Hints for Staying Comfortable

• Caulk and weather-strip doors and windows that leak air.
• Seal air leaks between your living space and your attic and/or crawl space. Leaks are common around plumbing and vents, heating ducts, light fixtures and wires. Be sure that fixtures and wires are designed for direct insulation contact.
• Install wall plate insulation gaskets behind outlet and switch plates on exterior walls (turn off the power before installing gaskets).
• Install a 6-mil vapor barrier between your living space and your crawl space to prevent moisture from entering your home.
• Make sure your attic and crawl space have adequate ventilation to vent out moisture and summer heat.

Selecting/Installing

• The effectiveness of insulation is noted as an R-value, a measure of the material’s resistance to heat transfer. Higher R-values provide greater insulating value. R-values are additive – the more you add, the higher the R-value will be.
• Use a ruler to check the existing insulation levels in your attic, ceilings, exterior walls, floors and crawl spaces.

• Add new insulation to the existing insulation to increase the R-value using the following guidelines:

• Use higher density insulation that has a higher R-value per inch of insulation in cathedral ceiling and in exterior walls.