Inspecting and Evaluating Your Insulation
Unless your home was specially constructed for energy efficiency, you can usually reduce your energy bills by adding more insulation. 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. To determine whether you should add insulation, you first need to find out:
- Where your home is, isn't, and/or should be insulated
- What type of insulation you have
- The R-value and the thickness or depth (inches) of the insulation you have.
If you live in a newer house, you can probably find out this information from the builder. If you live in an older house, you'll need to inspect the insulation yourself or hire someone do to it for you. When adding additional insulation, you do not have to use the same type of insulation that you currently have. For example, you can add loose fill on top of fiberglass batts or blankets, and vice-versa. If you use fiberglass over loose fill, make sure the fiberglass batt has no paper or foil backing; it needs to be "unfaced." If you choose to add loose fill, it may be wise to hire a professional, as the application requires the use of a blowing machine. Some home improvement stores offer rentals of this machine
Important: before insulating, ensure that your home has adequate air sealing and moisture control.
- Check the attic, walls and floors adjacent to an unheated space, like a garage or basement. Structural elements are usually exposed in these areas, which makes it easy to see what type and depth of insulation you have.
- Inspect the exterior wall insulation at power outlets throughout the house:
- Turn off the power to the outlet being inspected.
- Remove the outlet cover and shine a flashlight into the crack around the outlet box. You should be able to see insulation, what type it is and possibly how thick it is.
- Remember: just because you find insulation in one wall doesn't mean that it's in all walls.
- Inspect and measure the thickness of insulation in unfinished basement ceilings and walls, or above crawl spaces.
- Determine the R-values present and the R-values you want to obtain. See Additional Resources for help.
Source Material: US Dept. of Energy
Resource List
- Insulation Rebate Program
- Where to Insulate
- How Insulation Works
- Types of Insulation
- Inspecting and Evaluating Your Insulation
- Selecting Insulation for New Homes or Remodels
- Zip-Code Insulation Program from the U.S. Department of Energy. Use this program to determine where you need to insulate and the recommended R-values based on your climate and type of heating and cooling system, etc. The program also will provide cost estimates and a rate of return.
- www.ornl.gov/sci/roofs+walls/insulation
- www.eere.energy.gov/consumer
- www.energystar.gov