According to the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy, each year in the U.S. nearly $13 billion worth of energy in the form of heated or cooled air escapes through holes and cracks in residential buildings. That’s an average of $150 per household each year!
Upgrading attic insulation from three inches to 12 inches can cut your heating bills by 20 percent - and air conditioning bills by 10 percent.
The more air pockets an insulating product has, the higher the R-value.
Spray-on polyurethane foam has the best R-value per inch compared to other insulating materials.
R-38 attic insulation may be 12 inches of fiberglass batts, 10 inches of rock wool loose-fill or seven inches of expanding foam.
The U.S. Department of Energy recommends R-49 attic insulation for homes with electric resistance (baseboard) heating.
Bare concrete walls are about R-1, while attic insulation in newly-built Midwestern homes usually measures about R-44.
Floors, walls and ceilings account for more than 30 percent of the heat loss in a typical home. |
