Whether you should install insulation yourself depends on the structural design of your house and the type of materials used in its construction. Installing it yourself does save money if done correctly, and often insulation contractors are overscheduled, so you might not be able to hire one when you need one. Continue reading →

The facing material on the insulation is generally a vapor barrier. It is usually applied toward the “warm-in-winter” portion of the house to help resist the movement of moisture vapor to cold surfaces, where it can condense. This means that, in the ceilings, the barrier faces down; in the walls, it faces the inside; and in the floors over unheated spaces, it faces up. Continue reading →

R-values are cumulative, so there is no need to remove what’s already there. By layering two different batts together, you get the combined R-value of both batts. For example, two layers of R-19 batts will give you a total of R-38. Continue reading →

A professional audit should be a detailed room-by-room analysis, including a blower-door test and a thermographic scan. The Energy Department explains the methods this way. A blower door is a fan mounted into an exterior doorframe. The fan pulls air out of the house, lowering the air pressure inside. Continue reading →