Tips 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 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. The barrier should be installed on the ground, stretched from wall-to-wall and covering all exposed dirt.
• 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.

Cellulose		Blown-in Fiberglass		Fiberglass Batting
Inches	R-Value	Inches	R-Value	Inches	R-Value
5.29	R-19	8.0	R-19	6.00	R-19
8.36	R-30	12.25	R-30	9.75	R-30
10.59	R-38	15.5	R-38	12.26	R-38
12.26	R-44	17.7	R-44	14.25	R-44
13.37	R-49	19.50	R-49	15.5	R-49

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

House Area	Standard	Enhanced
Attic/Ceiling	R-38	R-50
Floor (over unconditioned space)	R-30	R-38+
Wall	R-20	R-22+

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