InsulationWhat Dr. Energy Saver Says Home Insulation:
"If you’re undecided about adding more insulation now, think how you’ll feel when fuel prices shoot up again."
- Consult with a Home Energy Doctor
- Check insulation levels for your area
- Insulation saves on heating and cooling
Home Insulation - Materials and Installation Services
Proper insulation is just as important for
energy savings during hot weather.
Adding more insulation helps save money
on air conditioning and make your home
more comfortable during hot weather.
A t-shirt in a snowstorm?
Spend the winter walking outside in a t-shirt and people will start to question your sanity. But if your home’s insulation levels are inadequate, you’re doing the same thing on a much larger scale. How did this happen? Well, for one thing, insulation doesn’t have the “Wow!” value of crown molding or a fancy chandelier. When electricity and heating fuel were cheap, it made sense for builders to go light on insulation so they could invest in upscale features that homebuyers could see. But fuel is expensive these days, and it’s only going to get more costly. Without adequate insulation (read an anecdote about a poorly insulated historic home), your home is going to start draining away dollars that you’d rather spend in other ways. With the right insulation upgrades, you’ll be protected from rising energy costs and you can feel good about helping to preserve clean air.
Insulation really works
A roll of fiberglass insulation or a handful of cellulose insulation may not look like much, but these materials make a big difference in how your home retains heat during the winter and cool air during the summer. Think of how long soup stays hot when you store it in an insulated thermos. That’s how your home’s insulation can work for you. Proper insulation is just as important for energy savings during hot weather as it is in the wintertime. A Dr. Energy Saver technician can show you how well insulated our home is with a thermal imaging camera.If you’re undecided about adding more insulation now, think how you’ll feel when fuel prices shoot up again. No matter how you heat and cool your home, the same rule applies: energy upgrades pay for themselves faster as energy costs go up.
Insulation is rated in terms of R-value per inch,
so multiplying the material’s R-value per inch
by the thickness will give you total R value.
What “R” you talking about?
All insulation is tested to determine how well it resists transferring heat. That’s what the “R” in insulation’s R-value stands for: resistance to heat flow. The higher the R-value, the higher the resistance and greater the insulating value. When talking about insulation, R-value is typically expressed in two ways:- Overall or total R-value. This number is used as a measure of the total insulation value. It’s also used to describe the insulation value of a complete building structure, such as a wall that would include studs, plywood sheathing, siding, insulation and drywall.
- R-value per inch. Insulation is manufactured from different insulating materials and in different thicknesses. Manufacturers rate their products in terms of R-value per inch, so multiplying the material’s R-value per inch by the thickness will give you….
What kind of insulation, and how much?
Based on Dr. Energy Saver’s findings, we will recommend
insulation upgrades in critical areas of your home.
Recommended insulation levels for retrofitting existing wood-framed buildings
Source: U.S. Dept. of Energy
What the U.S. Dept. of Energy Says about Adding Insulation to a Home
Unless your home was specially constructed for energy efficiency, you can usually reduce your energy bills by adding more insulation states the U.S. DOE. Many older homes have less insulation than homes built today, but adding insulation to a newer home may also pay for itself within a few years.
