Home & Family : House :

What's keeping Jack Frost from breaking into your home?

10.22.2007

Submitted by tmeronek on Mon, 10/22/2007 - 12:01am.
The Bite:
More than just drywall and two-by-fours, we hope. Fiberglass insulation is the norm, but if you want a greener way to avoid Mr. Frost's bite, eco-insulation's the way to go, whether you're adding to old insulation or starting from scratch.
The Benefits: 
  • Eco-friendlier materials. Green options include recycled paper, denim, and plant cellulose.
  • Lowering your power bills. Proper insulation can save the average home $245 per year.
  • Lowering your emissions. Heating systems emit 1 bil tons of CO2 per year in the United States; the right insulation can chip away at this amount.
  • Upping your home's value. According to the Appraisal Institute, resale value increases by more than $20 for every $1 decrease in your annual energy bills.
  • Getting cash back. The feds will rebate 10% of the price of your insulation, plus your state may offer additional tax credits.
  • Decreasing noise pollution. Insulation minimizes the sound of the garage band or motorcycle next door.
Personally Speaking: 
Jen installed spray-in insulation in her 100-year-old Bozeman bungalow last spring, greatly reducing heating bills and the volume of her morning alarm: her rooster.  
Wanna Try: 

Cocktail Fact

In 1987, insulation-maker Owens Corning was the first company to trademark a color (the pink in its fiberglass insulation).

Bang For The Bite

If 10,000 Biters properly insulate their walls and ceilings, it'll have the CO2-reducing effect of planting 1,538,461 trees.

3 comments
Bookmark and Share
  Email This

Tips Like This

 

Other Related Content

 
Ken Dalton  on March 31, 2009 at 05:24 AM 1
There are plenty of types of insulation and some of them are flammable, some are not. Anything made from wood, paper, old clothing can burn. If it's been treated with chemicals to not burn, it is still hazardous. If there is a house fire, those chemicals in the insulation will not put out the fire. They will just end up in the smoke making it even more deadly to breath, as if fire-fighters don't already have enough problems.
It's much better to use inflammable insulation like fiberglass or (my favorite) mineral wool, which is basically rock spun into wool.
When I use these, I think I'm protecting my family from a house fire, which I hope will never happen.
Darrian  on August 08, 2009 at 09:00 AM 2
Everyone should know by now the benefits of insulation. When I insulated my home, Albany insulation that this is a long term investment for me, they were right about that.
ber  on November 12, 2009 at 07:42 AM 3
The feds will rebate 10% of the price of your insulation, plus your state may offer additional tax credits. games adventure games

Post new comment

The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly.
  • Web page addresses and e-mail addresses turn into links automatically.
  • Allowed HTML tags: <a> <em> <font> <strong> <cite> <code> <ul> <ol> <li> <dl> <dt> <dd> <p> <br> <img>

More information about formatting options

 

All editorial suggestions in this tip are the result of testing and a preference for the tip topic. No advertiser has paid to have its company referenced in the tip. For more information, please read our Editorial Policy.