Insulation pays for itself! And, you may enjoy the added benefit of a tax credit of up to $500 for insulation installed in 2006 or 2007. ( 10% of your cost up to $500 is the current tax credit. Please consult your favorite tax advisor for details or visit the Dept of Energy web site for additional details. )
Certainly the easiest and least expensive place to add insulation is in your attic. Hiring a contractor will, of course, add to your cost. So the least costly solution here is to do it yourself. The average house in the USA has insufficient insulation. Who knew that heating and cooling costs would grow so high?
Save money year round – reduce your heating costs in the winter and air conditioning costs in the summer by adding attic insulation. The cellulose stuff you can blow in on top of your existing insulation will probably be your least expensive option. Rolls of batting would follow. Although I don’t recommend the fiberglass batting – as it must be installed without gaps and uncompressed. Any gaps or points where the batting is compressed will result in less efficiency. Loose fill cellulose insulation is much easier to work with and you just don’t have the gaps or the compression issues.
When blowing in cellulose insulation you want to be sure and create buffer zones of at least three inches around any chimney or recessed lighting fixture. Also stay clear of the ceiling exhaust fans you might have in your bathroom. Any ceiling exhaust fans should probably be vented all the way outside. If they are not just make sure you properly shield or protect the outlet so you do not cover or in any way impede the flow of the exhaust.
Always wear a mask – that stuff is not fun to inhale! And be careful to start at a point furthest from your attic opening – or the place where you entered the attic. It is a good idea to add enough so it measures two inches higher than the height you desire – to allow for settling. Generally – if you add from 12 to 15 inches of loose cellulose you will see a remarkable difference in your heating bill.
( You did remember to seal all those little cracks around the doors and windows didn’t you ? ) Your windows will allow tremendous heat loss ( or gain ) if your are still using single pain windows. If you can’t justify the expense of newer, more efficient double or triple pane windows, you’ll surely see energy dollar savings if you install good storm windows and doors.
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