subject: Save Energy today! [print this page] The normal American can finally catch a sigh of relief from the record high oil and fuel prices! Unfortunately, it's getting that time of the year again when those prices begin to slowly sneak in till they start bounding up! Earlier times is the greatest indicator for the future, and so the past implies that regrettably, Americans have almost no control over the price of foreign energy suppliers. In order to save money you would have to be more energy efficient while keeping the home and property comfortable. In the perfect world you would easily make a more energy efficient home. However, very few of us can in fact achieve that, instead we need to insulate a home that has already been built.
Yes, retrofitting and upgrading a house to be more cost effective will be expensive. However, if you decide to consider the reality that people are conserving money that normally would be leaving your own home then it does not sound too bad. There isn't a break-even amount for energy efficiency improvements. However, without further digressing we'll focus on what cost effective options are available to homeowners.
If your home's energy is pure electric then possibly residential solar panels regarded as a smart investment. However, remember that one can find numerous homes that are reliant on oil and/or gas to heat! Upgrading your attic's insulation is amongst the cheaper energy efficiencies you can do. Why attic insulation? What type of attic insulation?
Similar to the human body (most heat lost by the head), homes primarily lose heat into the attic. It would be silly and not realistic to cover your place using a large blanket or perhaps a knit hat. Instead, lining the attic floor or rafters would certainly be more efficient. Though, traditional batting and fiberglass insulation won't really help very much. This insulation is comparable to wearing a knitted sweater on a cold and windy day. Way too many holes in the layers that can feel like you're wearing a wide open window! Just typing insulation into Google will boggle your mind because of the pure volume of home insulation available! However, they are not as simple nor effective as a radiant barrier shield. A thermal or a Dallas Radiant Barrier Foil
is needed to reflect the home's radiant heat directly into the living quarters through the winter and to reflect the summer's radiant heat rays from entering your residence. Very much like covering an apple pie with aluminum foil keeping it warm. Radiant barrier foil line the attic floor keeping the living quarters warm.
Another option is spray foam insulation. You will discover a number of benefits and drawbacks to spray foam insulation. The expanding foam complete fills the nooks and crannies that traditional fiberglass insulation and even blown insulation can't help. The main disadvantage is the fact that foam 'expands' and therefore if ever the foam should ooze in between joists as well as the ceiling, it could cause it to separate!
Whichever method is used to ensure comfortable living quarters, a professional is highly recommended. These companies know which method would be best for your home and can guarantee their work ensuring many warm and pleasant years to come. Though if you were to add the foam and then the radiant barrier on top you would receive the best of both worlds! With the money saved on heating and cooling the home the homeowner gets the last laugh instead of the energy companies.
