Home Insulation Tips That Can Save You Lots of Money

Five Home Insulation Tips That Can Save You Lots of Money By Jamie Clark
There's a good chance that high heating bills are here to stay. As the
prices of natural gas and heating oil go up, homeowners will find
themselves paying more and more to heat their homes in the winter.
Fortunately, you can offset some of the price increases by beefing up
your home insulation. In fact, most homeowners can save 30 percent or
more on home heating costs by making a few inexpensive home
improvements! Older homes are often most in need of an insulation
upgrade. But don't assume that, because you have a newer home, it's as
well-insulated as possible. Many homes built after 1980 have inadequate
insulation because local building codes aren't up-to-date with US
Department of Energy recommendations. Also, occasionally home-builders
do scrimp on "little" things like insulation to lower costs and increase
profits. Here are some relatively simple and inexpensive steps you can
take to lower your heating bills this winter: 1. Increase attic
insulation. Your attic is a big source of home heat loss and is one of
the easiest places to get in to. If your attic does not have at least 12
inches of insulation you can lay paperless rolls of insulation on top of
existing insulation, including cellulose or vermiculite. These types of
insulation tend to "compact" over time, reducing their effectiveness. By
the way, a well-insulated attic is always cold. If you see icicles
dangling from the eaves of your home it means that warm air in the attic
is melting snow and the water runoff is re-freezing (which can also
cause significant damage to your roof!). Get in there and insulate until
the air is very cold. 2. Use weatherstripping around windows and doors.
Lots of heat is lost through the spaces around windows and doors. Modern
weatherstripping materials are inexpensive and very effective at
minimizing the loss of warm air (and money). Most do-it-yourselves can
install weatherstripping pretty easily. Just make sure to do it in
temperatures above 20 degrees Fahrenheit. Also, always apply
weatherstripping to clean, dry surfaces to maximize effectiveness and
ensure that it lasts for a long time. 3. Use expansion foam for small
spaces. Expansion foam insulation works great for filling small openings
that allow heat to escape. Some examples include the spaces behind
electric switch plates on exterior walls, openings where plumbing pipes
enter the house, and the small openings that are used to run
electricity, cable, and internet lines into your home. All together
these little spaces add up to a lot of heat loss and a little bit of
inexpensive expansion foam can save you a lot of money on your heating
bill. 4. Don't forget the basement. Home basements and crawlspaces often
have many little openings that let heat escape. This is especially true
if they are unfinished. Use paper-faced insulation on exposed ceiling
joists and stuff small pieces of insulation into open crevices at the
juncture of basement walls and the ceiling. Also, you might want to pump
some expansion foam insulation into any small openings around the
foundation, which are usually no more than an inch or two wide. 5. Use
window curtains and blinds. One of the simplest ways to reduce heat loss
through windows is to use curtains and blinds. They can be closed at
night to trap cold air and opened during the day to allow sunlight to
naturally warm the house. Remember that the thicker the curtain, the
more effective it will be at insulating your house. As you can see, none
of the home insulation steps above are too difficult or too expensive to
accomplish. But they will save you a ton of money over the years. Take
advantage of them and you just might find this year's heating bills to
be lower than expected! Jamie Clark is a researcher and writer for
Home-Insulation-Guide.com.

For more home insulation tips and to learn how you can lower your home
heating bills visit http://www.home-insulation-guide.com today! Article
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