How to Insulate your Attic

A properly insulated attic can help you save energy and money. And with tax credits available, it’s a great incentive to start now. Learn how to do-it-yourself.

Info4yourLife Home and Garden Simplified You hear all the time about the importance of conserving energy and how it’s good for both the environment and your bank account. Increasing the amount of insulation in your home can help you save on energy bills and can qualify you for provincial and federal government eco energy grants. But where to start, experts suggest starting at the top in your attic, insulating your attic, saving money and helping to keep the planet green can be done in a few simple steps. The first thing you need to do is figure out how much insulation you already have. Measure the thickness of your attics existing insulation using and insulation ruler. To help save as much as 28% on your heating and cooling energy bills, it is recommended you should have 15 inches of that insulation. Now calculate how many packages if insulation you will need to finish the job. Determine the area in square feet to be insulated by multiplying the length times the width and feet. Measure the distance between joists along wooden dividers on the attic floor to determine the required insulation width for the job. Divide the total square footage to be insulated by the square foot per package. Rounding up to the next whole number to determine the total number of packages you’ll need. Remember to always work safely when insulating, wear the right protective gear. Long sleeve shirt and pants, work gloves, work boots, approved safety glasses and disposable dust mask. Light up your work space so that you can see properly and leave the bundles of insulation intact opening only one at a time. Start at the outer edges of the attic and work you way into the center, placing that perpendicular to the joists. For proper ventilation install ready to use RAFT-R-MATE vents between roof rafters. This will provide unrestricted air flows through the sockets into the attic reducing the risk of condensation. When insulating around electric wiring or plumbing split the back and fit it around the wire or pipe. Also be sure to keep insulation at least 75 millimeters away from metal chimneys, gas water heater flues or other heat producing devices. And that’s all it takes to save you money on your energy bills. Not to mention you will reduce green house gases by a half ton per year, year after year. To learn more about how insulating your attic can qualify you for an eco-energy grant visit show me the green.ca and visit pinksavesenergy.ca for more information on how to make your home more energy efficient. So what are you waiting for insulate your attic today.