Attic work is hot and tiring. Work in the morning before it gets hot and keep lots of cool liquids handy to avoid over heating.
Insulation
Dirty Insulation
Look for dirty spots in your insulation, which often indicate holes where air leaks into and out of your house. You can seal the holes by stapling sheets of plastic over the holes and caulking the edges of the plastic.
Adding Insulation
Install additional attic insulation at right angles to the previous layer. You don’t have to use the same type of insulation – it’s fine to use batts or blankets over loose-fill, or vice versa. Upgrading from three inches to 12 inches can cut heating costs by 20 percent, and cooling costs by 10 percent.
Insulate Outlets
To stop airflow between walls and floors, Install foam gaskets on all outlets and switches, and use child safety plugs backed with punch-outs to keep the cold air from coming through the sockets. Remember, be careful whenever working around electricity.
Attic Door Insulation
Attic doors are a major source of heat loss in many homes. To stop airflow, weatherstrip the edges and insulate the back side of the attic door. Fold-down stairs can be covered with a lightweight box made of rigid insulation.
Bathroom Fan Insulation
Bathroom fan fixtures can poke into the attic insulation and create a pathway for air leaks. Caulk around them from below with high-temperature flexible caulk.
HVAC Budget
Whether you intend to install insulation yourself or hire a contractor, make sure that you know the guaranteed minimum R-value you are looking for. Have any contractor state that installed R-value as part of the bid. Also, prepare for the project by assessing what needs to be done to reduce air infiltration before installation. Include the cost of these added components and labor in your cost calculations. Keep in mind, too, that a tight home requires ventilation, so you may need to take another look at your bathroom and whole house ventilation strategies. Armed with all of this information, select the insulation that meets your energy efficiency, budgetary, and installation requirements. The end result will be a job well done, with energy and cost savings to tally long into the future.
Exterior Caulking
Small openings on the exterior of your home can allow for significant energy loss. Caulk around openings for electric, gas, oil and water supply lines, drainage pipes, plumbing for outside spigots, cable TV and telephone cables. Dryer vents, mechanical ventilation system vents and combustion air supply vents for furnaces should also be sealed.
Retrofit Insulation
It’s possible to retrofit insulation into an existing home, even without the access provided by remodeling. The choices, however, are much more limited. There are some retrofit insulation products that are designed for minimal disruption to finished wall or ceiling surfaces. Significant gains in R-value, however, may mean hiring a professional to assess your needs and devise an energy savings plan. Small or large, insulation projects can yield substantial gains in R-value and in comfort.
Window Insulation
Weatherstrip and caulk all cracks between the wall and the window trim, especially under the window sills. Replace broken glass and putty any loose window panes. Caulk around the moving parts of windows with a strip-away, non-permanent caulk during the winter. This type caulk can be removed easily in the spring.