Properly insulate your house since 50% of the energy that a single family house consumes goes toward heating and cooling. Save energy, reduce utility costs, and improve comfort. Proper installation is key because compressed areas and gaps can significantly reduce effectiveness. Additional advantages of proper insulation include fire resistance and safety, plus noise reduction.
When choosing the appropriate type of insulation for your job, consider the insulating capacity, fire resistance, convective heat loss, moisture control, and settling and loss of insulating capacity. Insulate all exterior walls to at least R-19. Loose-fill or 'Blow-in' insulation is sprayed into spaces such as existing walls, attics, or hard to reach places. Spray in insulation has the distinct advantage of filling in around pipes and electrical elements like outlets. Loose-fill costs between $.50-.80 per sq.ft, or about $1,500 for a 2000 sq.ft. house, less with Tax Credits.
Select a 'Formaldehyde-Free' insulation to save on air quality and health, such as green insulation made from recycled blue jeans, newspapers, or other cellulose materials, or soy, cotton or sheep wool batting.
The ROI Calculation is based on saving $15 a month. Plus get Tax Credits: 10% of cost not to exceed $500 total.
You can find high performance products at Johns Manville, or start from scratch by learning about the possible Tax Credits from insulated walls. And if you're ready to take the next step and consider insulated walls, find a Contractor near you.
The ROI Data Source:
The ROI calculations are intended to serve as a guide to help you see the hierarchy of performance and payback. Given variations in energy consumption, house size, results will naturally vary. The calculations are based on comprehensive local and national research and a combination of reports from the U.S. Department of Energy, the EPA, ENERGY STAR® for Homes Program, US Green Building Council's LEED for Homes Program, American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE), International Energy Conservation Code, PLUS information directly from University Studies, Architects, Manufacturer Specifications, Distributors, seasoned Builders and Installers, and Homeowners with actual Performance Feedback.
For more Return on Investment data and details on ways to save money and the environment, look here for Green Interior Home Remodeling opportunities. Every purchase you make is an opportunity to save!
