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                    175 Strafford Ave. Suite 1, Wayne, PA 19087               Certified Since 1978
                    610-964-1477
                          Serving Montgomery, Chester, Delaware, 
                       Phila. & Lower Bucks Co's. in Southeastern PA. 

         When it's important enough to use the very best!

                  INSULATION

Insulating ceilings is usually one of the easiest and best things you can do to conserve energy.
The benefits form increased ceiling insulation, however, vary from home to home. It is
recommended that most homes have the ceilings insulated to R-30 (10 inches ). In an existing
home, if you have no attic insulation, you will be quickly paid back in energy savings by insulating
to at least R-30. If you already have some insulation the pay back period will be longer. The
following table clearly shows the rate of diminishing return.

Improvement      Natural        Oil            Propane     Electric            Electric
from – to            gas              gallons     gallons        resistance      heatpump
in  – in                therms                                                KWH               KWH

0 - 06                 432               288           461             7,132             5,962

0 - 10                 459               306           490             7,589             6,334

2 - 10                162               108           173              2,678             2,236

4 - 10                  60                 40             64                  992                828

6 - 10                  27                 18             29                  446                390

1.     

            The function of insulation is to stop thermal conductivity; it is not used to prevent air infiltration.

2.      Insulation should be installed in the ceilings above the living spaces.

3.      If you have stairs to an unfinished attic make sure the door is weather-stripped, solid, or
insulated and the underside of the steps and the surrounding walls are insulated.

4.     Insulate and weather-strip attic access doors. When insulating over a pull down ladder,
install a plywood box hinged on one side over the ladder. Then install rigid foam insulation
around the box to prevent the house heat from escaping into the attic.  

                  

All attic access hatches must be insulated over to prevent heat losses.
There can be a 20 to 40% heat loss in the winter.

5.     Insulate over whole house fans installed in the ceiling. Install a plywood box with rigid
foam insulation around the box. Hinge the box and install a rope and pulley, down into
a closet to open and close the hinged box when using the fan.

6.     

      Adding wall insulation is beneficial, however, it is only recommended when you can
install at least 3 ½ inches and when the workmanship can be verified with an infrared
scanner.

7.    Vapor barriers must be installed on the living side of the insulation. If installing additional
insulation in an attic, use insulation without a vapor barrier.

8.     All attic ductwork (heating & cooling) should be insulated to a minimum of R-5, doubling
or tripling this thickness is recommended for added efficiency. All duct joints must be
sealed to reduce air leaks and improve system efficiency.

             

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