Facts you should know about Home Insulation

Unless you want your AC unit or heater to spend more and more energy, causing your power bill to keep increasing until you can barely fit it into your budget, you’ll need to have insulation in your walls and attic. Doing so prevents the warm or cooled air from escaping out of your house, making it much easier to reach the temperature you’ve set in your thermostat.

R-Value

The first thing you should know about getting home insulation is its R-value. Basically, this measures the resistance of your chosen insulation type to thermal resistance or heat conduction. The higher the R-value, the more efficient the insulation is. You should know though, that the Department of Energy measures this value differently based on where your home is located.

Types

Two of the most common types of insulation are blown-in and fiberglass. Blown-in insulation contains loose-fill particles of fire-retardant insulating material. A compressor then blows these particles into your attic. This is an efficient way to get insulating material into the nooks and crannies of your attic, making for an even distribution, even if your attic has a particularly irregular shape.

Fiberglass insulation, on the other hand, comes in rolls or strips of varying lengths. This type of insulation is excellent for your floor joists, wall studs, and even your ceiling rafters. A paper backing, which can be stapled onto studs or beams, is attached to the insulating material.

Backing Up the Attic Insulation

The attic will always be one of the spookiest places in your home. Admit it – it’s cold, dark, and no one will go up there unless you have something to store. However, the attic is also one of the prime places to watch for when it comes to keeping the heat warm in your home. A weakened insulation is one way to seek your energy bills climb up because the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning system has to perform at higher capacity for the same amount of heat.

Installing further insulation requires determining the right R-values for your locality. In the case of Houston, a check of the Energy Department’s national chart shows the city, as well as most of southern Texas, at Zone IV. The category requires the attic to have a thermal protection value at R-49.

Your insulation specialist can determine if the existing insulation is enough for the value and may recommend installing extra. However, placement is key to getting the insulation down pat. Some experts state that if the attic is not used for storage, set up the insulation right on the floor; if the space has trusses linking down to the attic floor the gaps should be sealed with batts or spray-on insulation. However, plan on installing rafter vents to reduce moisture.

How to Solve Water Heater Problems

If your hot water heater is having problems, there are things that you can do yourself before calling a plumber for water heater repair or thinking about replacement. Here are some things that one can do when the water heater starts having problems.

Water Heater is Leaking

Often water heaters will leak at the pressure relief valve if the water temperature is set to high. Simply lower the temperature a bit and see if that solves the problem. You should also check all the plumbing connections to and around the water heater. If you find water coming from the bottom that is rust colored, then the tank is probably leaking and you will need a new one, as water heater tanks can't be repaired.

Rust-colored water

Rust-colored water means that the anode rod has stopped functioning properly. The anode rod prevents rust from gathering inside the water tank. Fortunately, the anode rod is easy to replace, and replacement rods are available at the nearest supply store.

Smelly water

If the water coming out of the faucet exudes an undesirable smell, it only means that there is a bacteria buildup in the tank. In order to combat this problem, the water must be flushed out of the tank and be filled with 2 pints of 3% hydrogen peroxide solution (assuming that the tank can handle 40 gallons of water). Let the solution sit for two hours before refilling the tank with water.

Why Insulate Your Houston Home?

Houston, Texas did not experience the extreme cold of the polar vortex when it hit the east coast in January. However, the area still had colder than normal temperatures that brought a rare snow to Houston and threats of a dangerous ice storm.

Since Houston is not used to such cold weather, many homes have not been built to retain heat as effectively as homes in more northern climates. If a home is as little as 5 to 10 years old, it may be one of the most under insulated homes in the country This means that heat is lost and the HVAC units and the hot water systems have to work harder, costing homeowners more in energy bills.

The solution to this problem is the installation of additional insulation in order to keep the heat inside the homes. Insulating different parts of the home can bring the benefits of heat retention, however, one of the most important parts of the home to insulate, would have to be the roof.

Since heat rises, the roof is the part of the house where insulation for Houston homes will be the most effective. A properly insulated attic can save as much as 20% or more a year in energy cost.

As Houston experienced one of the most bizarre winters in history, the importance of insulation has never been more important. Other parts of a home can benefit from insulation such as ductwork, hose bibs, and water risers.

Companies such as Village Plumbing & Home Services in Houston offer total insulation packages that will help homeowners stay warm and save money.

How to Ensure Your Insulation is Energy Efficient

If your attic insulation is inefficient due to faulty installation, then how can you really save on your energy use? Fortunately, there are a few ways to maximize what energy efficiency your insulation has regardless of its installation

Put Heat In Its Place with Attic Insulation

Heaters are a must-have appliance for homes that experience frigid temperatures. While the devices are reliable in providing warmth, they can quickly burn through energy if they’re not optimized. Essentially, heaters will expend more power if a house manages to lose more heat than the appliance can produce, and it’s a major problem for households that have difficulty paying large energy bills.

Homeowners should therefore optimize their homes such that they can contain as much of the heat as possible. There are various ways to go about this optimization, from sealing doors and windows, to replacing regular windows for low emissivity versions, yet the changes can be very costly if all done at the same time. For those who want to start small, installing attic insulation is the affordable way to go.

According to the laws of physics, heat rises, so it makes perfect sense why attic insulation should be the primary focus in optimizing a home’s heating capacity. Insulating the attic should keep heat from trying to escape through the roof and into the atmosphere. Not only does it considerably slow down heat loss, attic insulation also prevents the formation of dangerous ice dams on the roof of a home.

Want to Save Money? Insulate Your Attic.

Everyone wants a comfortable home, and one way to ensure this is through proper heating and cooling. However, keeping a comfortable temperature inside your house can cost you more than 50% in your total electrical bill, according to the US Energy Department. Of course, making your home more energy efficient can cut down this expense, while helping the environment at the same time.

One of the best ways to do this is through attic insulation. Since the attic is directly below the roof, it collects a lot of heat which can radiate through your ceiling and into your home. A properly insulated attic will have sufficient R-value or thermal resistance—the ability to resist heat transfer. According to EnergyStar.com, the ideal R-value for Houston attics must be between R30 to R60 to allow maximum insulation.

Insulation will save you money regardless of the season. In the winter, an insulated attic will prevent the heat inside your home from escaping, meaning less work for your heater. In the summer, it will prevent heat from entering your home, which in turn lowers your cooling costs.

The attic may not be a popular option for home renovation projects. However, attic insulation is a worthwhile improvement that will help your home save energy and keep your family comfortable year-round.