allergens follow. Due to the dense composition of SANCTUARY’s cellulose fibers, which trap air pockets to create a barrier against heat transfer, and its ability to fill tiny joints, crevices and gaps in attics and walls, it reduces air infiltration, mitigates sound, and achieves better thermal performance. Thanks to these benefits, it improves quality of life and promotes wellness, contributing to homes that are more comfortable, efficient and quieter.
Superior Cold and Hot Weather Performance: According to a study conducted by Oak Ridge National Laboratory, cellulose retains or improves R-value in colder temperatures, making it ideal for northern climates, howeverates, however, R-value is only one part of the equation because it only measures one method of heat transfer, conductive heat transfer, which is the transfer of heat through air movement within the insulation. While insulation manufacturers aren’t required to report on the other methods of heat transfer, it’s also important to look at radiant heat transfer as well, the heat transferred from one surface to another. The reason why your attic gets so hot in the summer is because the roof deck gets hot and transfers heat to the rest of the attic space. Because cellulose insulation does a better job of reducing radiant heat transfer by eliminating air gaps, it keeps homes warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. According to Oak Ridge National Laboratory Study (1991) comparing fiberglass loose fill insulation to blow-in cellulose insulation. Savings vary. The higher the R-value, the greater the insulating power. Ask your seller for the fact sheet on R-value.
Lower Carbon Footprint: Carbon negative insulation is made with 85% recycled paper and uses low-energy manufacturing and short-haul transportation, making it the responsible choice for homeowners and the planet.
Advanced Fire Resistance: Stops or slows the spread of fire with Class 1/A fire rating, giving homeowners more time to escape in the case of a fire.
Settling the Dust Rumor
One of the “memes” that tends to occur in social forums is the belief that cellulose will settle, turn to dust, and age too rapidly. Both case studies and company experts say these criticisms are ungrounded. Woodford asserts that Greenfiber cellulose “does not break down. It lasts for the lifetime of the home, and we have a lifetime warranty (details here) to guarantee the quality of our product, if installed properly.”
As for concerns about cellulose, such as vulnerability to pests, Greenfiber just launched a new product called SANCTUARY Defense.
Woodford says “SANCTUARY Defense is treated with an EPA-registered pesticide that kills 25 different types of pests when they come in contact with the insulation.”
Solving the Issue of Under-Insulation
Homeowners with high utility bills and inadequate heating and cooling may need more than a new HVAC system.
Upgrading your heating and air conditioning system, whether after equipment failure or simply to improve efficiency can be a valuable remodeling project, but it may not have the desired effect without an insulation inspection. Older homes often have excessive air leakage and lack sufficient insulation, which means that your highly energy efficient new equipment will struggle to do its job.
“According to the EPA, 90% of homes are under-insulated, and attics are the most common area with insufficient insulation,” says Laura Woodford, vice president of marketing for Greenfiber cellulose insulation. “It’s important to check insulation levels and seal and insulate your attic to ensure it’s performing at its prime.”
If you suspect your home lacks appropriate insulation, adding insulation can be a valuable retrofit. Many homeowners increase their insulation during remodeling projects, particularly when they open walls or build an addition. Even if homeowners are not remodeling, adding insulation can easily be accomplished, usually in one day.
Woodford suggests that some indications that upgraded insulation is required include:
Common types of insulation for attics include:
The Alchemy of R-Values
Homeowners often ask whether different types of insulation can be combined effectively in attics. For example, should loose fill cellulose be “stacked” over fiberglass batts? What about over mineral wool? If the batt installation is not perfect, will the blown in material fill in the cracks and improve the overall R-value of the attic enough to warrant the extra cost?
The short answer is yes.
“There is not an issue at all with mixing Greenfiber cellulose with other types of insulation,” Woodford says. “You can refer to this blog on blowing [our product] over fiberglass for more details.”
By “mixing,” of course, she means layering, not literally mixing the two together. In the referenced article, Greenfiber’s team asserts that: “By adding a few inches of blow-in cellulose insulation on top of fiberglass insulation, you will make the home significantly less vulnerable to uncontrolled air infiltration traveling between the attic and living space.”
Greenfiber’s SANCTUARY product offers some benefits above other insulation options, including:
While insulation manufacturers aren’t required to report on the other methods of heat transfer, it’s also important to look at radiant heat transfer as well, the heat transferred from one surface to another.
The reason why your attic gets so hot in the summer is because the roof deck gets hot and transfers heat to the rest of the attic space. Because cellulose insulation does a better job of reducing radiant heat transfer by eliminating air gaps, it keeps homes warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer.
According to Oak Ridge National Laboratory Study (1991) comparing fiberglass loose fill insulation to blow-in cellulose insulation. Savings vary. The higher the R-value, the greater the insulating power. Ask your seller for the fact sheet on R-value.
Settling the Dust Rumor
As for concerns about cellulose, such as vulnerability to pests, Greenfiber just launched a new product called SANCTUARY Defense.
Woodford says “SANCTUARY Defense is treated with an EPA-registered pesticide that kills 25 different types of pests when they come in contact with the insulation.”
Download the Home Retrofits that Pay Their Way eBook to learn more about adding insulation to improve a home’s energy efficiency and comfort.
By Michele Lerner, Associate Editor
Michele Lerner is an award-winning freelance writer, editor, and author who writes about real estate, personal finance, and business.Also Read