The Palisadian-Post has partnered with locally founded environmental nonprofit Resilient Palisades to deliver a weekly “green tip” to our readers. This week’s tip was written by Doug Macmillan.
In most American homes, heating and cooling use more energy and cost more money than any other activity, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. A properly insulated home will not only bring you huge savings throughout the year, but will also create a very comfortable environment throughout the year.
Here is how we buffered our 1956 home from the increasing heat of summer and the cold of winter:
Double glazed windows: This simple process now keeps air (and our money) from slipping in and out, thereby stabilizing our interior temperatures and eliminating condensation on our windows. We now have a quieter and more peaceful home.
Wall insulation: Since our home was built in 1956, it had no wall or floor insulation. One result was that our northern bedroom walls developed mold. We removed the drywall and insulated it with a single layer of aluminum foil and ComfortTherm with the highest R-value possible (insulation value). We also used expanding foam to fill gaps and cracks in our floors and around the window frames.
Roof insulation: Our original sprayed insulation had compacted to an irregular layer only an inch thick. We replaced it with ComfortTherm.
Under floor insulation: We installed ComfortTherm batts under our house and covered the ground with polythene to reduce the humidity.
You can see your interior hot and cold spots by using an infrared camera, available at flir.com/store.
A properly insulated home should maintain a comfortable range of 65 to 75 degrees all year long, requiring very little energy to cool or heat. In fact, all the heat your home really needs could be generated by the refrigerator and your two- and four-legged family and friends.
To learn more, visit jm.com/en/homeowner-insulation/comforttherm.
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